Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1917 — ECONOMY IN LEATHER [ARTICLE]

ECONOMY IN LEATHER

Simple Measures Recommended for Preserving Shoes and Harness. "War demands leather —leather ■ for soldiers’ shoes, leather for harness, leather for equipment of many kinds. In this country there is no euch surplus that we can afford to waste any of it; and it is wasting leather not to care for and preserve it properly. In the army and ■ out, we all wear shoes. If we manage them rightly, they will last longer, we will not need so many new ones, and there will b 6 more left for others. The following sug-

gestions from the leather and paper laboratory the United States department of agriculture can be utilized by everyone who walks. Shoes should be oiled or greased whenever the leather begins to get hard' or dry. They should be brushed thdroughly, and then all the. dirt and mud that remains washed off with warm water, the excess yvater being taken off with a dry cloth. While the shoes are still wet and -warm, apply the oil or grease ■with a swab of wool or flannel. It is best to have the oil or grease about as warm as r the hand can bear, and it should be

rubbed well into the leather, preferably with the palm. If necessary the oil can be applied to dry leather, but it penetrates better when the latter is wet. After treatment, the shoes should be left to dry in a place that is warm, not hot. Castor oil is satisfactory for shoes that are to be polished; for plainer footgear neat’s-foot, fish oil, or oleinft may be substituted. If it is desired to make the shoes and boots more waterproof, beef tallow may be added to any of these substances at the rate of half a pound of tallow to a pint of oil. The

edge of the sole and the welt should be greased thoroughly. Too much grease can not be applied to these . • . . ■ ■ © parts. A simple method of making the soles more durable, pliable and water resistant is to swab them occasionally with linseed oil, setting them aside to dry overnight. Many of the common shoe polishes are harmful to leather. All those which contain sulphuric, hydrochloric, or oxalic acids, turpentine, benzine or other volatile solvents, have a tendency to harden the leather and make it more liable to crack.

It is : oor economy, too, to wear a shoe with the heel badly worn on one side. This throws the shoe out of shape and may soon result in ! its ruin. It is also likely to cause temporary injury to the foot. Harness leather, like shoes, can not be neglected without, injury that lessens its durability. It should be washed and oiled frequently. The washing should be done in tepid water with a neutral soap and a sponge or stiff brush. After rinsing in clean tepid water, the harness is hung up to drain a little while before oiling. ■ ' J For driving harness neat’s-foot •or castor oil is best, but for heavy ; harness there may be some tallow in the oil. The applications should be light for driving and liberal for , heavy harness. The oil, warm to j the hand, is rubbed thoroughly into the leather while it is still wet I from the washing. Excess oil which I the leather is unable to take up ! should be removed with a clean, I dry cloth. ■;