Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-17

ordinary interest inasnuch as it directly
concerns nearly every man, woman, and
child III the United States. 1t is the question
of authorizations of leather.
Most people are not even aware that
feathers are adulterated; yet it is estimated
by official experts that at least half, and
probably more than half, of all the leather
that comes to market in the shape of boots
and shoes, harness. bookbindings, etc, is
sophisticated in one way or another. Untor-
tunatelv. there is not any law forbdding
such practices, and thus no successful effort
can be made to prevent them.
In speaking of authorizations, reference is
not intended to such odd and ingenious ma
nipuations as that by which bulls hide
is commonly split into half dozen thick
nesses-these being used to counterfeit vari
Gus kinds of leather, from kid to alligator
skin. What is known in the shoe trade as
"box calf is split leather of this sort, and
is widely employed as material for footgcar
of cheaper grades. Pigskin is likewise imi-
tated very successfully in split leather
One may buy "pigskin' leggings in any
shoestore at three-fifty to four dollars a
pair; but, at that price, they are not the
real article. They are made of split leather,
stamped by special machinery in such way
as to initiate the grain of pigskin. Even the
little holes where the bristles grew are coun-
is not able to detect the fraud. However, it
Is always possible to decide the matter by
examining the leggings on the ufle- side,
which will show the brlStle holes l. the article
is veritabe; otherwise, not.
By the use of stamping machinery, split
bulls hide is made to counterfeit with great
accuracy almost any XII J + leati-er. Nearly
all the alligator skin bags C.:e sees carried
by women are of this material. Where the
initator is least successful is with cordovan,
which is used in the manufacture of supe-
rior grade of shoes, and for certain other
fancy purposes. This kind of leather is non
porous, smooth as glass, and has no grain
at all. 1t is obtained from the horse; and is
not the hide of the animal, but layer of
compact muscle tissue cut from under the
skin of the hip. Leather men call 1t shell.
Its nonporous quality renders it partcu-
larlv desirable for shoes, which, when made
of 1t, are waterproof, and the real article re-
tains its smoothness until worn out, whereas
the counterfeit "fuzzes up" and roughens.
Paid for Fake Weight
A LII of this, of course, has nothing to do
with leather adulterants, chief among
which is glucose, obtained from cornstarch.
The glucose is applied either by brushing it
on or by putting it with the leather into a
revolving drum; the object in either case
being to add weight. 1t should be remem-
bered that much leather is sold by the pound,
and when loaded with ten per cent. OF its
weight in glucose it brings more satisfac-
tory profit. Unfortunately, the effect of
such treatment is to make the leather more
penetrable to water, and hence to impair
its wearing quality and shorten its life.
Where soes and harness are concerned it
works most unfortunately for that habitual
victim the ultimate consumer.
Another common adulterant of leather is
Epson salts. which is alleged, by those who
use it, to "clear the grain and render the
material brighter. Any such effect, how
ever. is Slight, and the treatment is very
harmful, destroying the waterproof quality
OF the leather. Here again the object in
view is to add weight, which may be aug
mented to the extent of ten or twelve per
cent.
Yet another method adopted consists in
putting into the leather a large excess of
tanning material-which, it will be under
stood comprises tannin and related COM
pounds, sugars and organic acids BY this
means twenty per cent. may be added to the
weight. The effect of the treatment is to
make the leather more water-reSstant at
first; but the superfiuous tannin, etc, soon
washes out SO that there is no real gain in
that respect, while the material is rendered
harder SITTER and more likely to crack in