FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 307 



the time of the first day being 58, 60 and 62 minutes, and the time for the 

 second day being 33 and 44 minutes; but, as the time counted only ten 

 points on the score card, this did not have much bearing on the total 

 score. 



In turning the shoes, I could not help but notice the different methods 

 employed by the several contestants in going about their work; and, as 

 this had a direct bearing on the result, it was really surprising to me 

 how some of the men still held to some old style and antiquated method 

 of forming the shoe. One of the rules of the contest read: "that limited 

 heating and liberal hammering gives tougher and better wearing shoes," 

 consequently there was plenty of pounding and noise. This "limited 

 heating and liberal pounding" clause is, according to my way of looking 

 at it, a joke. This may have been the proper caper in olden days, when 

 horseshoe stock was made out of old shoes or old iron welded together, 

 then it was, no doubt, necessary to do considerable pounding and hammer- 

 ing to make the mold firm and tough enough so that it would stand the 

 operation of creasing and punching, without "ripping," but this is not 

 necessary nowadays, with our improved methods of rolling iron, and it 

 is rare indeed to run across a bar of iron that will not stand the process 

 of being made into a horseshoe. 



Another thing: In this "limited heating and liberal hammering" stunt, 

 we naturally do most of the hammering along the sides of the shoe, but 

 where the wear is the strongest, around the toe, very little hammering 

 is done. So this is one rule that should be eliminated. 



The shoes were to be perfectly plain, no clips or toe or heel calks, but 

 I could not help notice that most of the contestants cut off far too much 

 stock for their shoes; in fact, enough to supply turned up heel calks with, 

 and, of course, after the shoes were turned, this extra stock had to be 

 cut off, and this counted against the contestant also. 



After the shoe was turned and the first trip was made to the foot, 

 credit was given for the nearest fit, and also for the least number of times 

 the shoe was tried to the foot before it was ready to be driven on. Each 

 competitor was closely observed as the nails were driven, whether he 

 drove them in line, whether he had to pull any nails, and whether the 

 shoe fitted the foot nice and flush; if any of the wall projected out over 

 the shoe, it counted against the contestant; in fact, close observations 

 were kept of the smallest of details, and it was not the time that counted, 

 but the workmanship, first, last and all the time. 



CONTESTANTS THE FIRST DAY. 



Ben Woolgar, Des Moines, Iowa; time, sixty-two minutes. 

 Wm. Cameron, Ames, Iowa; time, fifty-eight minutes. 

 Wm. Montes, Des Moines, Iowa; time, sixty minutes. 



CONTESTANTS. THE SECOND DAY. 



Wm. Campbell, Rock Rapids, Iowa; time, forty-four minutes. 

 C. E. Wicklund, Marshalltown, Iowa; time, thirty-three minutes. 

 NOTE — Winners were not judged by time. 



