Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1853-07-07
Gu,,a PercIia.

The New York Times thus describes the ca
liabilities and uses of this valuable gum, Al
ler referring to the great extension oi The India
rubber trade, II saysi
..Wbile the India-ubber trade was thus
dawning & perfecIing, the great original forests
of AIalacea and Borneo, which had so long sha-
ldcd the peninsula and island, held in their rich
trunks new material, unknown 10 the world,
but which was destined TO become Of incalcula-
Bile value The trees were Of different order
! from the India rubber, and their product dis
tinct and dissimilar Dr. Montgomery, an as
sistant surgeon al Singapore, discovered in the
hands Of native the handle Of a wood chop
per, Of such singular material that il awakened
his attention, and on inquiry, he found It to have
been made Of the gum Of this strange tree-be-
coming plastic when dipped into hot water, and
when cold regaining lis original stiffness. This
was only ten years ago, but in this short period
the exudaiions Of these dense forests have as
Isumcd, more especially in England, innumera-
/ bic forms. This gum has qualities entirely
differing from the sapof the lndia-rubber. 1t
cannot be worn out. 1t can be melted and re-
melted, and repeatedly remoulded, without
changing its properties or losing its virtue. Il
is lighter than rubber, possesses certain repel-
liant properties unknown to that material, is
non-eastic, much harder, and of fine grain,
and Of superior density and toughness.
Cold water does not affect it; it is non-con-
ductor of heat and electricity, disregards aka
lies and acids laughs at frost, and displays GER
tain important acoustic qualities. But there
were great difficulties in the way Of its appli-
cation to many of the uses Of which the rubber
was capable Its stiffness and on-elasticty,
and its disposition to melt under high degree
Of heat, prevented the accomplishment Of any
thing else than the mere conversion OF the raw
material into different shapes having great
hardness and no pliability. Eminent chemists,
through several years, toed in vain for the Sc
cret they believed to exist which should endow
the percha with the elastic qualities Of vulcan
. lied rubber, without depriving it of its other
superior qualities But it remained for the
Messrs Riders, Of our own city, to unlock the
hidden secret, and to discover the art ofsuper-
: adding pliabilily. in different degrees, to the
strange capabilities this wonderful gum already
possessed The range Of its uses is thus indeti
nitely enlarged. 1t were easy to enumerate a
thousand applications and new ones are sug
. gested every day.
"It carries the Croton through a tube of n
thousand feet in length--from New York TO
Blckwells Island-and does not mingle with
: the water any of the hurlful material which
|, metallic pipes impart. Beneath the waves OF
the British channel it sheaths the uncorroded
wire, and brings Paris and London within the
limits Of watch-tck. It's tubes remain bur-
ried in damp ground, without injury, for many
years.
| By attaching one end of tube TO gas pipe,
light may be conveyed by hand TO every por.
ton Of building. 1t has especial qualities
for the transmission of sound. 1t conveys the
! voice to the ear of the deaf enables it to speak
to the engineer through the rear of a railway
train, carries domestic messages to different
parts of the house, opens the closed ears Of a
congregation to the words of the minister, and
faithfully transmits the slightest whisper to the
miner in the lowest depths. For bleaching and
I chemical purposes its resistance to acids mrke,
. it particularly available. For pump barrels
q syphons and suction pipes, it is growing t
extensive use. The recent discoveries of our
; townsmen now make it an absolute necessity
: for boots and shoes, clothing, car springs, belt
J., ing, carriage cloths and whole army Of ap
/. pliances. A thin coating, spread on the fines
silk, forms fabric light beautiful and glossy
dark or light, and perfectly waterproof While
= it may receive the elasticity of India Rubber
= it has the advantage of assuming the stiffness
e and density of bone. In opposition to every
law of physics, it contracts with heat. Wher
spread on cloth, agven quantity covers hal
more surface than the same amount of Indi
Rubber, and presents II natural polish which
rubber can only receive by coat of varnsh