The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-13
ABOUT CHEWING GUM.

ABOUT CHEWING GUM.
A Peep Into the Mysteries of Its Manu-.
facture.
The manufacture of chewing gum,
which until the last few months was
exclusively an American industry, is
| decidedly of more Importance than the
average and casual buyer Of the little
packages of glutinous substances i'm
AGNES.
There are 25 large chewing gum fac
tories in the United States-to say
| nothing of the smaller ones-each en-
ploying no less than 300 people, the
greater number being women, making
the total of all engaged directly in the
factories in this work 1900. But
these figures do not by any means
cover the entire number of people in
the United States that are engaged in
this business, for, according to even a
rough estimate, there are $4,000 or
35, 600 people earning a livelihood in
one way or another with their respec-
tive connections with the making,
| selling and advertising of chewing
gum.
Though the manufacture of chewing
gum originated in America, and has
remained distinctively American in.
dustry for 20 years. its fame has spread
abroad. and last year no less than ST.
900, 900 worth of different varieties of
chewing gum was exported. Now
chewing gum has been declared mot
patent medicine" on the other side
Of the Atlantic, and in the future both
England and Germany will make and
sell at least portion Of the gum that
is used in those countries.
The habit of chewing gum has be-
come widespread in America within
comparatively the past few years:
Until old Mr.. Adams father and
founder of the Adams Chewing Gum
company, of New York-20 years or
so ago discovered that Mexican tree,
closely allied to the India rubber tree,
was capable of producing gum that
was most satisfactory to chew, nothing
in this line was known or thought of
but spruce gum.
The tree was first imported in 1867,
with view to its employment in In
dia rubber manufacture but since the
making of chewing gum has become
such an important and wealth-yielding
industry it has an enormous value for
that reason. The gum from this tree
is called "chicle, and from it the
greater part of all the chewing gum in
America is made. The care and pro-
pagation of the gum-producing tree is
now also an important matter. Most
of these trees grow in Mexico, Tuxpan
being one of the principal places where
their cultivation is carried on exten-
sivcly and from which district the
greatest amount of "chicle" is obtained.
It may afford certain amount of
comfort, and certainly satisfaction, to
those addicted to the habit of chewing
gum, that in spite of the rather horri-
flying stories told of all the impure
things that chewing gum contains, in
reality it comprises but three ingredi-
ents The chicle, or sap Of Mexican
tree, sugar and favoring extract.
Chewing gum in its crude state ap-
pears something like great, rough
stones. These Jumps are OF a light
brownish color, and one can easily bite
or break off pieces, which when chew
ed fom the same substance as the fin
ished chewing gum, only minus the
havoring. This shows that it is not
dependent upon anything but its own
originality to sustain it in its proper
consistency.
The making of the rough and lumpy
gum into the neat little squares and
strips that one can buy at almost every
street corner or store, is simple enoug b,
as far as the main points are concerned ;
but interesting.
First the chicle is ground into pow
der and put into porcelain kettles,
holding 18 gallons each, and boiled
for three hours over slow fire OF coke.
All the kettles used in the % fac
tories before alluded to have capaci-
ty of not less than 18 gallons, and 18
Of such kettlefuls are turned out every
day, thus making a daily output Of
324 gallons apiece, or the total num-
Der Of gallons for the Is factories, not
less than 8,1OO. This amounts to al
most 100000 gallons year, which,
when reduced to its marketable shape
and size, forms an enormous amount
of goods to handle, and it seems almost
incredible that ready sale is found for
it all, but such is the case.
When the boiling mass has reached
the proper consistency, it is poured
from the great kettles onto long, white
marble slabs, where, before it cools, it
is rolled into the desired final thick
ness by enormously heavy steel roll
ers, manipulated by steam. Sharp
knives, also governed by steam or
other motive power, cut the fat sheets
Of gum into uniform squares, circles
or strips, as the case may be.
After the gum is thoroughly cooled
it is never wrapped until the day after
it is made-it is turned over to a num-
Der Of young women, who, with deft
fingers, put on the little thin paper
wrappers and narrow little bright rib
bons that tie into packages the differ
ent fruit-favored confections for
chewing that the enterprising manu-
facturer turns out.
1t requires men for the cooking and
otherwise preparing the gum, but wo-
men are always employed to pack it.
It is very cleanly and really dainty
feminine occupation.
In the large factories, 100 or more
girls may be seen seated at long tables,
dressed neatly. and even becomingly,
and when work is done in the evening,
their white aprons are almost as fresh
as when donned in the morning, as
there ia nothing about the work TO