The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-14


WJproposed, some nme ago, 20 give q brief
histfy Of the various discoveries and improve
mats made in the United States, in the India
rober art, and mark the periods when they took
lace, TO show the rise and progress OF this now
Valuable and extensive manufacture. Our invests
cations have been carefully made, and honor will
be accorded where IL is due. Ii ID indispensable TO
correct understanding of the subject, TO glance at
the early discoveries of the substance Of India rub
Der itself, clearly 10 define the honor due TO Ameri-
can discoveries, and indicate all new inventions.
The introduction of India rubber from South
America into Europe, was almost contemporaneous
with its discovery by French naturalist about the
middle Of the las century; but we have no account
OF its application, 10 any extent, In the arts until
about $50, when efforts were made 10 introduce
the milk of the tree, and 10 apply i, to cloths and
other fabrics, for the purpose OF rendering them
waterproof These experiments were, however,
unsuccessful. When the substance was first intro
duced into Europe, II was Of the natural color, as
concreted from the juice of the tree; and this color
was hight drab. As early as 1870, the Brazilian
Indians discovered a mode Of curing rubber, and
adapting il to use in the form of shoes. This
curing process was, and still IS, very simple. IL
consists IN combining small portion OF carbon
and vegetable oil The Indian first obtains an
earthen vessel rudely formed Of clay, in the shape
ofa sugar. loaf, with small aperture at the top;
this Is supported, with the base resting projec-
tons Of stone, raising from the ground sufficiently
TO allow the air 10 pass 10 the fire, which is
built Of bark, or leaves and wood peculiar nut,
from tree of the same forest, aad which Yields an
oil, is always used TO increase the SMOKE
and which, in the process of burning, gives
out the oil The operation commences by
pouring the Juice of the rubber tree on 10 the
last, OF block on which the shoe is made The
consisence OF this juice is very much like that of
our milkweed. The last is held over the apex or
aperture Of the earthen vessel, out of which the
smoke and heat pass, while the nuts burning
A lew seconds are enough 10 complete this coat
ing and when dry, II is so thin as scarcely to be
percepnble upon The last The last is then put
aside 10 dry, and another taken in hand, and the
operation continued successfully upon dozen or
more lasts, by eyery, operator In this manner
from twenty 10 thirty LGmlr6 are applied success
sivey; and when completed, the shoe is suspended
In the shade TO harden, and thus prepared for ship
nent.
Although the India rubber tree ia found in ala.
Africa, and the Indian Archipelagoes, Tin great
quantities near the eQuator,) no manufacture or
application OF II 10 useful purposes has ever been
attempted to any considerable extent excep',by the
brazilian Indians, IN whose country the of cur
ing II Is practised as we have described. The quality
of the India rubber deteriorstes in proportion as
the distance from the equator increases hence the
article obtained fromC arthag ma small lots ofwhch
have been imported into the United States during
the last ten years, has always sold lower price
than the rubber OF Para. Many efforts have been
made 10 import the milk teelf but without success
Mr.. Norris, now our Consul at Para, was sent out
there about ten years ago for thi, purpose, by
agentieman Of this city, and TO introduce the art OF
preparing the mlk and of applying it, as concreted
TO the cloth by the aid of machinery. He ex-
pence good deal OF money in these experiments,
but they were without success. With temporal
ture OF one hundred degrees in the shade northern
men cannot work the native Indians can suppy
their wants for penny a day.
In 1873, Charles Macintosh, of Manchester, Eng
land, pc rfected his famous discovery Of endering
cloth waller prosf, which afterwards bore his name
This was partis lily accomplished by diesoving the
rubber, and applying the solution first with brush
ana afterwards oy spreading II on with knife
~o surfaces thus prepared were united, and by
this means, Macintosh and his associates mono
Poii2ed all The manufa cuIes prepared in this WY,
and accumulated large fortune.
From this time till about $780, few improve.
menis were made IN England, or on the Continent.
Only four or hive patents were taken out, an they
were for inventions of no material importance.
From le3O 10 ls3S, the number of patents issued in
England for the manufacture or application of
India rubber, was thirty; some of which were
Invented in this country, and became monopoes
10 enterprisIg Spectators who were the first 10
introduce them INTO the British doninions.
The British government bases its law of patents
on wise national policy, granting monopolies to the
hrst whe introduces new art or discovery into the
British domlnions, whether they the inve stors
or not while our own laws grant patents only to
the original inventor or his assignee. Justice is in
lhls wsy-ln torn, at least, II not 10 fact-secared
% ird'viouas, but no regard is had 10 the manu-
actunDg interest OF the country.
From 1889 uli the present ume, some forty pa
ents have been granted in England, for India rub
Der manufs ctuTes, or tor machinery, more than
hall Of which have been for American discoveries
chiefly monopollzed by mere introducers Of them,
under the laws Of Great Britain. Nearly three
times many India rubber patents have been is
sued IN England as IN the United States, and yet
we believe that our manufactures IN this article
have greatly exceeded those in England, with the
execution Of braces and other textile fabrcs, in
which EngaLd and France have hitherto had al
most the entire contro
One ofthe mos; important manufactures OF rubber
among ", is What 10 called the rubber clothes,
since from these are MADE almost all articles Of
clothing, &c. This manufacture was successfully
accomplished in the Jniteo states during the years
I-Z7, y, and 20, when the idea Of combining
other substances, such az carbon, paints, ochre
and other earthly materials with the rubber, and
apphsd TO surfaces OF cloth, rendering II ca
pable Of resisting, 10 great extent, the decompos-
ing influences OF the sun aod atmosphere. The
English NODE oi treating rubber did not enable
the manufacturer 10 accomplish this Iesult. twas
unkIo~nin Europe, and The idea OF preparing the
rubber itself 20 form one surface oil the fabric, was
entirely new.
The frat and principal object the enierpnsing
protector sought to accomplish, was TO initiate Ia
hls fabnc, the appearance oi leather. One OF the
means Of efieCuDg this, was Ivy incorporating
paints ia dry powder, and carbon IN the form OF
powder with the rubber.
The great success 81 this discovery may be re-
Qafded a. The most important ever made in this
branch Of manufacture AMI probably not hiiy per.
sons IN the United States know thatDf Howe ever
turned hs teAiion 10 the subject at all. much less
that he YVES thu author. The burning Of the pa.
tent Office 10 1850 destroyed the public record OF
the Tact but the ouglna pafch nent OF the patent
irsued 70 hiu, stiil remains and the distinguished
author himself now resides 10 Birmingham, Coma
The title II he patent Is "a these words -" That
~ has InyeLieo new and useful improvement,
being competition II matter 10 be used as
fex be waterproof, and airproot solution, part or
vsrnish." The author hrsi describes portion Of
his discovery, 81 coubinlag with rubber one or
more ~ tnr RESIN. crrI 2fec after mode disco
Feffd b hlr AID Vtocee1s - say -" TINS com /
90 .ficn usy - ursc with without any addition
- cen trzt. 90 Wlfl lhr various bJ1les known and
80 - ct.c-s ~ g4lnts lr Oh painting"
HHrrss.zck 49, Nsf1 ~ tfrptFt black ccl0r, 4
1Ef srrrs ESQ a. tfFsfmsrt ~ resist the soften.
- a. 1sc1rsss. - st~cf u ~ rays - tn
- ss.kEr sra~rs1s tE - -"W hen this is pro-
s~f.V sssfrf ~ges ~ fstfa1t ~ Goth, gsy@r,
lssfher sF ssher @rtIte ~ Yofs1s body, snd ihs 4
Fl. Ezf1snfEr9 s4aes1 70 sssEsfsis, u fofgls sgoa
sHch wl<sre q s+fyng. srss1th, hekl5ls, ant {
elastic sheet. ~ ro4a1g. Nhtsh 81 ~issgtg@iiy 4
ercsde and ssf, sE1 rstsI9 - gssfsl Drog.r-
to undrr arr cfrcasfssce ~ n gossrs 10 tn ga
Or yesfaer
III Hove c.osea his sa,sst -. ciEcat.oaa u thss. 4