Henry Hotze & Sons 1862 - 1962

by Bent Hotze

Page 10

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Be that as it may, Jay Kay introduces me to "Chuck" Harvey who was trying to market golf accessories - long hose, shoes and various sundries including caps. He had just returned from Kansas City, Missouri where he had not been able to sell any golf bags.

He was a retired salesman of Hargadine, McKittrick, Wholesale Dry Goods of St. Louis. He was in his early fifties, vigorous, and a grip like iron from carrying suit cases on his sales trips in wholesale dry goods. The company had been forced out of business. He was married to a daughter of one of the owners.

We, Harvey and I, loaded his car with golf bags, and his accessories, and started out on what turned out to be a 10,000 mile trip. First Kansas City, where we sold six of the pros at the wealthier clubs. Than back to St. Louis, and to Chicago, via Springfield, Lincoln, and Decatur. We picked up a few sales in each of those cities. We worked Chicago clubs for three weeks, then Milwaukee, across the lake to Muskegon, grand Rapids; south to Kalamazoo, then east to Detroit - two weeks there. Then Toledo and east to Cleveland, Canton, Akron, Youngstown, back west to Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, then Indianapolis, and back home.

This trip built a basis of a pro business that became the most prestigious in the country and attracted some foreign sales. Hot-Z bags were made to last; the basic patents, the spread or yoked straps carrying arrangement, and the bumper ring protecting the bottom stitching, gave us exclusive sales over a long period of time. The pro of that era (preceding the sixties) were quality conscious - they had t face the owners of the bags and clubs constantly. We repaired and reconditioned our "Durotan" bags 10-20 years old. "Durotan" a name I coined, was developed from selected hides, a bark tanned fair leather. We "sammied" this leather; first sponging the sides of leather on a large table with water, then gently worked in by hand a solution of Ivory Flakes and tallow - not hot - just warm - then the sides were hung up to dry.

When in use in the field and exposed to sunlight, the leather turns in color to a rich . dark tan. The tannery used some Sumac bark in tanning; hence the brownish color. Hemlock tannage tends to give a pinkish reddish color to fair leather. To enhance the prestige and pro pocketbook I sent a letter of instruction as follows. Clamp a piece of 2X4 longer than the bag in a vice slantwise, pull out the hood cover an slide the bag onto the 2X4. Wash with castile soap if handy; otherwise Ivory - allow the bag to dry overnight, then work in saddle soap - charge from $5.00 to $10.00. This was the thirties and forties, $5.00 was a "Bill".