The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-16
THE CHEWING GUM TRADE.
a Business Racked with Anxiety by the
Tickle Taste. of Childhood.

Around the corner from Blocker street in
one OF the streets west OF Broadway an old
sign on dingy house front bears the inscrip-
ton, Chewing Gum Factory" When q re-
porter OF The SUN started to go in no found the
door locked as though to soclude from in
trusive observation the processes by which the
durable deiicacy is produced. The proprietor
himself responded to tho ring Of the door bel
and standing in the hall. talked feelingy Of
the vicissitudes of the chewing gum trade
This may DO called tho duh season sup
pose" he remarked for now the schools have
broken up, and there Is apt to be loss call for
chewing gum. In tho fall when the children
get to their books again. the demand will pick
up, for chewing gum is a quiet comfort during
school hours. If pupil brings in taffy or
candy. sticky fingers and smoared books are
the result, and the rustling Of the paper wrap
per may draw the teacher attention and load
to cOnilScatiOn. Then. too chewing gum is
economical; pupil may slir, it in the desk
whcn called upon to recite. and when it dries il
hr"onrS fresh and crackly again AS when IL
was iirst bought, But, as | sand before the de-
mand goes by such fits AMI starts that you
can't tell exactly when It will spring up and
when when II VIII die away Chewing gum Is not
surh staple as people Imagine. We have to
order to make II GO
No. Natural gum Is almost unheard of
nowadays. There used to be trade in spruce
gum. and | believe there iS still in New Eng
land. Ira L. chewing gum is nearly all parai-
line wax There is one manufacturer in this
city who uses species OF india ru!,bor. Gum
smbsync in 't eher kn Yer No as of
the sugar in it, but the gum Itself is unaltered.
Inc swhntehihs constitutes the only difficulty
cnndy the gum. If you should try to boil par
alline WAY with sugar the WAX would float to
bottom. The syrup must DO worked in cold Toy
Il Is what, is knawn as tho, White Mountain
gum. made in Maine; l. is paraffne wax
gum. with its natural white color. but very
sweet and Is put NJ in one uniform size. Other
happen to hit the children fancy. you may
have big rush but II style does not take. it
i Of no Use to keen it in stock; Better mott it
What different shapes do you put chewing
Fourth of July trade we make nrecrackers
rockets, amt t3rpedoesi cigar shape has
made quite run once on babies. Once got
out Ave little pigs in u box. and for some weeks
sold them by tho thousands. Strawberrics
have had OUT" u, run, sold about i0, 900 OF
them IN tire %cks. Chewing gum made in
very thin round pieces sold likn magic. for
We follow NJ tn" sensonS in toys. For instance.
in the spring we get out tops and marbles, We
but sometimes yellow and chocolate"
20 Yen snpnly the shops directly"
No; inc manufacturers sell II tho Jobbers.
who supply the retail confectionery trade. The
manufacturers price for chewing gum is from
GO to IS conts per box of 100 pieces. Tho retail
price Is cont apiece. Tho demand for chew
ing gum is largely kept up now by the przc
package system and there is n house in this
city that makes q speciality of that branch OF
tho business aud almost mOnopolizes it, They
are always on the look out for cheap Job lots Of
anything that can be used rs prizes, and that
constitutes the greatest portion Of their out
lay. Tho priHos range from Il ring or doll up
70 clock ora watch. When the prize is too
bulky to go in the same package with the gum
tn" prizes going to Il shupkeoper with an as
sprtment are numbered, and CORRESPONDING
chewng gum.
-, The great difficulty about the business"
tn" manu- iHeNlrrr went on, Is, rs ] said be-
fore the lick ie taste Of children, 1t Is impossi
pie to forctell how any new style will take. 1t
Is nit or miss operation, ] tell you, sir il
may spem strange for me To say So but some of
those big houses down town with large capital
and extensive trade, don't have 10 rack their
brains in doing business nearly so much as we
chewing gum manufacturers have to do"