The trade is poorer with the passing of Oscar Scherer, senior member of the firm of Oscar Scherer and Brother, tanners of Flower City kid. Mr. Scherer's sudden death at his home, 920 Park Avenue, New York City, came as a shock to his friends. It resulted from pneumonia. In his passing the trade loses a pioneer whose efforts tended to elevate the manufacture of glazed kid and inspire others to improve their product. Mr Scherer went to New York in 1871, at the age of 15, to begin work in the leather industry with Charles Hauselt, who had come to America from Germany in 1845 as the U. S. representative of Doerr and Reinhart, patent leather tanners of Germany. Mr Scherer was under the guidance and tutelage of Mr. Hauselt and became thoroughly trained in the traditions and business principles of the house which has always held the confidence of the trade.

During his younger years Mr Scherer spent much of his time covering the country selling merchandise and in this way developed an unusually large and sincere business friendship which was carried on even into the younger generation. Later he was schooled in the executive management of the firm's business and admitted into a partnership. Quick to visualize the possibilities of the chrome tannage, he set out to make colors in chrome tanned glazed kid. This he accomplished and to him must go the honors of creator and originator of colored kid. It was then that he introduced the trade name "Flower City Kid" and in 1898 changed the firm name to Oscar Scherer & Brother. Flower City kid became known far and wide in all quarters of the world, not only as the original but as the recognized acme of perfection in colored kid. At one time its variety of colors consisted of 30 different shades. Though a pioneer he was not a plunger. He had at all times a desire to create--but no ambition to control. He was firmly set at all times against expansion of production except along fundamentally sound and healthy lines. His principle desire in business was to have his product "well made and well sold," and this he achieved. An eminent member of the trade remarked at his memorial: "Mr. Scherer was a good level-headed business man, one whose reputation was as good as his goods. He was a wise and large giver to charities. As a creator and promoter of chrome tanned colored glazed kid, he won the right to be classified among those pioneers who developed this branch of the industry."

Mr Scherer was 67 years of age and was a member of the advisory board of the Chase National Bank and the New York Chamber of commerce, a director of the Chatham and Phoenix National Bank, a member of the Atlantic Yacht Club, New York Athletic Club, a 32nd degree Mason, and a member of numerous other societies. He is survived by his widow Anna Barbara Hauselt Scherer and a daughter, Mrs. Waters F. (Elsa) Burrows.