The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-03


Among the wonders Of the day may justly be classed
the recent adaptation OF the gum eaouteioue or inda
rubber to very many purposes 10 which, within the last
few years il has been applied with complete success
rapidly becoming OF great Importance IN an INDUS
trial point of view that we persuaded cannot bet
ter employ column OF the "Union" than in presenting TO
its readers brds-eye view OF the rise and progress OF
the manufacture which, though meagre and desultoy as
necessarily be, is in fact the result OF much re-
search and inquiry from all the at hand in Wash
ngton The gum itself is the coagua,ed juice oi class
of tropical trees of which the hascea guianens the
atropha elaca and the urceoa easea are the primer
pal and which are found in India and South America,
though the chief supplies come to Europe and The United
States from the latter quarter t has been called India
rubber, from Its facility in rubbing out the marks OF the
lead pencil upon ptper) In South America, the Indians
who procure il for expectation, do by making an IN
cision in the bark Of the tree smaller, but after the fash
ion of the box" cut in the turpenne tree OF North Car
olina from which the fluid exudes 1t rs first OF the
color of milk and quickly hardens, rather becomes
tough and elastic exposure TO the action OF the SUM-
They endevor far possible to keep their method of
preparing ii secret and give 1t the black color charac-
terzng OF the mportaions, by smoking over IRE
made OF peculiar woeJ-that which has the light color
and which is considered best to be worked up being sun
dried They, however, fancy that their manner OF smo
king it, which really Injuries the material for factory uses
gives it well nj gin all commercial value. They also
smear il in thin layers balls of clay, 10 make the
bottle which ney for household purposes, and
LAY shoe uds &c Ii first found lis way INTO Europe
in quantities in 1885, but, believe, attempts work
up upon an extensive scale made earlier than
some fourteen fifteen yeasago. This was undertaken
in this unty and the other side OF the Atlantic, at
about the same time.
In 1894 and 1885, New England the OF an
India rubber stock speculation mania, hardly second to
the re for speculation in the 'easern lands OF Maine
which prevailed about the same time, and which was
ely disastrous in It's consequences to the peck
Of the thousands who nbbled too freely at the sud-
den fortune bait 1t is said that perhaps million and
half of dollars were then sunk in fess experiments IN
preparing and applying the gum 1t was at that time dis
solved in spirits of turpsntne, and, being mixed with
lampblack, was spread between two cloths, by way OF
making water proof article. 1t was, however, found
that when the thermometer at sixty in the shade the
temperature of the atmosphere alone was well nigh as
perfect solvent for the manufactured article urpen
tine for the gum in its original state for, whole
houses full goods manufactured by the spectators IN
winter which then appeared Just what was wanted, be-
CT muck in summer. The apparent lmpossl-
bity of preventing this melting in warm weather. and
also of preventing the preparation from stenng in the
cold, caused the failure of the India rubber
stock operations OF that day
In 1895, the celebrated Goodyear, then broken
hardware merchant of Philadelphia who had previously
turned his attention to the subject, commenced expert
menng in earnest, with the view to divest the material
when prepared, of its soluble qualities, and of those
which caused it to sffen in the cold He set out in the
belief that if he could attain these ends subsequent
perience and study would enable him to adapt
fully TO almost nnumerable These experiments
were first conducted in New York, afterwards in Con-
nectcut, and, finally, in Roybury, Massachusetts, where
India rubber manufacturing company, that had been
severely injured by the speculation orlorn hope for
retrieving their losses, offered him the of their estab
shment, and the of persevering to the end For
seven years he abored faithfully, satisfying one but
himself however, that he step to the reali-
cation of his hopes than when he abandoned everything
else chase this apparent chmera, for which, the
bye. his friends voted him all but fit for mad house
In addition to the difficulties naturally resulting from SO
long in what appeared hopeless labor he
nine times imprisoned by his creditors and yet,
with courage and patience worthy of his New Eng
land origin, he did persevere TO the end at the ter
minaton OF years, gaining additional information by
every successive experiment. he succeeded in perfectng
a metallic gum composition which answered the long
sought ends With this discovery dates the real value
of gum caoutchouc Subsequently, however he dis,
covered and patented kind of India rubber felt which
is being made into cloths inch thick or so thin
be driving silk cloth out of for some purposes
Thus prepared, the gum nearly elastic In per-
fecng this particular article the inventor himself is said
to believe he has achieved his great victory is made
of raw cotton-no cloth-combined with the metallic
fluid somewhat after the in which hatters make
hat bodies We have several different articles made
of If, from the thick substance necessary for seamens
charts down to notes of the New Haven county bank
some of which have been printed on it,
stranger to the application of Goodyears preparation
would indeed be surprised on going an establishment
where articles made of it sold From ships sails
down TO sheaths for pins to astcn infants clothes and
elegant and delicate articles of ladies apparel one will
find countless multitude of different things in the con
sructon Of which, but yesterday it We're leather cot
ton linen, silk, woollen, ron wood or tin were Thought
absolutely necessary.
To give readers idea Of what the inventor has
effected, will mention that of his PREPARATION there
are now manufactured with complete success ton
sails for of the New York and Liverpool line ships
which, though the body is Of the most inferior quality of
cotton sail cloth, found to be almost invaluable be-
cause, in addition to their remarkable durability they
shed ice like glass; and do sen with frost as do al,
other kinds of sail cloth is already applied success
fully to supply the place of hair cloth and velvet for COW
erngs furnre-such sofas and easy chairs There
specimens of its application after this fashion TO he
at Colemans Hotel in this city, which If he has
effected nothing more, should bring Mr. GOODYEAR great
fame an inventor.
But the War Department is awaiting itself of the fruits
of his abors extensively for some time past to have
kept sixteen factories working under his patents CON
stany employed They making for the United States
ponton boats, (Which though light and portable will
ferry fifty men, il is said, at time and in perfect safety
it matters what current they have to contend with
tents, knapsacks, haversacks, watersheds, provision
bags, Ito take the place of boxes and barrels ammun
ton sacks and covers, and great many similar articles
for which, after full and fair trial. this preparation has