135 



Table 88. Wood for Pulleys and Conveyors, year ending June, 1912. 



BOOT AND SHOE FINDINGS. 



Nearly all shoes in the United States are made over wooden lasts and, 

 therefore, the manufacture of these lasts as well as other shoe findings is an 

 important enterprise. In comparison with the quantity of woods consumed in 

 other states, particularly Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, and 

 New York, this industry in Pennsylvania is relatively small; but because of 

 the substantial well equipped establishments, of the skilled labor employed, 

 and in the high grade of products manufactured, it is of considerable 

 industrial importance. Lasts, shoe forms, and wood soles are the commodities 

 to which the statistics in Table 89 refer. 



Lasts are made from sugar maple and persimmon because they possess the 

 essential qualities of hardness, density, capacity for smooth finish, and per- 

 manence in final shape. No other domestic woods have been found equally 

 suitable. The former goes into lasts, all sizes and kinds, both for leather 

 and rubber shoes, and the latter for the better grades of children's and misses' 

 sizes. Considering the great number of shoes made in this country, compar- 

 atively few lasts are needed as many pairs are made over the same pattern. 

 The wear on the last is considerable and it can be used steadily for no longer 

 than twelve to fifteen months. For that reason only the high grade select wood 

 is required. 



There are two distinct divisions of the last industry, the manufacture of 

 the last block from bolts, and the manufacture of the finished last from the 

 rough turned blocks. The industry in Pennsylvania covers only the manu- 

 facture of the latter and the fact that no last and filler blocks were found being 

 made in the State, though maple and basswood are commonly cut in Pennsyl- 

 vania, explains the fact that the entire amount of wood used by the last 

 makers was reported as coming from other states. 



Last block manufacture entails various difficulties in kiln-drying and many 

 who have started the business have failed. Those who have mastered the 

 obstacles and acquired efficient processes of seasoning manufacture on a 



