Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-03-27
CHEWING GUM.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE HABIT
THAT HAS GROWN ON US.

Are Manufactured
In spite of the manifold warnings of
physicians; in spite of the fact that the
shane of Cupid's bow is changed; and In
spite of all the contemptuous and sarcas-
tic remarks which are constantly appear
ing in the papers, gum chewing In this
country is rapidly on the increase.
Two-thirtls of the girls. be they pretty
or otherwise. that one meets on the high
WAYS of this city are either working
their laws for all they are worth or have
n small lump tucked away in some OBJ
scurc corner of the mouth and give it
pentle squeeze between the teeth when
they are sure of being unobserved.
Gum chewing is less disgusting than
tobacco chewing.
And if it becomes a natural habit az
it seems likely to do, we may comfort
ourselves that the gum chewing Ameri-
can is far preferable to the snuff dipping
/ Mexican.
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 be-
coming somewhat addicted to the use of
the weed, claiming that if 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 it has such soothing effect on the
temper? And If women can find any
| thing that has salutary effect upon
their tempers what folly to deprive them
of it!
UNSATISFACTORY REASONS.
| Why do women chew gum? You do
not know, and even the chewers them
selves 10 not seem to.
%. J eAsw because | can, | guess"
said sse sAert young miss upon being
questSx IL
And i because my mother tells me
not to-" iai6 another, with a mischievous
laugh.
II chew because | like the taste and
because everybody else chews," said a
third indifTerently, ard likewise an
swered they all; 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 exuda-
lions from different trees, from the peach,
plum. pine, spruce and sweet gum, thus
putting it into somebody's mind to make
an artificial gum.
1t was first made of beeswax. gutta-
percha, and other rubbery and sticky
substances, which were perfectly pure
and harmless, and costly in preparation.
But three years ago some inventive ge-
Mus discovered that by boiling some of
the baser elements of petroleum and
mixing in small amount of beeswax a
gum similar to the more expensive could
be produced which was quite susceptible
to flavors and tritling in cost.
By the use of scents and large quaint
ties 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 a gum called "Balsam Tolu''
was produced, which also found ready
sale, particularly among children, and
then ''Parafin in all of its favors and
mixtures had its day.
One variety Of white gum was for
some time quite extensively manufac-
tured in China. That country has a tree
peculiar to itself which possesses an at
traction for an insect with a queer
Chinese name which one will neither at
tempt to write nor pronounce Numbers
of them collect upon the tree, and when
they have departed to pastures new
branches are found to be literally COW
J cred with a waXy deposit. By boiling
the branches the wax is separated from
, them, and when the water and twigs are
} drawn Off the white deposit remains.
MORE THAN 81 100000 A YEAR
, This 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
} until our jaws ached. The sale of this
variety was enormous, but it has now
been supplanted by newer kinds, rs has
!, the old rubber wax.
Physicians differ considerably in their
views on the subject. An eminent ply
sician from Ohio declares that gum
} chewing seriously affects the eyesight
) and that he never fails to detect the use
OF 1t by an examination of the eve
Another says that the muscles of the jaw
and lace near the temple are enlarged
and hardened and the curve of the lips is
destroyed, And on the other hand
doctors without number advise its use
to cleanse the teeth and aid digestion.
It Is quite the fad at the present time
to chew spruce gum. It, at least, is pure
from all the authorizations which are now
} so common.
Dealers in gum say that until within 6
few years its use was almost exclusively
| confined to children, but at the present
: time the demand among adults is con
: tnually increasing.
1t has been computed by a statisticiar
that the people of the United State:
spend more than 81 5000 every veal
! for chewing gum. There is a manufac
: tory in Louisville, KY, that alone turns
out 50O,OO0 boxes of six dozen cakes eacl
| yearly, which is distributed all over the
world. And when we 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
laws can do.-Chicago Tribune.
New Light.
new and promising light has beer
invented and patented, which is likely t
come into extensive use for contractor.
and others who have night work on theil
hands. The principle is something like
That OF the famous Lucigen, in which {
jet OF crude petroleum, driven in spray
by compressed air, is made to give {
light rivaling in intensity an electric arc
hight, but steam is used instead of com
pressed air to drive the Jet of oil spray
Ihe apparatus, ready for use, con
slsts OF two cylinders, one contain
ing oil and the other water. They
are Tiled from the bottom, so thai
the air in the cylinders is com
pressed in the upper portion, or air may