Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-01-23
WHY GIRLS CHEW GUM.
Information Gathered by an Enterprisinl
Chicago Reporter.


Chicago Reporter.
In spite of the manifold warnings Of ply.
sicians; in spite of the fact that the shape
OF Cupid's bow is changed; and in spite of
all the contemptuous and sarcastic remarks
which are constantly appearing In the
papers, gum-chewing in this country is
rapidly on the increase
Two-thirds of the girls, be they pretty or
otherwise, that one meets on the highways
Of this city are either working their jaws
for all they are worth or have a small lump
tucked away in some obscure corner of the
mouth and give it a gentle squeeze be-
tween the teeth when they are sure Of
being unobserved
/ Gum-chewing is less disgusting than
tobacco chewing.
And if it becomes natural habit, as it
seems likely TO do we may comfort our
selves that the gum-chewing American is
far preferable to the snuff-dippng Mexican
Women are told over and over again 80,
ifyou could only see what the stuff is made
ofyou wouldn't think of putting it in your
mouth"
And if cigarette-smokers could only see
what these little paper-incased articles are
made OF they, too, would hesitate somewhat
before smoking them. Thus the woman
can give tit for tat and come out of the argu-
ment with flying colors.
And gum-chewing is not as exclusively
confined TO the female sex as is smoking to
the male, for many men use gum to help
still the craving for tobacco, thus jumping
from the frying-pan into the fire, perhaps.
True, gay young women are lately becom.
ing somewhat addicted to the use of the
weed, claiming that il men have the right
to put their feet on the mantel and make
room blue with smoke why should they be
denied the privilege, since 1T has such a
soothing effect on the temper. And if
women can find any thing that has a salu-
tary effect upon their tempers what folly to
deprive them of i'll
Why do women chew gum9 You do not
know and even the chewers themselves do
not seem to.
~, chew because can, l guess" said
one pert young miss upon being questioned
by aChicago Tribune reporter
And because my mother tells me not
TO-" said another with EischIevous laugh.
"Ichew because like the taste and be-
cause every body else chews," said a third,
lndifferently, and likewise answered thew
ali; the truth is, they really did not know
why they chewed and had never thought to
ask themselves the question.
The history of chewing gum is like the
growth of all animal and vegetable life-one
of evolution.
Children began to chew the exudations
FROM different trees, from the peach, plum.
pine, spruce and sweet gum, thus putting it
into somebody's mind to make an artificial
gum.
IL was first made of beeswax, gutta-
percha and other rubbery and sticky sub
stances, which were perfectly pure and
harmless, and costly in preparation. Bnt
tnree years ago some inventive genius dis
covered that by boiling some of the baser
elements OF petroleum and mixing in a
sinah amount OF beeswax gum similar to
the more expensive could be produced
which was quite susceptible to flayors and
trifiing in cost. By the use of scents and
large quantities of sugar, which is the
principal article used In the composition of
any gum, the disagreeable taste and odor
OF petroleum was entirely obliterated and a
salable article was produced About the
same time gum called "Balsam Tolun was
produced, which also found a ready sale. par-
ticularly among children, and then '.Paraf
hne, IN all OF its f1avors and mixtures, had
its day.
One variety of white gum was for some
time quite extensively manufactured in
emma. That country has a tree peculiar to
itseIt which possesses an attraction for dn
insect with queer Chinese name, which
one will neither attempt to write or pro-
nounce. Numbers of them collect upon the
tree, and when they have departed to past
ures new branches are found to be literally
covered with waxy deposit By boiling
Inc branches the wax is separated from
them, and when the water and twlgs are
drawn of the white deposit remains.
ms is purified, sweetened, favored,
cooled in cakes and little fancy picture
pasted on top, and we have the old white
| gum which so many of US have chewed un-
I'LL our Jaws ached The sale of this variety
was enormous, but it has now been sun
planted by newer kinds, as the old rubber
wax.
Physicians differ considerably in their
views on the subject. An eminent physi-
sian from Ohio declares that gum-che wing
seriously affects the eyesight, and that he
| never talls to detect the use of it by an ex-
animation of the eye. Another saws that
the muscles of the jaw and face near the
temple are enlarged and hardened and the
curve OF the lips Is DESTROYED. And, on the
other hand, doctors without number advise
It's use to cleanse the teeth and aid diges-
ton.
1t is quite the fad at the present time to
chew spruce gum. 1t at least is pure from
all the authorizations which are now so COM
mon.
1t has been computed by statistician that
the people of the United States spend more
than Sl,5OO,OOO every year for chewing
gum There is mandatory at Louisville.
NY, that alone turns out FIVE hundred thou
sand boxes of six dozen cakes each yearly.
which Is distributed all over the world.
And when one stops to think of all the
other manufactures Of gums of different
varieties which are in full blast. selling as
much or more than the one mentioned
above, we are astounded at what mans
jaws can do.
Not long ago girl who had been chew
! ing steadily on wager, to her surprise and
dlsmay found that her jaws were set. and
sne was Obliged to seek the aid of physi-
clan Immediately. Some of the muscles
! were paralyzed, and it took some trouble TO
! get her mouth open again. 1t usually take.
/ an equal amount of trouble to get the ma.
| Jority of women to close their mouths, to be
sure; but in spite or the above and similar
warnings gum-chewing has evidently come
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