| Show BUILDING A RUBE R BOOT IllJl Process Requires More Labor Than tho Average Person ThInks IL is forty years since the first rubber boot was made ana a very clumsy specimen footwear it was Prior to this the old fashioned rubber shoe wasln iseence but act milch worn and ifc was called galoshe rh style of boots now made are nearly deatieal iu all of the leading rubber companies each however having some itrcngthening device of more or less excel care upon which they pride themselves All bppta are made by hand upon woodeu trees which are prepared of carefully seasoned maple The seasoning is necessary neces-sary else tho trees would shrink in vulcan zation and become worthless Iron trees have been used but are practically barred out by their ipreiit weight A well arranged boot room has first a wido center circle running its whole length through which run cur tracks fort for-t e easy removal of the finisHeti boots to ho heaters Sunning from this main passageway are the alleys of tie workman work-man in front of each of whom is a long table fitted with a rack capable of holding fifteen pales of boots A portion of this table ispadded and reserved for the work of making up the tools for this being simply sim-ply small hand roller a stitcher a knife and a cement cup and brush As the various pieces that are to be joined together to make the perfect boot are brought in books to the bootmaker they are first laid over the table and cemented ce-mented with a paste made of rubber and benzine The first step then is the lasting A tree is put upon the block with the foot upward and the leg lining of felt usually is wrapped upon it and connected con-nected at the heel by a bit of piping The edges are then lapped one upon thinner th-inner sole where they stick fast The lining lin-ing is then seamed up the back by drawing draw-ing up the piping edge over the rubber coating Next tho lining is fastened at thE top of the tree to make it firm and sot so-t take out any looseness that may be in it Then the foot lining is connected at the instep and lapped over on tho inner sole A rag filler is the next necessity to fill the space left on the solo between tho lower edges of the leg lining Over this and indeed in-deed on the whole bottom of the foot is placed a tough solo made of rubber und fiber called the rag sole This is skived and all round and then both rag sole and lining are brushed over with a fine quality of rubber cement and left to dry When the benzine has fully evaporated from the cemented surface the process trimming is next in order First the holes are cut for the straps and they are placed in position Th n a small heel stay of cloth is added followed by an ankle piece rubber cut without lapping lap-ping at the back A heavy counter or rubber and fiber is put around the heel next to ba followed by a back strln ot rubber that runs up the seam in the lining from the heel to the top of the boot This is succeeded by a toe strip of piping a toe piece of rubber and side stays ofTthc same when tho boot is ready for the coverAll cover-All this time the boot has the look of some of those felt boots that car drivers in Chicago fancy only this is decorated vith I cement add trimmings and the other is plain The leg cover is rubber and goes over the wlxttlt with the exception of the solo and a part of the toe It b put on with great care a back seam being rundown run-down in the middle of the b > iok strip a binding pufcarOunJi tho top a vamp lining lin-ing the sides etteiiding over the cuunt r secured and the outer filler J added to the i bottom of tlio foot I Tho third stage known l ns covering I now follows itt this a counter cf bcavy rubber is put aionnd the heel the point l being iixlinc withthe back l seam tho edges I being carefully rolled 1cHvU Then a amp of heavy rub rtJio tongue exactly covering the vamp lining Tho sides of this extend arpundtto the coJi ter and are LdistinKuished by two side Beamy Thesa < < |
