Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-11-12

mans invitation to take q walk ou,
to bis next customers where he
would display his samples and give
better idea of the magnitude OF
an apparently very small business
AS they proceeded, the gum man
gave an entertaining account of his
struggles in rhuildirg up aIroG.e,"
as he termed it, and a general run
ming story of the interesting fea-
lures in the development of the
chewing gum business.
ain the first place." said he,
"most people underestimate its
magnitude, and that it is not sur
prising, for i often wonder what
consumes the small but in reality
large quantities that dispose of.
A quarter of a century ago there
were practically but two kinds of
chewing gum-the regularly made
spruce gum sold in the stores and
shoemakers' wax, which the boys
used to beg or steal. Then the
white paraffin gum-coal oil gum,
the youngsters call it-came out,
and was the ladies' favorite from
the start. 1t was soft and did not
tire the jaws like the tough, un-
yielding spruce. Besides, it would
not dislodge a set of false teeth,
was cleansing and could be used in
emergencies to cover over black,
decayed spots in natural teeth.
This was followed by 'taffy tolu'
and Swapping wax both of which
acted as pioneers for the trade, in
ducing, by their seductive sweet
ness and flavor, a far more general
use of the article by adults.
Following these came the still
more popular brands of today,
which few years ago were used
almost universally in great quanti-
ties, and from the manufacture OF
which colossal fortunes were har-
vested in a season. / was in the
business at it's best, and / made a
little, but lacked the experience
the capital and the luck to make
even a fair share of the big money
that some Of the gum men got out
of it. ! added the word luck be,
cause if il eve. hsd a proper place
anywhere it holongs right here
I'll tell you why.
1.-The largest Eastern manufac.
turer of chewing gum got into the
business, l understand, in this way
He was peddling small articles, like
razors and combs, among the sail.
ors along the docks, and one day
with probably hundreds of others
was idly examining a cargo of Mex
lean chicle gum that had been
brought here as ballast in the hops
that it could be sold to bookbind
ers and the makers of leather tip.
for bound books. 1t proved to bt
worthless for those purposes anG
was to have been towed to sea anC
cast overheard. This peddler tast
ed it, found it would chew thought
of its adaptability as chewing gum
got the whole cargo for shoveline
it out of the chip and is today {
millionaire several times over
Wasn't that luek2
"The case of the other man wht
has made. as many millions anG
perhaps more out of the business
was very similar, in so far that 4,
happy thought was the chief fac
tor of his success. He had, by
great industry, and by many year
of hard labor, succeeded in gettin.
his goods fairly well introduced
and in moderate demand. But b,
lacked a leader The sale of hi
best brands had never even approx
mated the phenomenal, as ha,
some of the best ones from the Eas
here, and, like all the other makers
he was always experimenting il
an effort TO produce an article tha