Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-29
CHERING-GUM MYSTERIES.
A Talk with n Manufacturer of the
GGfnDaUnG.

A Talk with Manufacturer of the
Compound.
The manufacturer of tolu chewins-
gum is q cheerful tradesman. saws The
Indianapolis News. If you will step
into his factory he will ply you with
| arguments, and in a iiffy viii show
you that life III the ante tolu period
was without charm and civilization
incomplete; that this odorifereug oum
assists digestion, preserves the teeth.
and prolongs life. Does it lower
taxes9 No, but it taxes you lower
than any ether luxury, and cents
worth industriously circulated among
your family and scrupulossly pres
erved from second hand will 90
further than whole kit of tobacco.
80 you make gum out of old rub
Der shoes2" asked the reporter of
the only t0lu manufacturer in the
city.
Sir" Indignantly
Il say, can you tell me how you
make chewing gum2"
81 certainly can not. That's the
most valuable portion of my stock IN
trade. 1t cost me $500 and a years
practice to learn how to make gum.
l can't afford to give away trade
secret"
lis it true, as frequently repeated.
that chewing gums are made OF old
rubber, dog meat, and sirailiar delica-
cies7"
eff you will step iato the store 7
will take the pleasure Ia showing you
the material of which we make tolu
gum" And certain there were none
but sweet odars In the air, and there
were no heaps of cid shoes and UNI
brellas, and no protruding legs OF pu-
crescent porkers nader the counters,
or In the back yard.
This is the foundation of all tolu
chewing gum." said the manufacture
er, as he lifted from q SACK OF foreign
fi6er, a lump of material that locked
very much like putty or thick dough.
'sIt is q gum which we getfroa South
America. It is the product Of tree,
the sap of which, when exposed to the
atmosphere, solidifes and becomes
| just what you ses here. It is controll-
ed in the markets by New York
house, and varies in price from so
cents to 81 per pound to suit the men
opolists' fancy. Its commercial name
is not known by more than a dozen
persons outside of New York. I 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 q piece and chew
it. Isn't it pleasant TO the taste and
and agreeable to the teethi There
you have tolu chewing gum without
the tolu. Fer chewing purposes it 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 a 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 well know,
is q 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. It seems that this
much-boasted 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 cor coction which,
when sufficiently cooked, is rolled out,
cut into squares, and laid aside to dry.
It 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
afine and sugar. Paraffine is pro
| duction from coal oil. In appearance
il is glossy white, and, as to taste, il
| is insipid, if nothing worse. Parsf
fine and sugar boiled into 8 broth,
cooled, and put into shape, becomes
the white wax SO often seen Ia heart
shapes adorned for the market with
scrap pictures.
''Whe use chewing gumW "Chief-
| ~ girls and ladies, and you would
be surprised to see the fashionable
people that come here for chewing
gum. have one lady customer who
| buys quarters worth every day Or
tive. & tob cco-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 a girl living
ia this town, for nearly every one
has used it in small or great Quanti-
ties. Why, sell IS 0CO worth from
my shop alone per year, and every
druggist keeps it in stock. And why
shouldn't the girls have few
pleasuEs2 They can't smoke, drip K,
nor chew Gobacco). Give them gum
or give them death.