March 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



321 



The Editor's Book Table. 



A MANUAL OF SliOEMAKlNG AND LEATHER AND RUBBER 

 Products. By William H. Dooley,_ Principal of the Lowell Industrial 

 School. With 41 illustrations. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, Mass. 

 l8vo. 280 pp. Cloth. $1.50 net.] 



WHEN the Lynn Commission on Industrial Education de- 

 sired a text book on shoe manufacture, to be used in the 

 proposed shoe scliool in that great shoe city, it was found 

 that there was no such text book in existence in the EngHsh lan- 

 guage, and the principal of the Lowell Industrial School, Mr. Wil- 

 liam H. Dooley, was invited by the Commission to prepare such a 

 work. He accepted the invitation and devoted a great deal of time 

 in collecting material for a book of shoe making He visited the 

 factories of Europe, as well as those of America; and the result of 

 his labors is a compendious book of 280 large-print pages, with 

 many illustrations, giving in concise, clear and intelligible form 

 all the essential information relating to the manufacture of 

 leather and rubber boots and shoes. 



The greater part of the book is devoted, naturally, to leather 

 footwear. He describes hides and their treatmant, methods of 

 tanning, how shoe styles are made, and the departments of a 

 shoe factory. He tells the difference between the old-time mak- 

 ing of shoes, w'hcre each cobbler supplied the footwear for his im- 

 mediate neighborhood, and tlie present perfected methods whicli 

 pour out vast quantities of finished shoes every day from the 

 great factories of New England and the West. 



The last chapter in the book, devoted to the history of foot- 

 wear will be, for the general reader, one of the most interest- 

 ing; but the chapter that is most important from the standpoint 

 of the rubber industry is that devoted to "Rubber Shoe Manufac- 

 ture and Terms." Here the author begins with the collecting 

 of the latex in the Brazilian forests and on the plantations, and 

 follows the coagulated rubber from the shipping docks at Para 

 and in the East to the American factory, where it is duly cleaned, 

 dried, compounded, calendered and cut up into the component 

 parts of boots and shoes. Then he describes the method of con- 

 structing the boot and the shoe from these various parts, and 

 follows by describing the processes of varnishing, vulcanizing, 

 packing and shipping. It is an interesting story, and while it 

 will afford no additional light, naturally, to people experienced 

 in the practical work of the factory, it gives to the uninitiated — 

 the student in the industrial school, the beginner in the factory, 

 and especially to the general reader — all the essential information 

 regarding, at least, the rudiments of rubter footwear making. 

 and gives it in a clear, concise and readable form. 



WEST INDIAN TALES OF OLD. BY ALGERNOX E. ASPINALL, 

 author of "The Pocket Guide to The West Indies" and "The British 

 West Indies — Their History, Resources and Progress." Illustrated. 

 Duckworth & Co., London. 1912. [Svo. 260 pp. Board covers. 1 



Readers of this publication will doubtless remember earlier 

 reviews of books by Mr. Aspinall. His book on the Brit- 

 ish West Indies was reviewed at some length in the June, 1912, 

 issue of The India Rubber World. That book contained one 

 chapter on the rubber potentialities of the British West Indies, 

 which, though not long, was full of interesting information. 



Mr. Aspinall's latest book, "West Indian Tales of Old." 

 contains nothing about rubber, but having to do with a part of 

 the world in which rubber production is a matter of constantly 

 increasing importance, it ought to appeal to people interested in 

 rubber countries. This book contains eleven different stories, 

 largely historical, somewhat legendary, and all good reading. 

 The opening story, "Benbow. the Brave," describes some of the 

 chivalrous deeds of the redoubtable English Admiral, who, a 

 little over two centuries ago, drove the pirates away from the 

 British possessions in the West Indies, and later, single-handed 

 — deserted by the cowardly captains of his fleet — engaged the 

 French, and against great odds gave an exhibition of English 

 pluck and naval prowess, which has been a treasured incident in 



English history ever since. By way of introduction to the brave 

 Benbow, there is a graphic description of the destruction of Port 

 Royal at Jamaica Bay by an earthquake in 1692. 



One story in the book that will appeal to the lovers of the 

 mystic is "A Barbados Mystery," which relates the extraordinary 

 occurrences that took place about 100 years ago in a certain tomb 

 in the church-yard of Christ Church, situated on the south coast 

 of Barbados. The moving events recorded in the story must 

 have occurred, as they were vouched for at the time by all the 

 local dignitaries of State and Church, but no explanation has 

 ever been given of these gruesome phenomena. 



Another extremely interesting story is "The Legend of Rose 

 Hall," which tells of the cruel fate that overtook an exceedingly 

 cruel woman, who, nearly a century ago, was mistress of this 

 famous mansion, which still stands (in a dilapidated condition) 

 near Montego Bay on the North Coast of Jamaica. 



For tourists intending to embark for a cruise through the 

 West Indies, Mr. Aspinall's book can be most highly recom- 

 mended. It will greatly increase their interest in the scenes and 

 places that make the West Indies so attractive to visitors. 



THE OPERATION, CARE AND REPAIR OF AUTOMOBILES. 

 Edited by Albert L. Clough. Revised Edition. New York, 1912. The 

 Horseless Age Company. [Cloth. 300 pages.] 



In the above comprehensive and detailed work Mr. A. L. 

 Clough, of the editorial staff of the "Horseless Age," has grouped 

 together a number of facts and suggestions of material value to ' 

 those seeking light upon the operation of the automobile, as well 

 as upon the best remedies for the various troubles connected 

 therewith. 



While it contains a number of sections dealing with various 

 .sub-divisions of the contents, the work has nine main divisions. 

 In the first the subject of "Ignition"' is treated in 96 pages, with 

 full descriptions of the jump spark and torch spark ignition 

 systems. While the latter unites electrical simplicity with a 

 notable degree of mechanical complication the contrary is the 

 case with the former, which is electrically more complex but 

 simpler mechanically. Hence it has apparently been "very 

 generally adopted. 



"Carburation" deals in 27 pages with the properties and treat- 

 ment of gasoline, including its filtration and storage, as well as 

 with carKuretor troubles and their remedies. It finally discusses 

 fuel consumption as a criterion of a car's condition. 



Proceeding from the mechanical to the accessory features of 

 the subject, the next point dealt with is "Lubrication," to which 

 18 pages are devoted. One of the most interesting chapters is 

 that upon how to locate abnormal friction in the moving parts. 



Specially interesting to the rublier man who may be also owner 

 of an automobile is the section of 28 pages treating of tires, the 

 scope of which is indicated by the headings of the principal 

 chapters: "Wear due to Faults in Tire," "Some cases of 

 Abnormal Wear," and "Hints on Tire Maintenance." Repairs, 

 demountable rims and other kindred subjects also receive 

 attention. 



Other divisions of the work are: "Inspection. Care and Use 

 of Motor Cars" (49 pages) ; "Garages, Washing and Shipping 

 Cars" (21 pages) ; "Repair Suggestions" (50 pages), and "Win- 

 ter Use of Automobiles" (17 pages). A well arranged index 

 facilitates reference. 



The total of 300 pages therefore covers all branches of the 

 subject, while at every step the reader is aided by one of the 180 

 illustrations, which, in conjunction with several graphic •harts 

 form one of the most valuable features of the work. 



Combining as it does a large amount of personal knowledge 

 with valuable journalistic experience, Mr. Clough's .work may be 

 regarded as a distinct acquisition to automobile literature. 



