The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-22
Growth Of a Habit froma Small
Start to a National Fad.
THE COMPOSITION OF GUM
Ana how 1t is Prepared for Market
The Money that tho Custom Costs
tho People Every YcaF-Is
Beneficial or pot2

NNFAAN@NANN q
iugation is the introduction OF "Ehe
weed"
Not satisfied with this record, the
Americans have devised another habit,
which bids fair to become as general,
and in much less time,
A man does not have to be middle
aged to remember when the chewing
gum business was in It's infancy. A
quarter OF a century ago the hearts and
shields and stars Of what was most gem
orally known as 'chawing wax,P were q
novelty in the little candy stores. To-
day no first.class confectionery or
grocery is complete without samples Of
q haltdozen different brands OF the per-
fected chewing gums which are a staple
in the market. The opposition on the
part Of parents and the damaging stories
told by the press Of Objectionable pro.
cesses In the manufacture OF wax, could
not stem the tide, and what was origi.
nalIy a tabooed indulgence OF children
has grown to be so common q luxury as
To be almost a necessity, Improved ma
terial and improved processes have con-
tributed something to the change,
though the inexpliCablO increase Of the
demand has, In its turn, helped to i'm.
prove the process, and made necessary a
discovery OF new component parts,
Recently an INTELLIaRNcER reporter
who was in a fashionable conlectioner's
establishment, was astonished TO see a
leading lawyer enter, throw down a
nickel on the showcase, pick up a pack
age oil gum and depart,
"Why," said the reporter, ~ did not
know he had any small children
The confectioner laughed, "ChildrenP
You are behind the times. He chews
that himself"
A little inquiry ELECTED the lnforma.
ton that scores Of men, including q fey
physicians, habitually chewed gum. Not
long after this the reporter met one Of
the physicians the candy dealer had
named, and solicited an expression Of
his views on the chewing Of gum. The
doctor said that he had decided from
theory and his own experience, that the
practice was beneficial and ought to be
encouraged.
"If the gum is %pure-and there are
plenty Of pure gums on the market
said he-"its ingredients arc q base OF
gum which does not Dissolve in chewing,
aud, sugar, mint, licoriCe and other sim.
plo and harmless drugs. Chewing 1t
simply increases tho amount Of saliva
taken into the stomach, and everybody
knows that saliva is one OF Natures most
important digestive agents. Chewing
gum in discretion will cure many cases
OF indigestion. II not practicod 70 ex-
cess, and the gum is pure, 1t will not
hurt anybody" This conversation was
recalled the other day when tho reporter
met, at the Hotel Windsor, Mr.. j. @.
Waryel, OF Dayton, Ohio, who ls here In
Producing q new brand Of chewing gum.
Interested In chewing gun2 More
people are every day" said Mr.. Waryel,
In response to m observation by the re.
porter. 'Tell you all about itP Why,
certainly; no reputable maker OF gum
has anythingto conceal. The base OF all
good gum Is a Mexican natural product
called, 'chiCkl'-I suppose that Is the
way the MexiCans spell (which oozes
from a tree peculiar to that country and
forms In little chunks on the surface OF
the bark, just as peach tree gum does.
This is gathered by the natives and melt
ed and kneaded into big knots or chunks
Of forty and sometimes as high Us eighty
pounds. These arc shipped In big bags.
The gum has to be melted by steam, as
too much heat would scorCh and spoil 1t.
The gum Is screened to get out hard
little particles Of bark or earth which
adhere TO it; and on the thoroughness
with which thisscreeningis done, large.
ly depends the superiority Of one man
uiaCturer over another. After that 1t Is
simply worked up with any desired
flavor, sometimes with parafine, l~icorice,
chocolate, sugar, mint, aloes, winter
green, and one maker even uses pine tar,
calling his preparation medicated gum,
and putting 1t on tho market us q rem.
edy Tor coughs and colds, The familiar
'Yucatan' gum, made by W. White, Of
Cleveland, is matte Of chick, paraline
Qpresume) mint and sugar. 1t Is darker
and not 80 smooth a gum as ours, the
Sweet Wheat made by the Royal Rem.
edy and Extract Company, Of Dayton.
We have beeninthe businesssix months,
and now make two thousand boxes a
day-a good illustration Of the way the
thing IS growing, Tho California Fruit
gum Is made at Elkhart, Ind. The
Adamses, ofNCw York, were the original
makers OF chick gum, and made their
reputation with Black jack 1t was
condemned by physicians, but their
later gums are all right.
IAN inferior gum ls made from bees
wax and paraiEine, and even baser mix.
lures are used, but these gums can't
hold the market, even at lower prices,
Eyes pure spruce gum Is sometimes
chewed, but II Is rarO In the market. l
have met druggists who kept 1t. Really
the purest and best guui to chew Is
the strained chick, without any flavor
or foreign substance. 1t is sometimes
prescribed by physicians to be ChewGd
after meals by persons Of weak digestive
powers,n
roan you give mo any idea Of the
volume Of the business us d whole?"
"Well, last year there were 81 800, 900
worth OF gum sold, and the trade In.
creases at an incredible rate. A year or
so ago raw chick was quoted at sixteen
TO eighteen cents a pound now the mar.
ket price Is thirty cents"
The reporter contemplatiYely munChed
his gum, ag no said nThlnk you,n and