The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-26
SLIPPERY BUSINESS.
Gathering Bark From a Certain
Kind of Elm Tree Has Come TO BE
a Big Industry.

Kind of Elm Tree Has Come to BE
a Big Industry.
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
slippery elm bark is widely used in med
ieine to-day. Long ago, when doctors
thought water when drank clear was
certain death to a person with fever sip
perry elm came to the rescue OF suffering
thousands, and when it was put in water
the patient was allowed to drink it. As
the years went on and the doctors grew
in wisdom, new uses We're found for slip
perry elm bark. There are big factories
in which this bark is pulverized and it is
prescribed by physicians and sold by the
druggists for various uses. Sometimes it
is for a poultice for some infiamed and
irritated place Again it may be used
when there is Internal irritation to soothe
and alay the suffering. Its uses are leg
ion. and for years the frugal people who
live in the rural districts of the east have
had lucrative employment in gathering
this bark.
In later years the eastern supply has
grown so snort that the manufacturers
have had to cast about for new forests,
and have turned to the south for their
supply Accordingly last spring Allen
Asher of Memphis received an inquiry
from an eastern house wanting from
100000 to 2OO.OOO pounds of the bark. This
was last April. Mr.. Asher inserted an
advertisement in the papers inquiring
where and in what quantities the bark
could be found here. There were nun
dreds of responses, and a thriving little
Industry has been established. Mr.. Asher
tells the story of the bark in this manner:
ITO get slippery elm bark in large guam
titles is a new industry in this section
of the country. Heretofore the eastern
manufacturers have been able to get all
they desired from nearby joints. Six or
eight months ago we had an inquiry from
a large manufacturer who is Ell gagged in
the business Of manufacturing pure pow
dered licorice root tobacco flavor, etc.
He desired TO know IL we could get any
slippery elm bark in this section OF the
country and the probable cost and qnanti-
ty to be obtained, and at the same time
stated that on account Of the scarcity with
them the price had advanced cents a
pound.
after looking into the matter carefully
| found that there was any quantity Of
the bark to be found in this section. In
Mississippi Arkansas, Tennessee and Ala
bama found by advertising that this bark
was very plentiful. mostly on ridges con-
tlEuOuS
ter. and / Immediately corresponded with
several hundred persons who had answer
ed my advertisement, telling them / want
ed the bark in large quantities, and en-
deavor to secure all this bark I possible
could The mill which wants il desires to
get from 100000 to 100000 pounds annually
This. OF course, is a large quantity Of the
bark owing to the shape in which il is
desired, and the fact that when dry II Is
not nearly so heavy as when stripped
from the tree. A great many parties who
have wrote TO me with a view 10 getting
II out have, for one cause or another,
failed TO do so. while there are numbers
of others getting the bark and shipping
it regularly.
IF the people would pay particular at
tention TO gathering this bark for the
market. a Is so easily gathered and re-
quires so little work, that Ii would be
quite remunerative, especially as IL cau
be gathered from the time the sap rises
until the fall. IL Is not necessary TO cut
down or kin the trees. II is better to
not cut them down nor kill them. II
enough bark is left the parts stripped will
be covered thicker and better IN time. All
that the mill requires is that the outside
or rough part OF the bark be taken on
clean TO the white part Of the bark. Then,
that the bark he thoroughly dried. and,
while drying protected from the weather.
II 10 Is left out In the weather 80 the
rain and dews fan on 1t, IL will mildew
and become d!scolored. When protected
from the weather and thoroughly dry u
Is almost perfectly white. After the rough
part OF the bark Is taken of u can be
stripped from the trees in any width and
in pieces from three TO twelve feet long
and then doubled over itself three to three
and a half feet Ions before drying so that
when dry it can DE made into nice ship.
ping bundles easy TO handle In transit
81 don't think the people realize how
much could be made in this manner by
men and children engaged In farming, and
IL Is really an extra duty, and can be per-
formed when the crops are laid by or
when the weather IL too wet TO plough
or DO other field work. or az any spare
tmc. Tho frugal eastern people have been
gathering Il for years 10 supply the In
oreaang demand OF manufacturers aud
druggisis.
1--WE pay 3h cents a pound Tor the dry
bark. SO FAR the most OF our supply has
come from Northern Alabama. Crittcn.
den county, Arkansas. and along the lnc
Of the Illinois Central railway and aa
Tar down as Grenada, Miss. but We could
handle many times what ve now got, and
would be- glad " greater numbers OF PEG.
pie would become interested In this Boz
dustry Many might ind Il more pronta
BILE than cotton"