Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-12
Longer Lasting LeatherS;
Proper Care Extends Life

The rapidly increasing cost Of
shoes, harness and other articles
made of leather may be checked and
considerable saving effected in the
expenses of simple measures for pro-
| longing the life of leather, say the
| leather specialists of the bureau of
| chesmistry. Shoes and harness prop
| erly treated will last twice as long
as when reasonable precautions for
preserving the leather are neglected.
Grease or oil should be applied to
| the shoes whenever the leather be-
gins to get hard or dry. The SHOES
| should be brushed thoroughly and
all dirt and mud that remains washed
| off with warm water, the excess
| water being taken off with a dry
CLOTH
On dress shoes or polished shoes
use castor oil and apply lightly at
night to the dried shoe, rubbing The
oil into the leather well, especially
| along the welt or where the solt is
sewed to the upper. Polish the next
morning. Tan shoes are, of course,
| slightly darkened by grease and even
| by polish. Do not apply any OIL or
| grease on rubber heels or compost
| ton soles, since such application is
unnecessary and injurious.
Work shoes which are not to be
polished may be creased with meats
| foot oil, fish oil and talloW, VaSellne
or petroleum.. The oil or grease
should be about as warm as the hand
can comfortably bear, and should be
| rubbed we'll into the leather, espe-
| cially along the welt.
If it is desired to secure greater
water resistance than the above OILS
| and greases will insure, heavy
| dressing or greasing with either of
| the following mixtures has peen
| found excellent for this purpose:
grease (get from drug store); IA
| pound of (heavy) dark petrolatum
| (get from drug store); IA pound of
| Qight yellow paraffin wax; or 80
| of a pound of petroleum., lilo OF a
pound of beeSWaX.
| secured by adding beef tallow to any
one of the oils or greases mentioned
above for greasing work shoes. In all
| cases each mixture. should be melted
together by warming carefully and
stirring thoroughly. Better penetra-
ton is secured if the grease is hot
| ter than the hand can bear. he
| creased shoes should be left to dry
over night in warm place The edge
| of the sole and the welt should be
grease cannot be applied to. these
| parts. Any one of the above mixtures
| should be applied to the sole Of the
| shoe, thus increasing its durability.
| pliability and water resistance.
Harness leather should be washed
ana oiled frequently. Ieplu "dLcL !,
neutral soap. and a sponge or stiff
| brush should be used. After rinsing
| in clean tepid water the harness is
| hung up to drain a little while be-
| fore oiling.
Meats foot oil Or castor oil is best
for driving harness, but there may,
| be some tallow mixed with either OF
| these oils-a mixture of talloW and
| fish oils about equal parts of each
for heavy harness. The application
should be light for driving and lib
eral for heavy harness The oil, warm
| to the hand, is rubbed thoroughly
from the washing. A clean, dry cloth
| should be remove excess oil which
the leather is unable to take Up. Har-
ness can be kept soft and flexible for
a long while and made very much
more attractive in appearance by the
proper application of oil.