Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-03-26
aNG T%URPENTINE
AN EXTENSIVE INDUSTRY IN CERTAIN
SOUTHERN STATES

nov me ANNNA are AnnrHu Nnu the res
inous Gum oathered-Departmruts and
Divisions IN Ire wsrh An Under
Keen Eye % ths -Rider.-
Dialect writers end q fruitful Gold
among tho Tar Heels" Of The Carolinas.
Alabama and Georgia Hn the COIL
depths Of the ~turpentino woods with tho
gashcd trees yielding up their rosinous
gum, tho balmy air and tho picturesque
hackers. +" clippers" and "sorapers "
with the ever vigilant ''ridor" watch.
ing everything. is q phase IN southern
life which hes long been the delight II
authors and tho pleasure Of artists. The
crudity Of the implements and the stills
used In making turpontine and rosin
lend additional interest TO this old il-
dusiry, and tho gypsylike habits Of TO
tnrpentine makers add to their ragged.
illitorato charms.
T~urpentino is the distilled gum Of tho
pine roos Of North and South Carolipa,
Alabama, Georgia aud part Of Florida
Tho season begins when tho first spring
sap rises and ends when cold weather
checks the flow Of the trees blood. In
January or February tho ''hacker, +"
with his keen bladcd AZ, begins tho
round which ends with the season Ho
is tho expert Of tho woods aud knows his
trees aud just how much hacking they
win stand His task Is to cut tho
boxes" ir which the thick gum Of tho
wounded {. 70 will collect A box is a
wide incision about six inches deep, a
wedge shaped cut I'm tho tree, and no
hacks from 90 to 100 boxes n day. Tho
FIRST boxes are cut near the roots Of the
tree, hnd thqy arc cut "a close together
20 the height Of q mans head as can DO
done without killing the pine. Tho
hacker leaves q width Of bark between
each box so as 20 preserve the vitality Of
the tree. When the trees are leased 10
tho turpentine makers, the terms Of tho
lease limit the number Of boxes to each
tree. but when it is desired to work e
pine to the fullest extent the gashes are
carried up to q height Of 20 feet OF mora.
After the hacker comes the man who
corners tho boxes. This corner IL
a nj In the top Of the box to guide thJ
sap into tho cavities left for the gum,
and the mau who works" the crop"
goes systematically from box to box,
starting the sap anew with fresh Incl
Sions. working In this way 10, 900 boxes
during the season. The sap OF gum fills
the boxog with q clear, sticky, thi' (
fluid, ard this Is removed by the dip
per. Scattered through the woods arc
barrels In which the clipper" deposits
the gum. which Is then hauled to tho
still About q quart Of sap is taken from
eaoh box by means Of the trowel shaped
scoop used by the dipper, and then tho
hacker comes along aud starts the flow
nfresh by wounding the tree again. Tho
t~urpentiDe maker watches his men close
ly. for the Tar Heels are an easy going
people and require to be urged by tho
rider, " who COOS through the woods ~
horseback examining the crop, hurTying
tho dippcrs and hackers and sending the
barreled gum to the still.
Tho first or virgin" sap which flows
In the spriI.g makes the bert rosin, and
the poorest is the product Of the harden
cd gum which Is left ON the sides Of tho
boxes when tho sap turns down. in
the fall. This Is removed by the
''scraper," who moves through tho
woods with his scraping tool, gathering
tho leavinga
The still is q largo copper vat hooded
with q close fitting cover in which is q
funnel which In turn Is connected with
the worn" Of tho still This worm
runs down into another vat nenr q
hand, and in this vat the fumes or vapor
Of the heated glu is distilled into tur-
pentine. Fire under the copper vat heats
the gum, aud the volatile parts rise to
the funnel, pass into the still and arc
condensed by the water in the second
vat into spirits Of t~urpentine Tho resid-
uum left in the vat is the rOsin Of
commerce, which is passed through a
series Of strAiners and sieves to the bar
rela, which are made on the spot Tie
turpentine, however, cannot be barreled
so easily, for IL will work through an
ordinary barrel. Il Is placed in white
pine barrels which have been coated in
side with several coats OF strong, hot
glue until tho barrel Is impervious to
the subtle fluid.
The trees are worked for Eve or six
seasons, and then the turpentine maker
moves to another part Of the woods. he
started In North Carolina, crossed over
70 South Carolina and Is still moving
toward the CALF Forest fires destroy the
pines faster than tho hacker does, for
the flames sweep over large areas before
they die ouk Careful owners of turpen-
tine woods have tho pine straw and
fallen nde-brush raked away from their
trees before the season begins. and col
leoting this material In some safe spot
wait for a quiet day when no wind will
cool the wet finger, and then they burn
the rakingA
Negroes are common laborers Of the
turpentine woods but white men are
plentiful. They live In rough shanties
IN the woods, with the stables for tho
mules and horses near at hand. No
work is more heRlthful than turpenti
making. for Il is all out Of doors in the
depths Of the balmy, health giving pines.
free from the malaria Of the swamns
and from sudden changes Of weather. -
Chicago Record.
Horsepower.