Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-01-30
CaEwING.GUM MYSTERIES.
A Talk with a Manufacturer Of the
Compound.

A Talk win a Manufacturer OF the
Compound.
The manufacturer of tolu chewing
gum is a cheerful tradesman, says The
Indianapolis News. IL you will step
into his factory he will ply you with
arguments, and in a jiffy will show
YOU that life In the ante tolu period
was without charm and civilization
incomplete; that this odoriferous gum
assists digestion, preserves the teeth,
and prolongs life. Does it lower
taxesl No, but it taxes you lower
than any ether luxury, and 8 cents
worth industriously circulated among
your family and scrupulopsly pres
erved from second hand will &C
further than a whole kit of tobacco.
80 you make gum out of old rub.
Der shoes?n asked the reporter of
the only tslu manufacturer in the
city.
"Sir" Indignantly
81 say. can you tell me how you
make chewing gums"
81 certainly can not. That's the
most valuable portion of my stock ia
trade. 1t cost me $500 and a years
practice to learn how to make gum.
l can't afford to give away a trade
secret"
'Is it true, as frequently repeated.
that chewing gums are made of old
rubber, dog meat, and sirailiar delica-
cies?"
"If you will step into the store |
will take the pleasure Ia showing you
the material of which we make tolu
but sweet odars in the air, and there
were no heaps of old shoes and UNI
brellas, and no protruding legs OF pu-
crescent porkers under the counters,
or in the back yard.
This is the foundation of all tolu
chewing gum" said the manufactur
err, as he lifted from sack of foreign
f0er, lump of material that looked
very much like putty or thick dough.
1T is a gum which we getfrom South
America. 1t is the product of a tree,
the sap of which, when exposed to the
atmosphere, solidifies and becomes
Just what you see here. 1t is controll-
ed in the markets by New York
house, and varies in price from 80
cents to 81 per pound to suit the mon
opolists' fancy Its commercial rame
is not known by more than dozen
persons outside of New York. [ sent
to leading druggist there for it, but
he declared there was no such sub
stance IL existence. Commonly it IS
known as 'tolu gum, but there is no
tolu in it. Break off piece and chew
it. Isn't it pleasant to the taste and
and agreeable to the teeth9 There
you have tolu chewing gum without
the tolu. For chewing purposes 1t is,
in its natural state, just as satisfactory
as when made up into composition.
But the gum-chewers want more
than substance to chew. They want
something sweet and odoriferous. So
we form combination of this South
American gum with sugar and tolu
balsam. There is the aromatic tolu.
1t is the product Of the tolu tree of
South America, and as you we'll know,
is a stimulant used for colds and
throat troubles" Gradually the ''se
crets OF the trade" leaked out, and all
the written recipe were in the mind
of the reporter. 1t seems that this
much boosted gum from the tropics,
which is most probably harmless, is
boiled by the chewing gum maker,
strained, and all the chips and dirt re-
moved, when the tolu and sugar are
added, forming a concoction which,
when sufficiently cooked, is rolled out,
cut into squares, and laid aside to dry.
1t takes three or four days for the
newly made gum to dry out; then it
is wrapped, boxed, and marketed.
The same dealer makes a white
chewing gum. This is made of par
aftine and sugar. Paraffine is pro-
duction from coal oil. In appearance
ii is glossy white, and, as to taste, it
is insipid, if nothing worse. Paraf
fine and sugar boiled into a broth,
cooled, and put into shape, becomes
the white wax SO often seen in heart
shapes adorned for the market with
scrap pictures.
"Who.use chewing -gum?" Chief
ly girls and ladies, and you would
be surprised to see the fashionable
people that come here for chewing
gum. I have one lady customer who
buys a quarters worth every day or
two. A tobacco chewer drains his
system by constant splitting, while the
gum-chewer swallows the saliva. 1t
may be hard ON the jaws, but it is
good for the stomach. If It were as
deadly a substance as it is reported to
be there would hardly be girl living
in this town, for nearly every one
has used it in small or great quaint
ties. Why, sell $4,000 worth from
my shop alone per year, and every
druggist keeps it in stock. And why
shouldn't the girls have few
plcasures2 They can't smoke, drink,
nor chew 0obacco). Give them gum
a.. 49,, tl,n,,, LnnAI g