Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-10-07
LIE SPRUCE GUM PICKER.
An Industry for which Vermont Vas
CAGE Famous Now Languishes.

An industry for which Vermont Was
CAGE Famous Now Languishes.
Genuine spruce gum has almost disap-
reared as a gular article Of merchandise
from the Bennington market. Formerly
the supply was abundant, tine price low
and the quality first class. But the sup
ply now depends on mere chance, the gum
picker giving little attention to the gath
ering OF the commodity, "a there Is no
money In the business. The sawmills,
pulp mills and forest fires have wrought
such devastation among the big tracts of
spruce trees which formerly clothed the
Green mountains that the occupation OF
Abe gum picker is almost gone Some
times lumberman or mountaineer in
Woodfor.l, town adjoining Bennington
on the east, discovers a tree that will yield
several pounds Of marketable gum. which
is brought to Bennington, where II finds
ready market at a good price.
The price depends entirely upon the quail
ity. ranging all the way from fifty cents 10
81. 80 a pound. Gum Of poor quality II read
ily distinguished by its opaqueness, and
by Its very intimate admixture Of minute
hts OF bark, which became entangled IN
the gum when 1t exuded from the tree IN a
semiliquid state Poor gum is either
distinguished IA being too heavy or too
light, bitter aud permanently sticky to the
teeth in some cases, and very hard aud
crumbly In other specimens.
Gum Of the finest grade is either trans
| lucent or transparent, of light amber
| color filled more or less with minute bulb
/ blcs of air, breaking with . short, shining
| fracture. and h1ving a sweet, peculiar and
halsamic odor aud taste. The word gum"
| however, is popularity misapplied. as the
substance is, properly speaking rsinouS
matter.
A considerable portion Of the gum Of
fered for sale in Bennington Is sent west "a
small packages by mail. The reason for
this Is that large numbers of eastern
people who have gone west miss their &C
customed Chew and send back to their
old home for small supplies at time. In
| this way, too, quarter pound packages OF
| gum are sent across the continent to Cali
4 furnia where the article Is valued almost
/ beyond price. When the Ohio and Mlch-
| gan branches of the Olin family held their
| annual reunion In Bennington they "cor-
neredn about all the spruce gum stocks in
/ town.
Several years ago an enterprising young
man, II. w. Martin, Of Bennington,
wol ked up very large trade in this com
modify Tons OF gum by mail. express
and freight were sent by him To remote
sections Of the country, and the demand
was often greater than the supply. The
gum, however, which was Of extra fine
| quality, was obtained in the state Of New
York. Mr.. Martin was subsequently ap.
pointed postmaster at Bennington, and the
/ gum business was abandoned.
Perhaps the most famous gum picker in
| Vermont is Alonzo X. Bishop, OF Wood.
ford. He is professional in this peculiar
industry. Bishop is about forty five years
| old, stout, well built, good natured and
wears long hair During the hot season,
/ when gum cannot be gathered in a mer.
charitable condition. owing to its sticki-
hess and its liability to run together,
Bishop poses as "A farmer and Yankee
notion peddler But when cold weather
sets in, Lon, us he Is Familiarity called in
| all the region round about, penetrates the
| deep forests Of the mountain in pun suit 81
his fsvorite calling. which he has followed
| all his life.
With bag sluny over his shoulder, and
carrying long, slender pole, which is
| armed nj one end with sharp chisel, that
| gum may he detached from the tree ~ a
| considerable distance from the ground,
| this man roams tie mountains, often days
at a time, alone, and miles from any In.
man habitation. Cor. New York Times.