212 ANIMAL RESOURCES AND FISHERIES OF UNITED STATES. 



licather prepared from inainsnal j^kioii^. 



Series of difitereut leathers illustrating the manufacture of gloves. 



The following account of the glove trade iu North 2\.merica is from the 

 pen of Mr. S. G. Hutchinson : 



" The manufacture of gloves and mittens from leather was started in 

 Fulton County, New York (according to hest information), in the year 

 1809, by people from Connecticut, who first engaged iu the manufacture 

 of tinware and in exchanging their tinware for the products of the coun- 

 try. They thus obtained deer-pelts, which they learned to tan according 

 to the Indian iirocess, and, using paper patterns, cut and made them into 

 rough mittens and gloves. Subsequently they learned a better process 

 of tanning, and also have made great improvements in manufacturing 

 gloves ; and from apparently insignificant and accidental beginnings has 

 originated an industry Avhich is estimated to produce over $4,000,000 

 worth of manufactured goods, and which business has never as yet been 

 successfully transplanted elsewhere. 



" Tbe skins used in the manufacture of gloves and mittens are the dif- 

 ferent varieties of deer-skins and sheep and lamb skins. The deer-skins 

 are gleaned from the entu-e United States, Mexico, Central and South 

 America, and Africa, and there is as much difference in the quality of the 

 skins from the difterent countries as in the climate of the countries or 

 localities from which they come. The heaviest and most valuable skins 

 come from under the equator. 



"Sheep-skins are extensively used in the manufacture of gloves as 

 well as deer-skins. It is estimated that over 100,000 dozen are used an- 

 nually. The quality of these varies as much as deer-skins, and depends 

 as much upon the section of country from which they come, the coarse- 

 wool skins making the best leather. A part of the sheep-skins are 

 dressed in a similar manner to the deer-skins, and are finished to resem- 

 ble buckskin. Many sheep and lamb skins are by a very different pro- 

 cess made into what is called kid leather, the lamb-skins, especially, 

 making a very nice glove ; in fact, some of the lined fur-trimmed gloves 

 made from this kid leather excel any of foreign manufacture. 



" To give a more definite idea of where the deer-skins come from, I will 

 give a little item of statistics of arrivals of deer-skins at the port of 

 New York in the years 1868 to 1872, inclusive : 



"WTience. 



Central America 



Para 



Angostura 



Puetto, Cal 



Sisal 



Honduras 



"Veia Cruz '. . 



Campeachy 



Total 



1868. 



Pounds. 



254, 200 



255, 500 

 100, 000 



00, 000 

 105, 000 

 60, 800 

 30, 000 

 24, 000 



923, 000 



1869. 



Pounds. 



249, 000 



214, 900 



89, COO 



210, 300 



62, 000 



52, 300 



26, 700 



12, 500 



917, 300 



Pounds. 



252, 900 



185, 700 



173, 000 



115, 000 



84, 000 



61, 500 



19, 000 



19, 400 



909, 600 



1871. 



Pounds. 



230, 700 



150, 900 



157, 500 



31, 500 



67, 700 



57, 900 



19, 500 



21, 000 



736, 700 



Pounds. 



249, 000 



141, 800 



65, 000 



154, 400 



125, 500 



62, 500 



21, 000 



12, 500 



832. 200 



" And to give you something of an idea of how these deer-skins are con- 

 verted into leather ready for cutting into gloves, I will copy a poem 

 written by Horace Sprague in 1859. However, the operation has been 

 somewhat changed and much improved since : 



" ' And be it mine iu brief to comprehend, 

 From the inception to the final cud. 

 Through every i)rocess, how the routine moves 

 From unwrought hides to manufactured gloves. 



