Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-03-08
MAKING TURPENTINE.
AN EXTENSIVE INDUSTRY IN GER
TAIN SOUTHERN STATES.
How the Trees Are Tapped and the
KesInous Gum t;athered-Depart
ments and Divisions I'm the Work
All Under the Keen Eyes of the
..Rider.''

!
ments and Divisions In the WOrl
All Under the Keen Eyes of th
..Rider.-
Chicago Record.
Dialect writer's find fruitful fiel,
among the Tar Heels" of the Caro-
linas, Alabama and Georgia. In tn
cool depths OF the turpentine woods
with the gashed trees yielding up thei
resinous gum, the. balmy air and th,
picturesque hackers" clippers" ant
scrappers," with the ever vigilan
~ rider" watching everything, is
phase in southern life which has lon,
been the delight of authors and tn,
pleasure of artists. The crudity O
the implements and the stills used il
making turpentine and rosin lend ad
ditional interest to this old industry
and the gypsylike habits of the tur
pentine makers add to their rugged
llllterate charms.
Turpentine is the distilled gum o
the pine trees of North and South
Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and part
Of Florida. The season begins wher
the first spring sap rises and ends
when cold weather checks the flow o.
the trees blood. In January or Feb.
ruary the "hacker," with his keen
bladed ak, begins the round which
ends with the season. He is the ex
pert Of the woods and knows his trees
and just how much hacking they will
stand. His task is to cut the boxes
in which the thick gum of the wound
ed tree will collect. A box is wide
incision about six inches deep, "a wedge
shaped cut in the tree, and he hacks
from 80 to 100 boxes day. The first
boxes are cut near the roots OF the
tree, and they are cut as close togeth.
er to the height of mans head as can
be done without killing the pine. The
hacker leaves 4 width Of bark between
each box so rs to preserve the vitality
OF the tree. When the trees are leased
to the turpentine makers, the terms oi
the lease limit the number OF boxes to
each tree, but when it is desired tC
work the pine to the fullest extent the
gashes are carried up TO height of &c
feet or more.
After the hacker comes the man
who corners" the boxes. This cor
ner" is cut in the top of the box
to guide the sap into the cavities left
for the gum. and the man W no "works'
the crop" goes Systematically from
box to box, starting the sap anew with
fresh incisions, working in this way
10000 boxes during the season. The
sap or gum fills the boxes with clear
sticky, thick fluid, and this is removed
by the clipper" Scattered through
the woods are barrels in which the
"dipper" deposits the gum, which is
then hauled to the still. About q
quart OF sap is taken from each hoS
by means of the trowel-shaped SCOOP
used by the dipper, and then the
hacker comes along and starts the saT
afresh by wounding the tree again
The tuspentine maker watches his
men closely, for the Tar Heels are al
easy going people and require to be
urged by the rider" who goe'
through the woods on horseback ex'
amining the crop, hurrying the dipper'
and hackers and sending the barreled
gum to the still.
The first or virgin" sap which
flows in the spring makes the bes
rosin, and the poorest is the produc
of the hardened gum which is left or
the sides OF the boxes when the sal
turns down" in the fall. This il
removed by the scraper," who move
through the woods with his scrapini
tool, gathering the leavings.
The still is large copper vat hood
ed with close-fitting cover in whicl
is funnel which in turn is connected
with the "worm" of the still. Thi!
worm runs down into another va
near at hand, and in this vat tn
fumes or vapor OF the heated gum
distilled into turpentine. Fire unde
the copper vat heats the gum, and til
} volatile parts rise to the funnel, pas
into the still and are condensed b
J the water in the second vat int
! epirits of turpentine. The residuun
is passed through series {
: strainers and sieves to the barrels
which are made on the spot. TIL
/ turpentine, however, cannot be bal
) relied 80 easily, for it will work throug
. an ordinary barrel. 1t is placed i
white pine barrels which have bee
, coated inside with several coats {
: strong, hot glue, until the barrel
y impervious to the subtle fluid.
The trees are worked for five or 81
seasons, and then the turpentir
maker moves to another part of IL
woods. He started in North Carolin
crossed over to South Carolina and
still moving toward the gulf. Fore
fires destroy the pines faster than IL
> hacker does, for the flames sweep ov
>. large areas before they die out. Car
" full owners of turpentine woods ha
the pine straw and fallen underbru.
raked away from their trees before Il
" season begins, and collecting this IN
terial in some safe spot wait for qui
" day when no wind will cool the W
- finger, and then they burn the ra
ings.
~ Negroes are common laborers of Il
> turpentine woods, but white men a
plentiful. They live in rough sha
ties in the woods, with the stables
the mules and horses near at han
le. No work is more healthful than Il