t
2 g SUNDAY. JUNE 2. lit 3 1 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFOHD, OREGON
Booh Tailor-Made in Medford Are Tramping Round the World
By EVA HAMILTON
Mail Tribune Stall Writer
There U a man in Hertford
whose boots arc tramping
'round the world. On the feet
of doctors, lawyers, mer
chants, loggers and a few In
dian guides. ,
From the Canadian Rockies
to the oil fields of Saudi
Arabia. Down the halls of
hospitals in Paris, France. In
the desert of Iran. And in
every state of the Union, in
cluding the two new ones,
Alaska and Hawaii, shoes
made by Wilbur L. Stevens
are being worn by comfort
able and busy feet.
His present shop is on North
Crape st. But he has worked
in several locations during the
almost 30 years that he has
been making- and remaking
boots in Medford.
Ftw Yaari in Rosaburg
Stevens spent a few years
in Roseburg where he learned
many thing: from Emit Sand'
quist, formerly of Sweden, he
recently recalled as he bent
over his lasting jack to talk
while keeping the sole in
place on a leather boot.
Sandqulst, others who knew
him relate, made the boots for
the King of Sweden s guards
and was recognized as one of
the best men in his line. He
is now In Payette, Idaho.
When Stevens, known as
"Steve, the boot maker," start
ed west from Minnesota, he
was told if he ever got a
chance to work with Ssid-
quist to take it.
"He was the best boot mak
er on the coast," Steve de
clared. Steve got the chance
and he took It.
Patterns Hang on Wall
Hanging on the wall of his
shop today are patterns of
many feet. In his files are
many more and on the floor
arc stacked lasts, too many to
count - but only two for
women. The largest shoes he
has made were size 14 for a
lineman. The same week he
made a pair of size 5 boots
for a man. The widest boots
he ever made, (almost as wide
as they were long) were for a
full-blooded German. The cus
tomer said "That's what you
get when a German marries a
German, wide feet."
Asked if this were true,
that he could tell a person's
nationality from the shape of
liia feet, Stevens said he had
never pursued the subject far
enough to know. He had been
too busy making the shoes to
fit the feet. ,
Many people view shoe
making as strictly an old coun
try trade. In Steven's shop are
many things to Justify this
NEW
EAEK'
ENDURANCE-BUILT
BY STUDEBAK.tR
i
I
I
SOME HAND 8EWN Wilbur L. Stevens,
Medford boot maker, finds there is still a
demand for hand sewn boots. Hunters and
hikers prefer their flexibility. Seated here
on an old English stool, he measures the
cord In the traditional manner of shoemakers.
v I e wp o I n t . The stool, on
which he sits for hand sewing,
is more than 100 years old and
came from England. He
bought it from the successor
io an old English shoemaker,
who came to this valley from
Tonopah, Nov.
Steven's favorite shoemak-
tng tools are from Sweden.
"Sweden has the he!. steel,"
he explained. "The good steel
Germany uses cornea from
Sweden."
Been Offered Pricss
Stevens has never paid
fabulous prices for these tools,
he prizes so highly. He has,
59 Phoenix Seniors
Receive Diplomas
Phoenix - Fifty nine 1003
graduates of Phoenix High
school received diplomas at
commencement exercises last
week In the school gymnasium,
Dr. Esby C. McGIll, assist
ant to the president at South
ern Oregon college, gave the
Court Suggests Beer
license for Store
The Jack.ion county court
Friday recommended a pack
age beer license for Floyd
Bubb, operator of the
Brownsboro store, but not a
tavern license.
County Commissioner Ed
win Taylor said a majority
of the residents within a two
mile radius of the store op
posed having a tavern In their
area, He made a House to
house check. He suggested
that Bubb wait awhile before
applying for a tavern license
again to allow public opinion
to "cool off,"
Last fall a large delegation
of Brownsboro residents
crowded into the county court
to protest granting a tavern
license in that area. Later
Bubb presented petitions con
taining 30 signatures of resi
dents he said approved having
a tavern,
County Judge Earl M. Mil
ler said there was only "a
sllijht differential" between
I petitions for and against the
! tavern. Earlier, the county
' court had sugucstcd Bubb
wait a year, but take out a
packaged beer license.
commencement address." Fol
lowing the address, J, Allen
Harris, chairman of ths board
of education, presented diplo
mas to the graduating class.
Faculty award medals were
presented to students making
outstanding contributions to
the school. They were Dor
othy James, outsanding senior
girl; Rickey Rlchey, outstand
ing senior boy; Richard Coul
ter, boys activities; Penny
Simmnnds, girls activities;
and Saundra Nelson, citizen
ship, Rickey Richie was also
presented the student body
president key.
Honor students were pre
sented medals. They were
Richard Coulter, Laura Grif
fith, Dorothy James, Robert
McAlaslcr, Saundra Nelson,
Gall Scharfe, Penny Simmonds i
and Jan Stone. !
A plaque was presented to
Harris Precognition for his
service on the school board.
however, been offered fancy
prices for them by people who
have seen them In his shop.
The Swedish hammer, he
prefers, cost him 33 cents
"You get accustomed to the
feel of certain tools," he said.
"You like the feel of some
thing in your hand and you
can do a b e tt e r piece of
work."
His boot making supplies
many needs, that is the great
satisfaction he finds in his
trade. He thinks of the man
with one foot one size, the
other foot another; the mBn
who needs one "built-up" or
extension shoe --he illustrated
by showing two pairs. In one
pair, size seven fit one foot
and size five the other. The
wearer in one case needed
five extended, the other cus
tomer needed seven built up.
Need Better Shots
Then there was the day
when his own son needed a
better pair of shoes. Wilbur,
Jr., know as "Stevie," started
to school. He got his feet wet
in the first September rain.
Determined to get him better
shoes, Stevens took over the
shopping assignment. He
found that his wife had cov
ered the town. The kinds of
shoes needed just were avail
able. So, Steve made 6tevie
the shoes. When he wore
them to school he announced
to his teacher that his father
had made him new shoes.
"You mean he bought you
new shoes," the teacher cor
rected. "No," insisted Stevie, "He
made them."
The teacher found out that
he had.
"First thing he did," Stev
ens completed the story, "was
try them out in a puddle. Sur
prised he came home to report
that his feet weren't wet."
Steven's slippers for doc
tors have supplied physicians
in cities of the world. They
were advertised In medical
and dental journals. He
doesn't advertise them any
more, hp can't take care of
the business. Person to per
son advertising brings him all
the business he can handle.
Most of the shoes for doctors
are white. However, Stevens
makes them in other colors
for other people, including
himself. He had on a pair
when interviewed.
How his shoes get into so
many far away places, Stevens
Isn't sure. In some instances
it happens through Medford
friends. Someone knows some
one in Saudi Arabia or Iran.
In one instance, however,
the contact was via Florida.
Stevens said he had been mak
ing shoes for a dentist in
Florida, who seemed to be
ordering a wide variety of
sizes. He later learned that
one of his colleagues in Paris,
France, was getting some of
them. He realized this when
a doctor wrote from Paris
wanting the same kind.
If the Royal Mounties are
wearing boots by Stevens,
Stevens doesn't know it. In
dian guides and hunters in
Canada, however, are. They
like the ones with the foam
crepe soles.
"Stitch down," Steve calls
the boots he makes for hunt
ers and hikers. They are sewn
with two threads where one
would do and are more flex
i b 1 e. "This way," he ex
plained with threads in his
hand, "you get a lock." He
uses 10-cord linen for all boot
work and boar bristles instead
of needles for pulling the cord
through the leather.
There is still room for in
dividualism in this machine
age in the sewing of shoes,
according to Stevens. The man
with a long arm uses a long
thread, the man with a short
arm, a shorter thread. Stevens
demonstrated. By taking the
thread around the arm and
through each finger he gets
exactly the right length for
the stitching.
First in Harness Shop
This Medford boot maker
started working for himself
49 years ago, first in a harness
shop in Iowa. He may have
stayed there except for the
advice of his uncle, "a pretty
sharp fellow."
"You are serving a dead
trade," Steve remembers his
uncle telling him. "No one is
going to be wanting harness,
cars and tractors are going to
take over."
"I couldn't believe it,"
Stevens said. "I felt that snow
would prevent it and I insist
ed that in winter horses
would still be doing the work
and furnishing transportation.
How will they get the snow
off the roads? I asked uncle.
'They'll find a way," he an
swered, and I knew uncle was
right. Then I'll go into a shoe
repair shop, I told him. Uncle
thought a while, then an
swered, 'Yes I guess people
will always wear shoes.'
"So far they do," Stevens
said.
'Swm along with (&dillae
START ON MONDAY SWIM ON SUNDAY
Healthful living and family pleasure at a pries everyone
can afford. Cadillac pools are constructed with fabulous
fiberglass sidewalk and poured concrete bottom, in all shapes
and sizes, carries a 10 year guarantee.
Priced from $2,700 includes:
fxcovation
Inttatlatlon
Truti-Loc
Conitruction
Vin-romic caping
Fllttr Syium
r-l V Dttp
IV Walk
Main Drain
hiM
kiMar
Und.rwsl.r light
LOW MAINTENANCE NO PAINTING
CALL TODAY FOR FREE ESTIMATE!
FINANCE PLAN AVAILABLE! Up ie 5 YEARS TO PAYI
CADILLAC POOLS
"The Ultimata In Pool luxury"
Phone 772-6259 S. E. "Gene" Burgess
NEW '63 LARK BY
STUDEBAKER
EASY to buyl
EASY on the eyel
Coma in and take a look
at the '63 La U, tha car
with big car perform
ance and comfort at
compact prices, lark
prices begin lower than
any other car In Its fiald
with on axception and
it's almost a tia there
$5 mora for the lark.
Mora car, leu money,
that's tht lark . . . mora
value, lass troublo, that's
our deal. See ut soon.
JAY ALLEN
COMPANY. Ort., Ltd.
1078 Court
773-4543
ROCKET BASE VISITED
Moscow -IUP1- Cuban Pre
mier Fidel Castro and Pre
mier NiklU S. Khrushchev
visited a Soviet strategic rock
et ba Thursday, the official
Tasi ncwi agency reported today.
Seniors receiving diploma were
Curol Kay Andcrimn, Holland Craig
Aruey, Jmeph CurtU Harnett, Pa
tricia L,niln? Hcnlley, flodney
Spencer Riddle. Penny Ann
Blacketur. Richard Perry Boli,
(iarvan Blake Bowman. Loratne
Kny Hraun, Darlene Co (man. Ores
J mom Conner, Richard Arthur
Coulter.
Terea Jean Tlledcrk'h, Jainea
Friward Glanicni-k, Laura Joan
Griffith, Danny Letter Harm,
Donna Louise Hill. Gordon Walter
Milli Jr.. Judith Marilyn Hohba,
Prlaellla Mae Homer, nohort Allen
Hunter, William Joaeph llhiiR
worih, Dorotny Mll)uent James,
ntclmrd Forcnl JcnninR. David
nac Juhninn, Larry Owcm John
Biin, Arda llenee JnhiiMUi
John Kttwtml Kern. Mary Mar
Bre! Lar'leur. Kennelh Lee Loper.
Ronald Meredith Manktna. Loom
Oliver Maudlin, Hubert David
Montgomery. Saundra Lee NrUnn,
It it he rt David McAlaiter. Mttrta
Monlatvo, Timothy Garnet O'Mwra,
franklin lroy Perk int.. Natalia
Jean ReU-henheri. Larry Krank
Rivhey. Rli-key Hay Ru-hey, Helt
Jean Rotter u, Roger Arnold Hoy.
William Dane Sauve, Teresa
Caroline Sauve. Gall C. ' Si-harte,
Sharon Ann Shllti. Penny Joy Slin
nionds, Wane Weldon Smiley,
Linda Carol Summer, Judith Git vie
Stewart, Jan Noel Stone, Sallv Kay
Sirong. Johnny Rurdette Turner,
Mary Loutae Van de Kamp. Shir
ley Ann Walker, Raymond Keith
Wallace, Marietta Mae Wtlkiui, and
Marctle Yvonne Wtlloughhy.
Dennis the Menace
pi
LooKfffl)!!!!
N AT TUe .Villi n
Vllllk ill Jllll J
-f ATTRACTIONS! U r
i BERT HOLT - Aerial Jugglers
and Christ. .
ti-.l THE LOPEZ BROTHERS
tf ' 'rs 'm 'n Amer'ta
V - El P AlTHOFF ELEPHANTS
lid)? KURT JENSEN'S CHIMPANZEES
THIS
BIGGER
and BETTER
THAN EVER!
THE WEST'S
FAVORITE SHOW
RUDY BROS.
SHRINE
mm- ir
wx
Ci tit ik
I MM IMF
II II A JIM
E. P. ALTHOFF ELEPHANTS
KURT JENSEN'S CHIMPANZEES
KELLER'S JUNGLE KILLERS
SENSATIONAL TRAPEZE ARTIST
LYDIA First Time in America
MOTION PICTURE ANIMAL
STARS
V
r i r-i ' V
I '
viiiMt'vjmii'
MEDFORD 2 BIG DAYS
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
June 7-8-2:15 and 8:15 P.M. Daily
SPONSORED BY THE
Jackson County Shrine Club
3t" Add to the Fun With
f
f t
M A
Of course, you won't want to miss the big Shrine Circus
It's t wonderful show and a wonderful cause! And, surely,
you'll want to add to the fun with a party or family gather
ing after the show. This delightfully refreshing FIESTA Is
just the treat to serve . . . and with Jo'gensen's exclusive
nutrient-NUTRIMIX it's as good for you as it is to tastel
Uivuys Ash for "Jorgcnsens"