New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
POINTS ABOUT RUBBER FOOTWEAR.
SOME ADVANCE IN THE MARKET-SOURCES OF
THE SUPPLY-HOw RUBBER BOOTS ARE
MADE-EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY.

SOME ADVANCE IN THE MARKET-SOURCES OF
THE sUPPLY-HOw RUBBER BOOTS ARE
MADE-EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY.
ave have to charge twenty-five cents a pair more
for rubber boots this year." said dealer the other day.
&" Rubber Is advancing I'm price, owing partly to
the supply, but owing mainly to the increased
use Of rubber. The amount used nowadays in
rubber betting. electrical appliances, rubber clothing
blankets, surgical instruments etc, not to speak Of
the prosaic Of rubber for foocoverng is large and
constantly increasing. The result is that the large
manufacturers of rubbers, boots, ETC., have put up
prices this fall and the retailer has to follow suit
Rubber is. indeed, obllgng and pliable substance
in the hands of the modern inventor. But 1t Is also
becoming more subserent to the arts Of the ordinary
workman. For instance few years ago. IL rubber
boot started to leak 1t became at once useless for Its
main end. But nowadays the cobbler in shoe store
will patch up rent or even put on a new rubber
sole, in few minutes 1t seems hardly credible that
only seventy years ago rubber was sold only in
small pieces and at high price, for the sole purpose
Of erasing lead pencil marks.
Mexico. South America. Southern Asia and parts OF
Africa the natural OF rubber The choicest
rubber Is obtained in the valley OF the Amazon and
here there are large numbers Of natives engaged In
gathering the crude gum from the indarubber trees.
The process would remind native Of Vermont OF the
scenes in the maple sugar districts The sap. which
looks like milk, Is not boiled, like maple sap. but is
TO the smoke Of palm nuts. This smoking needs def
manipulation and is done in the huts of the natives,
presenting weird the rude achemst
bends to his work in the dngy atmosphere. The
rubber IS afterward cut into fragments, and Is
hoated down the streams to Para, the headquarters
of the rubber trade the Amazon. From there 1t
is brought to this country steamers. one Of the
largest manufactures OF rubber footwear is situated in
Boston. This one concern makes about 100000
pairs of boots rubbers and overshoes in year.
Probably not few persons have fanced from its
appearance that rubber boot might be made OF
melted rubber In mould and aftcrward lined by
glung the felt 10 the inside. They would be surprised
to a workman with sheets of rubber. cutting ont
by patterns the different parts of the boot done
with leather manufacturer recently described the
process follows
The chunks Of raw rubber are first ground, and the
material comes out from between heavy cylinders in
rough sheets 1t is then dried for several weeks The
sheets then through another set of cylinders
film This is placed on sheet of cloth and the two are
pressed together forming material ready for the cutter
joined and htted on lasts ana being sun soft need
only to have the edges tapped and rolled hard to form
for number of hours in heated oven The soles are
indcntatons to give them better hold on a slippery
surface The lining of the footwear and the packing
good percentage Of the makers and they assume an i'm
porant and Independent, appearance seated in front Of
a long bench full Of lasts and patterns.
Gntia percha has become scarcer and hgher-prlced
article as matter Of course, for the same reasons
that affect the rubber supply. Gnta percha buttons
are not seen often they and substitutes
are being employed in other lines wherever practicable
The name Of Charles Goodyear deserves tn be remem
bered by all who walk through water dry shod or
otherwise profit by the inventions In rubber. The
world would indeed take a long backward step IL IL
were called on 10 dispense with water proof cloaks
and footgear for humanity, rubber blankets for horses
rubber hose and all the other devices In the way Of
useful articles and fabrics. In the latter line there
Is now made an extremely flexible thin sort Of rubber
cloth which resembles line muslin. having thin sheet
of rubber in the centre, which be laundred like
an ordinary piece Of cloth. The fabrics used In max
ing rubber boots vary widely In appearance some
resembling duck, Others having tasselatcd appear
ance while others perfectly plain. Ii was in 1880
that Goodyear. after spending fortune and years Of
unavailing study CHANGED by accident the secret
from which ne worked out his process. There could
be no dsrespect in the pun II 1t said that 1889
a good year for humanity