The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-27
!. It's rich darkfoliaee and reddish


brown trunk give it a very picturesque
appearance. The rubber-producing sea-
son lasts from May to September. The
people who'gather it are of the lowest or
der Of human beings. They live in the
most primitive manner and are exposed
to the extremes of weather at all times. !
They are short-lived race. Their way
of living is only single step from that
of beasts. AS in all the lower orders of
human beings, the male tyrannizes over
the female and compels her to do the
most mental work She gathers the
rubber while he lies in his hammock and
smokes or sleeps off the effects of the
white mans drink. The privations that
are endured during the gathering sea-
son are of such nature that none but
natives could undergo them and live.
The lowlands, where the trees flourish
best, are inhabited by venomous rep
tiles and insects, and the atmosphere
is loaded with poisonous vapors.
1.-The Indian pushes his boat through
the overhanging foliage to the rivers
bank, clears small spot in which to
swing his hammock, and is soon ready
for business. He then cuts paths through
the underbrush to ten or twelve trees in
the immediate vicinity. Incisions are
made in the trunks of the trees with a
Ratchet or sharp knife. Beneath these
missions small tin or earthen cups are
fastened by means ofsoft clay. BY the
time he has completed this work the
cups upon the first tree are filled with a
white sap resembling cows milk. The
Indian empties the cups into a larger
gourd, which he carries to the spot
where his hammock is swung. A small
fire is burning near by. He throws
handful of nuts from the palm trees
upon the glowing Goals and places over
them abottomless tunnel-shaped earthen
vessel. Taking paddle-shaped instru-
lnent, he dips it in the white milk and
holds it in the dense black smoke which
pours out of the mouth of the vessel.
With each drying a thinlayer of rubber
is formed. The process is continued
until the paddle has two or three
inches of rubber upon it, weighing from
ten to fifteen pounds. This is then cut
off with the matehete-a knife used by
tie natives-and after few days dry
ing in the sun isready for market. The
masses of rubber made in this way are
called biscuits While the process of
| drying is going on, the milk which has
been spilled on the ground eoagulates
| into, soft, sour substance. This is
gathered and pressed into round ball,
and sent to market under the name of
negro heads. The commercial value
of biscuits range from fifty to sixty
cents per pound, and negro heads from
thirty to forty cents per pound. The
general law of supply and demand rem
ders these prices subject to wide vari-
| alton. When rubber is firstmade it is
wet and soggy, SO that after it is packed
in bales and shipped to this country or
Europe it undergoes a gradual shrink
ing process. An average estimate of
the shrinkage of rubber from the time
it leaves Para until it is received and
worked up by the manufacturer is from
80 to 25 per cent. This fact must be
taken into consideration when making
purchases. On arriving at the factory
the biscuits are placed in a large vat of
hot water and allowed to soften. They
| are then run through powerful grind
ers made of corrugated iron and rolled
into sheets, After drying the sheets
are manufactured into boots, shoes and
other articles. Although the whole
torrid belt produces rubber, its quality
and composition vary in different eoun-
tries. Next to the Amazon district,
Central America produces the best and
largest quantity of rubber. Africa and
the Island of Madagascar stand next in
order. Distinct grades of the common
varieties are produced in the East In
dies and the country near Calcutta.
Some people have an idea that rubber
and gutta percha are the same, but
they are not, although the latter comes
from tree much resembling the rub
Der tree. Gutta percha has more dura-
| bilfty but less elasticity than the former
substance. When brought to this coun-
try tshass the Appearance of wood
or pieces of bark. Owing to its
restricted uses, gutta percha doessnot
lind ready market. Its use is chiefly
confined to dental purposes and the
manufacture of telegraph wires.
SIS rubber ever adulterated?n
ssYes; there are several substances
used as adulteralts in the manufacture
of the cheaper grades of goods. The
most important of these is whiting.
Lately substitute for rubber has been
made from cotton-seed oil, but it has
not come into general use. Old rubber
boots and shoes are also utilized. They
are ground up and devuIcanized, and
then mixed with the cheaper grades of
| African ruhhar. N v Tlyibss91p