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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



A CORNER OF THE BEATER-ROOM, WHERE THE DIGESTED WOOD IS FURTHER TREATED 

 BEFORE BECOMING READY FOR CONVERSION INTO PAPER 



In this room digested spruce wood, treated with sulphur fumes, and digested poplar 

 wood, treated with caustic soda, are mixed — the one to give strength and the other bulk to 

 the paper, long-fibered wood making strong paper just as long-staple cotton makes strong 

 cloth. Clay, used for filler, and other materials are then added, and the mass is thoroughly 

 beaten and mixed and brought to a proper consistency for use in the paper-making machines. 



require a little extra attention and are 

 held down by a piece of fine wire. 



The lasted shoe next goes through a 

 trimming machine that removes all sur- 

 plus leather, while a mechanical hammer 

 pounds the leather smooth. Then it goes 

 to another machine, where the toes and 

 heels are beaten smooth, making the shoe 

 ready for welting. 



The welt is so prepared that it can be 

 sewed to the insole and the upper in one 

 sewing, and later have the outsole sewed 

 to it. After the joining of insole and up- 

 per to the welt, the shoe is passed through 

 the inseam trimming-machine. Next it 

 goes to a machine where a small hammer 

 gives the welt a terrific beating. The 

 insole and welt are then covered with 

 rubber cement, as is the waiting sole. 

 When this has dried slightly, the sole is 



laid on and the shoe is put into a press- 

 ing-machine, where the cement dries. 



Next it goes to the rough rounding- 

 machine, which rounds sole and welt, 

 allowing them to extend out from the 

 upper at all points. Looking at the shoe 

 on your foot, you will see that this ex- 

 tension is less at the shank than at the 

 ball, and less on the outer side than on 

 the inner side of the foot. The rough 

 rounding-machine also cuts a little groove 

 around the bottom of the sole for the 

 purpose of receiving and covering the 

 stitching, to follow. The welt extends 

 back only to the heel. The latter has no 

 welt, but is stitched directly and has its 

 own special treatment. 



One could write much more, telling of 

 the preparation of the soles ; how they 

 are rolled under tremendous pressure to 



