Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-01
A PERNICIOUs HABIT.
Fourteen Girls Made Weak Minded
by Gum Chewing.
The Vice Widespread Now, But Likely to
Decline-Enormous Profits to Manu-
sacturers of the Stuff The
EmbezzIing Slot Machine.

The constant chewing of gum, says
the New York Sun, has produced weak
minds in fourteen cases of young girls
now under treatment, the constant move
ment of the mouth causing too great
strain on the head.
These cases are extreme results of the
gum-chewing habit, but cynical critics
assert that they indicate what the coun-
try is coming to unless the pernicious
habit is curbed. The cynics point out
that no fancy of the American people
has become such a craze as the public
indulgence in the gum-chewing habit,
and that no craze has iourished so in
the face of public odium. The habit, as
matter of cold fact, has reached
stage now that makes it impossible for
New Yorker to go to the theater or
church, or enter the street cars or rail
way train or walk on. fashionable
promenade without meeting men and
women whose jaws are working with
the activity of the gum-chew!ng victim.
And the spectacle is maintained in the
face of frequent reminders that gum
chewing, especially in public, is an es-
sentially vulgar indulgence that not
only shows bad breeding, but spoils
pretty countenance and detracts from
habit. Cynics who observe it have
sighed for the return of the sturdy dis
cipline of their youth, when the school
master used to spank everybody caught
chewing gum in public.
This is one ray of hope for the de-
spairing cynics. 1t is found in the
assertion by those who profess to know
all about the chewing gum business
that the present prevalence of the habit
is only the climax that precedes its
wane.
1.-THE sale of chewing gum" said
Druggist Charles J. Perry, ''has APP
parently arrived at the stage that the
trade calls coming to a standstill.' The
next step will probably be retrogressive.
Gum chewing is sometimes beneficial,
even though in public it is a very vulgar
and unseemly practice. Chewing gum
after meal for little while may facil-
itate digestion, and thus be benefit to
dyspepsia"
There is constant growl from the
customers of the slot machines that dole
out gum because the slots so often
gobble up the pennies and make no re-
turn. 1t is fact that few months ago
there was talk among gum chewers of
organizing boycott against the ma
chimes. The kicl1ers say that the ma
chimes are constantly out of order, and
that the manufacturer, who has made a
huge fortune out of the gum they are
supplied with, takes no measures to
reimburse unfortunate patrons whose
coppers are Ruthlessly embezzled by the
machines. Agents come around empty
ing the brass treasury of the machine
promptly enough, the kickers say, but
there is nobody around to return misap-
propriated coppers,~ or to put the ma
chimes in order. Haters of the gum
chewing habit, however, look upon the
INSCRIPTIONS behavior of the machines
as really blessing in disguise that
may hasten the demise of the chewing
habit.
1t is doubtful if any business in the
country yields such an enormous profit
on the capital invested as the manufact-
ure of chewing gum when carried on on
large scale. Some idea of this profit
may be obtained from the statement OF
New York druggist that the sticks OF
tolu gum, that contain five small blocks
/ of gum, and are sold for five cents a
, stick, cost less than half a cent to man
ufaoture, and that, with tinfoil and all,
the article does not cost cent. Two
| per OCAIs pEOuO Is AOb d OhO
thing when the trade runs into hundreds
of thousands of dollars a year.
Three kinds of chewing gum are now
Northumberland tolu, spruce
gum, and the small white sticks that
were popular with school children a
quarter of a century ago. Spruce gum
gum the cheapest.
l.
adays in trade" druggist said recent
~, ''as pure spruce gum. You will
have to GO out into the country and
gather the gum yourself to get it pure
The manufactured article sold in large
cities is adulterated-a mixture of glu
cose and licorice, with precious little Of
the original spruce gum. The genuine
article is too expensive, and the supply
wouldn't be equal to the demand. The
white gum is made of paraffine as a
basis, with glucose and a little bit Of
cheap gum thrown in"
, The guEn that is in general use Il
made of tolu or gum chicle or gun
catechu, with licorice and glucose an(
some davoring extract. 1t is boiled
and rolled out in great heaps, and Gu
up into blocks by machinery. Gun
arabic was used formerly to give it con
Z sistency, but little of it is now employed
. because it Is too expensive. Gum o
turpentine is substituted. The effort o.
r the manufacturers OF gums is always, o
course, to cut down to minimum the COS
, of production, and he secures substi
= tutes for the most costly ingredient
wherever it can be done. It does no
follow by any means, that these substi
tutes are harmful in their effects, bu
they are not as good as the more cost,
ingredients, and profit is quite enough
!. to entitle the public that cares for gun
to the very best in the market at cen
block.
Soma FooIish Paon1e