The Portland daily press., 1899-01-23
AeuM TRUST.
PortIsnd Gum Factory To Get I'm On
the Ground Floor.


States, are said to be willing to enter the
gum trust
IA short time ago the Curtis Il son COM
pany received overtures from some Oh the
smaller manufacturers of gum who were
contemplating the formation OF trust.
The Portland firm did not take very kind
ly 10 the scheme, because on its face II
looked as II It was last resort on the
part OF some Of the projectors TO keep up
n business that had not been yielding
them much OF an income. But few days
ago the newspapers told OF the formation
of another gum trust, with a capital of
sik. 600, ,OC0 ghis trust included Beeman,
the Adams's, White the millionaire
Cleveland gum maker, aud most of the
other big manufacturers of tho Middle
and Western states
Ex-Alderman Adam Leighton, who a
year ago bought an interest in the Curtis
gum manufactory In this city, packed his
grip, the next day after reading of the
formation of this big trust, and started
for New York to confer with Its projec
tors and make application for admission
ION the ground floor"
''It's no use trying to make money in
the old-fashioued way, with n fifteen mill
lion dollar trust to buck against" re-
marked Mr.. Leighton to a friend who
occupied seat with him the day of the
departure for New York. Our Portland
gum factory did $500, 600 business last
year, and while we made profit out oil
the business the return was not COM
mensuIate with the amount Of money
handled.
"Prices on gum of all kinds has been
going steadily downward for long time.
For instance, take certain brand OF
gum that we manufacture. We used to
put up three tablets in u package and 100
packages in box. and wholessled 1t ut
&c cents box. Now We put six tablets
In every package, 100 packages in box,
put on four cent war stamp and job 1t
at 45 cents The decrease in the profit on
other grades is at about the same ratio.
The expense of manufacturing has not
been lessened during this falling of In
prices.
"If we get into the gum trust, then we
shall be able to know in advance just
what the income of our factory will be
and shall not have to worry about future
drops in prices"
The product of the Curtis factory In
Portland includes ninety five per cent of
all the manufactured spruce gum In the
United States. John B. Curtis, the for
mer head of the firm, was the pioneer in
the gum making business in this country.
One reason why the manufacture of
spruce gum is so largely confined to this
factory is that the rev material Is more
plentiful in this state than anywhere else
in the Union. Another reason is that
the owners of the Curtis factory are in
possession of a secret process which makes
their goods so saleable. One man in the
factory, who has charge of the spruce
gum department, has been connected
with the industry thirty years.
The factory employs from fifty to eighty
operatives, according to the conditions
OF trade. All the spruce gum offered
there In the natural sstate is bought. 1t
is brought in by farmers, huntsmen
loggers and men who make business of
gum picking. The price paid is from five
to twenty cents, according to the quality.
One day this week Maine woodsman
brought in $40 pounds of clsan gum He
had taken it to Boston, expecting TO get
a fancy price for 1t, but 1t was too soft TO
permit its being handled by druggists,
and he was unable to dispose of 1t Mt
what he considered fair price. The Cur
tbs folks offered him fifteen cents pound
for the whole lot, and after some hesita.
ton he accepted their offer.
The spruce gum we buy by the ounce
=
five years before being offered for sale,
and II it had been that length of time on
the tree before being picked, its quality
is ali the better. The best spruce gum
ut the druggists retails at s. to $l.60
per pound.
Three grades of spruce gum are manu-
featured at the Curtis factory. The low
est grade is that which has bark at.
tached. ii has to be boiled and strained
before it can be treated to the secret pro-
cess which makes 1t marketable
Paraffine ana pepsin gums are also
manufactured in considerable quantities
here. The former has for many years
been included in the factory's product.
but the Curtis people were slow In get |
ting into line with their pepsin goods
ana western manufacturers gained lap
on them.
Beeman. one OF the best known manu-.
facturers of pepsin gum. has made more
than lnllllon OUT OF that one product. |
The basis of all kinds of pepsin gum. tut
,!-frutti, etc, is chicle. "a natural gum
that comes from n tree in Central A meri- |
ca. 1t was first introduced in this country
as "a substitute for 2utta-percha, but was |
found unit for that purpose bee ause it |
was too susceptible TO heat. Mr.. Beeman, |
the original manufacturer of pepsin gum, |
owes his good fortune in a measure TO a |
woman. He Was dealer in druggists |
articles, and i'll small way manufac- |
tureo chewing gum. One day young |
woman employed in his place of business |
asked him why ne did not put in little |
pepsln and advertise his gum as an aid to |
digestion. He followed her suggestion |
aud has been coming money ever since. |
Other gum manufacturers followed his |
example and have protited largely by it,
Mr. White, the Cleveland gum max er,
and the weslthiest IN the business, began |
as "a peddler. making small quantities of |
chewing gum aud retailing it ON the |
street. He is said u lie worth several |
millions.
1t is not necessary TO add that Mai ne |
isn't the only gum chewing state in the
Union.