The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20
RUBBER FOR BICYCLES.
S5,OOO,OOO Worth of Crude Rubber
Bought by Wheel Makers in Eigh-
teen Months
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
The spread of the bicycle fever has had
marked effect on the rubber trade in
this country within the past year or two,
and especially within few months. The
rubber required for the tires of bicycles
amounts in the aggregate to hundreds of
tons annually and the demand for it in
creases almost in geometrical progression,
for as soon as one member of a family
buys wheel the Others, as a general
thing, soon do likewise. The demands or
the bicycle factories were not felt par
ticularly in the United States until last
year, when the extraordinary rush TO buy
wheels caused the manufacturers to can
for large quantities of rubber for use in
the manufacture of tires for the new
wheels in the first instance, and then for
more to supply the place of tires punctur-
ed. Then, as the wheeling fad still ex-
tended itself, came further calls, until IL
IS said by Well-knOwn rubber man thar
the bicycle business has made a differ
ence within eighteen months of probably
$5,0OOOOO to the crude rubber trade
Previous to that time the sales to BIZ
cycle men attracted no special attention
here, among the many industries in when
rubber IS used, but it is probable that in
Europe the gradual growth in the demand
had been felt somewhat earlier. When
the demand was felt here in its full
strength during the present wear it drew
on some of the old stock The wear 1904
was poor business year and at the end
of December there were more than 3 0o0-
600 pounds of Para rubber on hand in the
United states. Old stock in the rubber
trace does not mean the same as it does in
some other businesses. Old rubber is
more valuable than new, being at present
rSGoIuea at - cents a pound, while the
price OF new rubber is II cents. The tire
manufacturers require the best rubber
cilat -, I ara. for the outer rim the fin
1st grade Is not used, as one that takes
up more amalgam serves better but for
the air tube the best rubber is essential
Z iS ufeS as TO the amount used by the
plcycie factories are difficult to get at,
Dut IL IS estimated that they used l coo :
wv OF l,50UOOO pounds more during the
past year than in the previous wear,
some importers have endeavored to get
uata as 10 the probable consumption by
theSe buyers during the coming year
but they find this not easy to DO. An,
g gfL,nl w. tne bicycle makers are not
IS estimated, however, that the Increase
IN the consumption by these factories
this coming year viii be double the in
crease OF last year. The factories are
getting ready now for the 1896 wheels.
put not many of them are buyina I.uh,
per Tor those wheels, as the tire is about
Tue last thlng they put in place. They
are buying rubber for the immediate de-
hyer1es, which are large.
Inc price of rubber has advanced sew
en- or eight cents a pound since June but
the bicycle makers do not seem to be
paying much attention to that. Some of
them think the advance may continue.
put others look for a decline In this
latter view they are not encouraged by
the sellers but it is said that the dispo-
sition to hold off and buy only as needs
require is pretty general. Rubber was
down to 81 cents in 1889, and has varied
between 60 and 20 cents up to this year,
but some rubber manufacturers point
out that the price has been pushed high
owing to various causes in other times.
only to fall again suddenly. 1t is said
that most of the rubber bought by the
bicycle makers now is for the imme-
date orders and the replacing of used
up tires, but at the same time the max
ers have begun work on the next sea
sons wheel output much earlier than
usual. 1t has been the custom. it is
said, for the manufacturers to wait until
the bicycle show in Madison Square Gar
den in the winter before beginning to
turn out the following seasons supply
of wheels, but they were caught so short
this past year by the unprecedented de-
mand for machines that they have begun
already preparations for the 1896 OUTPUT
The worlds consumption of rubber is
about 10000 tons annually, and of this
amount about 1900 tons is used in the
United States, it is said. OF the Para
production this country gets more than
half. Para's total exports of rubber in
1894 amounted to 40S70O00 pounds. and of
this amount H,l7,O00 pounds came to the
United States.