New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25
RUBBER AS "A COMMODITY.
HOW IT HAS INCREASED IN USE IN
LATE YEARS.

LATE YEARS
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BICYCLE TIRE HAS
DONE MUCH TO BUILD UP THE DEMAND
BRANCHES OF THE RUBBER INDUSTRY.
The rubber industry OF this country is developing
q sweep and scope of much more than passing IN
terest Its onward and trumphal course is marked
not merely by the pneumatic tire OF the oicycie-
It's latest great mechanical triumph-nor by 'ne
headlight which the coaster must carry al hisn'
to indicate his insdious approach; but there are
broader and deeper foundations TO explain the Ten
acious and elastic hold which that industry mas
taken In our commercial and financial life
There is a Rubber Trust. as the most fully oe-
yeloped form Of aggregated wealth from this source
Is known, although not by that name its s'oeh 10
a fuctuating factor in Wall Street. ana 'he III
portations Of crude rubber have now new pear
Ing therefore. upon financial interests. Inc I'M
portancc Of this vast interest Is Also hgh'ed up III
the excitement which has lately surrounded the
financial fortunes of ex-Mayor Frank A Mcgowan.
whose Eastern and Trenton rubber companies III
the hands OF receivers have been specai causes
OF concern in the rubber trade IL not WIN 'he
world at large.
Ov,.,aa ~ those specihc and immediate causes,
no~.ver the rubber industry is to-day one whose
grow,h and ramhcations In this country are SO
great and almost startling as TO De worthy OIL
special examination Were j. y. ReithoHer VINO III
1871 AT Vienna, founded what are now the DIGEST
rubber mills In the world to come to earth and
y,s, the limited States. he would hold up his
hands in wonder and amazement at the enormous
extent OF the rubber industry in this country alone
GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY.
In 1870 the importatons OF crude rubber into this
country made a grand total Of a round 100000
pounds To-day this amount is trebed. 10 De
exact IL was 100000 in 1898 In 1894 1t was only
$4,000 600 owing to the duh times. But this amount
tai thn NY
Of the rubber interests in this country To obtain
an approximate idea Of this one must bear in
mind the improved machinery for the manipulation
Of the crude rubber. and he must give special
emphasis to the devulcanizng or retaining pro-
cess.
As for improved methods in machinery, let one
recall the heavyweight rubber shoes. boots ana
oyercoats Of a quarter of a century ago, and turn
now 10 the fine and light fabric used In mems and
women's rubber shoes. and particularly take good
look at the gossamers and mackntoshes OF the
day. the latter in color and makeup giving as me
an appearance cloth garment made by a
merchant tailor In the garments and shoes OF to-
day a pound Of rubber goes much further than 1t
did just after the war period.
1t is the devulcanizng process. however. which
plays havoc with any computation based upon the
statistics OF importation. 1t was some twenty
years ago when the fact was put into pracucai
business operation that old rubber boots shoes.
bose and every WORKOUT form of manufactured
rubber could be devulcanized; that Is. that the
rubber could be heated and the one part or sui
phur to fifteen parts OF rubber which Charies
GOODYEAR half-century ago had discovered
formed the ideal proportion in which TO vulcanize
the mixture could be thrust out Of the combination
and then the product revulcanized. could be put
upon the market for the manufacture OF cheap
grade Of shoe boot for other articles OF low
grade.
One Of the oldest men in the rubber trade In this
no fact tors
mentioned into consideration, an annual importa-
ton OF So 900 pounds of crude rubber is equiva
lent 10 use here Of 100000 TO 50VVVU
pounds as compared with the R,oOOoo pounds OF
1870 AS an indication OF the utilization or OLD
rubber he states that Russian dealer Is now IN
this country trying to make arrangements Tor dis-
posing of six carloads week Of old rubber shoes
from Europe The merchant says that II he can
get five cents q pound for the old rubber he can
make q good thing" out of It,
STATISTICS OF IMPORTATIONs.
The rapid growth Of the rubber industry in this
country dates back only about quarter OF
century. Our statistics OF importations go bach
only 10 1870 fact In itself indicating that the
Importance Of the trade only then began to be re-
allied. Our leading houses in the manufacture OF
rubber are a half century old They were founded
In the forties, close upon the heels Of Charles
Goodyear's discovery Of the process OF vulcanizng
rubber. 1t during the late war that the stress
of our exgencies made the first strong draft upon
the ingenuity OF rubber manufacturers, and they
responded in a comforting and benefcent supply Of
rubber blankets and clothing for army use. There
were not enough 60 around for the common
soldiers but they did much to alleviate the horrors
OF war. When the war was over and large mass
OF men was turned into civilian life, great many
OF these went into the rubber manufacturing
business. Yankee genius was put upon the stretch.
as II we're, and by 1870 the effect upon the trade
nd vVhi ted n
portation OF a round 100000 pounds of crude
rubber in that year
From that time on the increase In importatons
OF the raw material has been steady and normal
and wholly, so well-informed men In the trade
assert in response TO the growth of popula ton
and the opening OF new uses for the manufactured
article.
The DEVELOPMENT OF the industry in this country
ia along four main branches, as classified by the I'M
porters manufacturers. brokers and dealers In the
trade These four mechanical rubber goods.
clothing boots and shoes. and druggists sundres.
The hulk OF the trade lies In the first three divisions
although the last. a relatively small factor, has
kept up proportionate increase.
The branch In mechanical goods embraces a large
field The significance Of this Is seen when one
reflects that there is not mandatory in the
country-so rubber assert-in which rubber
is not used In form or another. The growth
in this branch has been steady and rapid. Expert
enced members Of the trade say that the amount
Of business done In this branch is fully ten times
what It was a quarter Of a century ago. 1t is i'm
possible to tell exactly what this Is In figures. for
statistics will not do It, Indeed. great have been
the ramifcations Of the trade In all four main
branches that representative men say 1t is idle
to endeavor TO make estimate Of the total bust
ness upon a basis of figures.
MECHANICAL RUBBER GOODS.
The two main lines in mechanical rubber goods
are betting and hose. And to these are now added
the rubber tire for the bicycle. 1t is a peculiar
fact that In Its development rubber betting has
not clashed with leather betting. At least. rubber
experts say that each betting has its own sphere
and this is now a well-recognzed fact In the trade
The rubber betting is especially adapted to line
Of uses and the leather to another. The rubber