Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-18
A SOUTH AMERICAN PRODUCT,
Entering Largely into the Indus
tries and Commerce of this
Country.
Raw Material, Manufactured
Goods and Hue Ribbons for
Memphis.

" stop to inquire their origin or pro-
cess of manufacture. Take quinine,
for instance, an article that is an alb.
solutc necessity in the Mississippi
valley, and not one victim OF malaria
n ten knows where the medicine
comes from or how it is made. There
is another article in common use Tor
the outside protection and comfort
Of the body which is in demand all
over the civilized world, and yet is
produced in only a comparatively
small portion of the earth. This is
India rubber, which enters into an
Infinite variety Of uses, and holds such
an important place in the economy of
modern arts and manufactures that
should the supply be suddenly cut off,
many industries would be extinguish.
ed, and all civilized peoples would be
seriously Inconvenience. No suhsti-
tute for India rubber has ever been
discovered.
Crude rubber or Caoutchouc has
been known some FIVE hundred years,
but the infinite variety of uses in.
which it could be turned to account
only became known within the memory
OF the middle.aged people Of to-day.
Once used as a plaything or to rub out
lead pencil marks, it has OF late years
been adapted to a greater number OF
uses than almost any other article that
has tempted and developed the skill
of man. Although found in the East
Indies and Africa, and elsewhere in
different forms, the principal sources
Of supply now are South and Central
America, the best article coming from
Para, III Brazil. The valley Of the
Amazon, it is estimated, yields $4,000,
900 pounds annually. The trees grow
sixty or seventy feet high and attain a
diameter of three feet. The sap runs
when the bark is cut as from q sugar
tree in this country and is caught
much the same way. 1t has been
feared that the carelessness Of the
natives in cuttiDgethe trees would
result eventually in decreasing the
supply.
The sap or CaoutcLOuc at first is
nearly colorless. The process Of max
ing it solid is very simple and print
tive. A bat or paddle is dipped into
the juice and then held over a fire.
This is repeated until the crude rub
Der is an inch thick on the bat. Then
it is cut off and hung up
to dry. This method Of smoke
curing is peculiar to Para and
distinguishes the rubber from that
country by its peculiar nut. like odor
as we'll as superior quality. The main
supply is drawn from this source by
leading manufacturers in this country.
Those who attended the. Atlanta In
ternational Exposition we're struck
with the unique and varied display Of
rubber goods on exhibition, and
Memphians we're particularly pleased
to know that these goods we're placed
there at the instance and under the
direction Of a Memphis firm, Messrs.
Towner g. Dixon, Of IL j efferson street.
A representative Of this paper who
saw the exhibit at Atlanta was sur
prised yesterday, on dropping in at the
house here, to see a fine display Of the
same goods, and adorned with the blue
ribbon and seal, which is awarded
only to articles taking the grand
prize.
The most notable article, perhaps,
is a roll Of 8 ply betting, which is 80
inches wide, or considerably wider
than any thing of the kind ever
brought to this market. This is
adorned with the blue ribbon. There
is the other extreme, crude rubber
lust as it comes to this country. II
looks more like rough alligator leather
than anything else, but it is more un.
even and very flexible and limp. This
also took the blue ribbon. Another
curiosity is the rubber just as it runs
into the gourds and solidiies in South
, America. 1t looks more like a sec.
ton ola sugar cured ham of meat thar
anything else, and also took thu
blue ribbon. Then there il
! a specimen Of gutta percha o
a peculiar quality, from which hare
rubber goods, such as combs, ar,
made. This looks more like bircl
bark than anything else. This is like
. wise adorned with the triumphal blu'
ribbon. These articles are we'll wort
going to see, as they are not to b
found elsewhere this side Of Baltimore
Another article Of interest and grea
value is the Fire Test Hose" q
different sizes. This will stand
pressure Of $50 pounds. Eleven hur
dred feet of it have been in use i
Baltimore for FIVE years, and is yet
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