St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-06-02
PETROLEUM REFUSE.
Ahe original Foundation of the Chewing
Gum of Commerce.

Gum of Commerce.
'What is chewing gum made from?"
repeated very large producer in
Brook YIN of the now almost universal
iy used substance to reporter, who,
with others, was being shown around
the extensive works. THAT is one of
tbs secrets of ahe trade, and we have
no desire to give it away. Suffice it to
say there are few only who know it's
original foundation, for that is dis
guised completely in the confections
which are placed aroundit.
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
side the name of a well-known candle
manufacturer of New York The truck
was heavily laden with bags of some
kind of substance evidently intended
Tor use in the works. Following I'D
this clew the reporter called at the can
Ole factory in question, and learned
that the substance delivered at the
chewing gum factory was the refuse OF
petroleum after the kerosene oil had
been extracted. The informant said:
"Ihe crude petroleum is pressed I'M
I'll the black oil is extra cted. This is
refined and produces paraf1ine and
subsequently kerosene which can also
be further refined. The refuse is a vel
low scale, which can be made into hard
paratfinc wax, used in the manuf ,cture
OF candles. The same yellow scale
can, by a process known to the chew
ing-gum makers, be made into a soft
wax which will yield easily to the ac
ton of the teeth. 1t is of such pc
culiar nature when thus prepared that,
if once chewed upon, it will almost in
voluntarily cause the person in whose
mouth it may be to continue the work
of mastication.
But kerosene oil has nasty taste
and smell, while chewing gum has
not"
True; but you 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 doubt
less have some of the same taste and
smell that you speak of; but after it
has been subjected to several processes,
and artfully hidden under the essences
contained in the CONNECTIONS which
cover the chewing gum, few would
recognize the yellow scale or refuse Of
the petroleum"
But is not the 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 in
the extraordinary exercise of the sali-
vary glands, thereby depriving them
of that force which nature gives to
them when requiring their use in the
proper mastication of food. Of course
am now only speaking of the petro-
leum basis of the chewing gum as sold,
and have no knowledge of the compost
ton of what covers the little cakes in
the shape of a CONNECTION. 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. If the
pure paratfine wax was used as soon as
t is refined, it would be simple taste
ess substance, and consequently less
attractive than in the forms it is now
sold"
Gas chewing gum is cheap, would it
lot pay better to make the so-called re-
use into paraffine wax candles?"
''1t would, if there was as large de-
nand for the candles, as there is scale
made in the process of getting out the
Ill. There being so much yellow scale
something has to be done
With it, or it would go to waste. A
market has therefore been found
mong the chewing-gum manufacture
RS, who get it at an almost nominal
ate. Hence the profit, despite the cheap
rice at which it is sold. IN Y. MasI
md Express.