The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-11-27
SOMEWHAT SLIPPERY STUFF.
hls Industry In Gathering Bark From
Certain Kind of Film.


Slippery elm bark is widely used i
medicine to-day. Long ago, whe
doctors thought water, when dram
> clear, was certain death to perso
: with fever, slippery elm came to tn
rescue of suffering thousands, an,
when it was put in the water the pa
tlent was allowed to drink it. AS til,
years went on, and the doctors grew
IN wisdom, new uses were found 70,
slippery elm bark. There are BIZ
factories in which this bark is pulver
lzed, and tbs prescribed by physicians
ana sold by druggists for various uses
Sometimes it is for poultice for some
!naamed and irritated place. Again
1T may be used when there is internal
| irritation, to soothe and allay tie suf.
feuns. Its uses are legion, ind fol
years the frugal people who live in
rural districts of the East have had
lucrative employment in gathering this
bark.
In later years the Eastern supply
mas grown so short that the manufac.
turers have had to cast about for new
forests, and have turned to the South
for their supply. Accordingly, last
spring, Allen Asher, of Memphis, re.
celved an inquiry from an Eastern
house wanting from 100000 to 2OO,.
o9o pounds of the bark. This was
last April. Mr.. Asher inserted an nd.
verFlscment in the papers inquirine
where andin what quantities the bark
could be found here. There were
hundreds of responses, and thriving
little industry has been established.
Mr.: Asher tells the story of the bark
in this manner:
AFTER looking into the matter care.
fully found that there was any quan.
tlty of this bark to be had in this sec.
ton. In Mississippi, Arkansas, Ten.
nessee and Alabama I found, by ad.
vertlsing, that this bark was very
plentiful, mostly on ridges contiguous
to rivers, creeks or bodies of water, and |
Immediately correspondent with sew.
eral hundred persons who had an.
swered my advertisement, telling
them l wanted the bark in large guam.
titles, and endeavored to secure all
this bark I possibly could. The mill
which wants it desired to get from
100000 to- 100000 pounds annually.
lhls, OF course, is a large quantity of
me bark, owing to the shape in which
t is desired, and the fact that, when
Try, it is not nearly so heavy as when
stripped from the tree.
IF the people would pay particular
attention to gathering this bark for the
market, it is SO easily gathered, and
equlres so little work, that it would
'e quite remunerative, especially as
can be gathered from the time the
ap rises until the fall. It is not nee
ssary to cut down or kill the trees
IS better to not cut them down no,
Ill them. If enough bark is left, til,
arts stripped will be covered thicke,
nd better in time. All that the mil
equlres is that the outside, or rough
art, OF the bark, be taken off clean t
10 white part Of the bark; then, tha'
le bark be thoroughly dried, ani
nile drying protected from the
Gather. If it is left out in the
Gather, SO the rains and dews fall on
it will mildew and become discol
'ed: When protected from the
Gather, and Thoroughly dry, It's almost :
erfectly white. After the rough part &
the bark is taken of, it can be !
ripped from the trees in any Width
I'd in pieces from three to twelve
ct long, and then doubled over itself
rec to three and half feet long he.
re drying, so that, when dry, it can T.
made into nice shipping bundles ~ y,
sy to handle in transit. =
II don't think the people realize =.
w much could be made in this man. F.
+ by men and children engaged in =,
ming, and it is really an extra duty -
d can be performed when the crops o. .,
laid by or when the weather is too o.
It to pillow or do other field work, or - -
any spare time. The frugal East. -
people have been gathering it for - =.
ars to supply the increasing demand q
manufacturers and druggists. =.
I'VE pay 81 cents for the dry bark. VI
far most Of our supply has come r.
m Northern Alabama, Crittenden
unity, Arkansas, and along the line =
the Illinois Central Railway as fa1
wn as Grenada, Miss, but we could
ndle many times what we now get, ::
would be glad if greater numbers );
people would become interested ir E:
industry. Many might fud il ::
re profitable than cotton.-Mem. 4:
$ Commercial Appeal. ::
Clean1inasa Ss