The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-30
The Discovery of the Modern Article
Was Purely Accidental.
"a BIG BUSINESS BUT OVERCOME
A Man Who Made Miliiors Got His
Start by Tasting Discarded BAL.
i"st-spr"ce Gum Rnd Shocma.
kcrs' Wax Were tho Predecessors
ofthe ModcrnFavoriticx in Gum.

'Miclies AZ enue SNOW case. Take your
choice"
Fifteen different kinds OF chewing gum
seemed an elaborate assortment for so
small store, and tho would he purchaser
Inquired how many varieties of that con.
fection were in the market Ho replied
that, being only small dealer in the art.
Gle, nc did not feel competent to answer
pne added, Ihnt young man over there |
can tell you nll about it,
a prosperous appearing young man,
with sample case In his hand stood at |
the opposite counter and without moro
questioning said: "a hundred or more, at
rough guess. have samples here OF IS |
brands, and they are exclusive of scheme
goods or prize gum, of which there arc |
many brands.''
This man was small manufacturer and |
general Wholesale dealer of gum exclusive |
~. a Quarter of n century ago thore were
practically hut two kinds of chewing gum, |
the regularly made spruce gum sold in the
stores and shoemakcrs wax, which tho
boys used to leg or steal. Then tho white
parafiin gun,-coal oil gum the Youngsters
call it-calne out and WINS ladies' fuvorite
from the start 1t was soft and did not
tire jaws like tho tough, unyiclding spruce
BESIDES, itwould not dislodge n set of fnlsc
teeth, was cleansing and could bo used in
Ia,
spots in the natural teeth. This was fol-
. lowed by "taffy tolu" and Swapping
WAX, T" both of which acted as pioneers for
tho trade, inducing by their seductive
sweetness and flnvors u fur more general
use of tho article by adults
Following these camo the still more
popular brands of today, which u few wears
ago wcro used almost universally in great
quantities, and from tho manufacture of
which colossal fortunes were harvested nj
most in season. l was In the business ut
Its best, md made u little, but lacked
tho experience, tho capital ind the luck to
make oven u fair share of the big money
that some of the gum men got out of it,
added tho word luck because If it ever had
proper place anywhere 1t belongs right
there. I'll tell you why:
Tho largest eastern manufacturer of
chewing gum got into the business so
understand in this way: He was petidling
small articles, like razors and combs,
among the sailors along tho docks and
one day, with probably hundreds of others,
was idly examining cargo of Mexican
chicle gum that had been brought here us
ballast In tho hope that it could be sold
to bookbinders and tho makers of leather
tips for bound books. 1t proved to be
worthless for those purposes and was to
hive been towed to sea and cast overheard.
This peddler tasted it, found that it would
chew, thought of Its adaptability rs chow
ing gum, got tho whole cargo for shovel
Ing 1t out of the Ship and today is mil
lionaire several times over. Wasn't that
luck2
The case of tho other man. who has
mado as many millions and perhaps more
out OF the business, was very similar in SO
far that happy thought was the chief
factor OF his success. He had, by great
industry and after many years OF hard la
Dor. succeeded in getting his goods fairly
VOL introduced and in moderate demand
But he lacked u leader. The sale of his
best brands had never even Appropriated
tho phenomenal, Us had some of the best
ones from tho cast here, and, like all the
Other makers, he was always experiment
ing in an effort to produce an article that
should excel all others in merit and popu-
1nr favor. At last, just before Christmas,
In 1856, it occurred to him that as pepper
mint candy was u general favorite with
children, why should not peppermint
Favored chewing gum DO so? He tried the
experiment., got u gratuitous advertise
ncnt as compliment one of the local pa
pers paid to the gum upon receipt of Il box
lie had sent rs u Christmas present, and
an two years had erected large factory
quadrrlpled his working force, and was
from three weeks TO three months behind
In filling the orders that poured into his
office From that time to tho present day
he has employed hundreds of hands
Where does all the gum go-who chews
iR don't know. This man has told ME
that when he went, u stranger, to the city
where his success has made him one Of It's
best known capitalists lie had slept on "a
pile of straw under viaduct and had man
ufactured his first chewing gum on u CON-
mon kitchen table after cooking 1t In the
teakettle
Tho man is shrewd, though. 1 will
toll You an anecdoto that illustrates that
fact This chicle-that is, the basis Of all
the best gums at this time-was originally
handled almost wholly by three shippers
In small Mexican ports on the gulf The
natives gathered 1t from wild trees in the
forests of southern Mexico and the Central
American states, and it was cheap. This
man sent an agent to Mexico ostensibly to
SEQ the manufactured article, but when his
trip was ended it was discovered, to the
everlasting sorrow of most of the rest of
US, that he held signed contracts for the
next two years output Of these firms
,Chicle at that time, IL / recoilect, was sell
ing for % cents pound, but before the
close OF the next season the price was
Sl.35, ard it was difficult to get it at that.
IN order to put upon the market the same
large sized piece as was then in vogue the
rest OF US were compelled to add more
sugar, and as the price advanced to still
add more sugar, until our output would
almost entirely dissolve in the mouth, leav-