Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-08-04
DO THE GIRLS KNOW THIsa
Chewing Gum Made of Petroleum Refuse,
md the Factoring May he Injurious.
rlrb,r Aim Nsv Wink Mail and Exnress1


md the Factoring May He Injurious.
rFrotr tho Nsw York Mail and Express.l
What is chewing sutrt made from p
repeated very large producer m
Brooklyn of the now almost universally
used substance to a reporter, who with
others was being shown around the ex-
tensivp works, "That is one of the Sc
rrets of the trade, and we have no de-
size Is give It away, Suffice It to say
there aFe te.s only who know It's original
foundation, for that Il disguised com
pletely in the corrections Which are
placed around it
This reply only excited the curiosity
Of the reporter, and while looking out
of one of the windows OF the works he
noticed large truck bearing on its site
ufacturer in New fork, The truck was
heavily laden with bags OF some kind
of substance evidently intended for Use
in the works. Following up this clue
she Reporter called at the candle factory
iii dtiestitn and learned that the sub
stance delivered at the chewing gum
factory was the refuse OF petroleum
after tile kerosene had been extracted.
The informant said:
The crude petroleum is pressed I'M
til the black oil is extracted. Tbs IS
refined ana produces paraffine and sub
sequently kerosene which can also be
further refined. The refuse is d yellow
shale, which can be made into hard
parat1ine wax. used i'll the manufacture
of candles The SAME yellow scale can,
by process known to the chewing gum
makers, be made into q soft wax which
will WELD easily to the action of the
teeth. 1t is Of such a peculiar nature
when thus prepared that, II once chewed
upon, it will almost involuntarilS cavse
the person in whose mouth it may be to
continue the work of mastication."
"But kerosene oil has a nasty taste
and smell, while chewing gum has
not"
"Tfue; but v0u must remember that
the oil has been squeezed out, or at
least the greater part of it. If you
were to take the yellow scale as it first
comes from the press, it would doubtless
have some of the same taste and smell
that you speak of; but after it has been
subjected to several processes, and art
fully hidden under the essences con-
tanned in the confections which cover
the chewing gum, few would recognize
the yellow scale or refuse of the petro-
leum."
"But is not tile substance injurious to
health?"
Not more SO than any other kind OF
wax OF course, excessive Use OF any
thing may prove injurious. The great
est evil that | can surmise would BE I'M
the extraordinary exercise of the sail
vary glands. thereby depriving them OF
that force which nature gives them
when requiring their use in the proper
tnasticatioi1 of food. OF couse / am
now only speaking of the petroleum
basis of the chewing gum as sold, and
have no knowledge of the composition
of what covers the little cakes i'll the
| shape of confection. The latter is
naturally taken into the stomach, while
the waxy portion is generally thrown
away after it has served its purpose as
a chewing gum. Ii the paratfine wax
was used as soon as it is refined, ii
would be simple, tasteless substance,
and consequently less attractive than in
the forms it is now sold"
"As chewing gum is cheap, would il
not pay better to make the so-called
refuse into paraffine wax candles?"
ut would, if there was as large de.
mand for the candles as there is scale
made in the process of getting out tile
oil. There being so much yellow scale
produced, something has to be done
with it or it would go to waste. A
market has, therefore, been found
among the chewing gum manufacturers
who get it at an almost nominal rate
Hence the profit, despite the cheal
price at which it is sold"