Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-11-20


paddle made for that purpose and the
crude turpentine is emptied into bar
rels and hauled away to the distillery'
Some of the gum, instead of running
down into tho box congeals on the
"faco" of the tree, that is, on the part
from which the bark has been removed,
and forms a thick crust. This is
known as hard turpentinc and is al
lowed to remain until Winter, when
il is scraped off and treated like the soft.
On large trees, two and sometimes
three or four boxes are cut, Expert
ence has proved that strip OF bark
between the boxes and faces, three
inches wide, conveys enough sap to
the tree to keep il alive. During the
first year that a tree is worked the
sap has but short distance 10 pass
before reaching the box, and there
fore, becomes very little discolored by
the sun. The spirits distilled from
this turpentinc are no better than any
other, but the rosin, which is the resi-
dunn after distillation, is of a super
or quality, and is known as "palo" or
window glass" rosin. The crude tur-
pentinc from which it is made is called
''virgin dip" The second and third
wears that q tree is worked the rosin
produced is known as "yellow dip
Common, dark rosin is the product OF
trees that have been boxed four years
or more. Trees constantly worked
last Is or 20 years before being "work-
ed out"
Some of tho turpcntinc orchards
are worked by the men who own
them, and in a few cases, where man
has large forest, he distils his own
turpenline. Often, however, the orch
ards are rented out by the year. Tho
ordinary price for tho use OF 1000
boxes for year, since the war, has
been from sl5 to $40. Last year the
naval stores advanced 80 much that
the business was greatly stimulated,
and at the opening of the present sea-
son the demand for trees was so great
that the rent advanced to s25, and in
some instances, $50 thousand accord
ling to their convenience to n distil-
lery, The work of tending the trees
/ is done entirely by negroes, each OF
4 whom carries for "orop" or lnhA'
boxes. Each crop produces aoo"'
: yUu parreIs OF crude turpentine III
season. Tho negroes seem to prefer
!, working in the turpontine woods Il
any kind of agricultural labor, bot'
because the work is generally more
: agreeable and commands better wages
The result is that some of the centra
counties of the State are so drained o
, negroes as to be greatly suffering 10
. the need of laborcrs Ablebodicd ne
- eroes capable Of caring for crop Q
. trees throughout the season have bee
y generally paid, since the war, abou
: = SIS TO go a month, without board =
= This year they have asked so and !
:, some instances hear That even %
r have been paid. -
- After the crude turpent,ne has pee
i0 collected in barrels, il is either take
u to market and sold, or TO the ncarc'
;" distillery. Each barrel is inspected
the officer trying it at the bung wit
% a rod to detect fraud Of any kind
W The "stils" in which the spirits {
turpentine are separated from th
w rosin are similar in principle to tho'
in which liquors are made. The
- consist Of copper retorts, those in Ii
-. country having an average capacit
90 90 of from 10 to 20 barrels some Of tho'
~ near Wilmington, Fayetteville, an
= other large towns are much larger
The retort is filed with crude turpci
=. tine and connected with y copp,
~ worm placed in cylindrical reserve
Lo of water. AS the retort is heate
70 the spirits and water pass off as vapo
- and are condensed in the worm
The water is so much the heavie
a that complete separation takes plac
!, so that the spirits may bc dipped {
oh at the top or the water drawn off
!, the bottom. When the process
of complete, the rosin is allowed to IT
- !, out into vat, and is barrclcd viii
10 hot. Tho rosin is all sold by samp
A cube foot onc-haf an inch square
Ia cut from each barrel and sent to 4
ia merchant who desires to purchase
an These aro compared with standa
m, samples, and thus their value detC
=. mined.
~ The unusual prosperity of the ma,
~ stores business last year was due
two causes. The first was the war
France, which intedcred with +
!, production in that country, and t
' other the abandonment MS compa
~ lively worthless Of many Of the s,
stitutes for spirits OF turpen,ne
po~ making paints. The result WAS ii
,rs everybody in the business last "
Wv made money, which induced hundr,
Wv Wv to engage in IL this year who have |
~" worked tree before since the war
= Prices have this year fallon baol
~, little, but are still high enough
~" make tho business profitable 10 th
~ who own the trees they work, or {
pJ al tha;. n,vn ,,rnduot Tknao a,