The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-06-26

Roam
th> Forest Az Winter and Gus the
Crop Ira ounce Bus FROM High
braurhes-It PsY- Well For some.
HHIS has been an OF year 70.
gun IN Maine Ordinarily
i the Maine supply OF clear,
y pink. odorous and sweet
spruce gum has been in the tons, and
every ton of 1t Is worth $1,000 at first
hands. This year the supply Of
marketable gum viii fall much below
the average. This sad fact il not
brought about by dearth Of gum 40
much "a n lack of skillfuI harvesters.
Everybody Is going into 1t, said
a Wholesale gum dealer IN Bangor.
Ne, the chief gum market of the
United States, and the supply IS not
so good this year IN consequence.
They bring n all kinds Of stuff, dirt
and pitchy and full OF black spots, and,
OF course, We cant buy II. We won't
get the good, clear gum this winter we
did last year on that account.
I remember" went on the gum
dealer, "A be leaned over the counter.
when gum gatherers came n here
with from 400 10 500 pounds Of yum
TO the man 20 sell after d winter n the
woods. Every pound Of It was worth
dollar, and that is just what 7 gave
for IT, right through.
This winter I haven't seen auv Of
the kind Of sum We used to get. that
II, not II quality. Last year L bought
more than ton of gum, AMI sent it
out of the State There Il good de-
nand for 1t, especially from the West.
where there are Maine people In LARGE
numbers. don't geta very big prof
it out OF IT, for IL retalls = ten cents
an ounce, al done M in 3 neat paste
board box. Then, there is "A shrink
age OF ter per cent. on It, aDl the adj
dI5tonat loss from IL becoming broken.
After 1 have sold l5 10 mIItleman.
say at Sl.2J a pound, a2l he sells It
to the retailer, VINO can only get ten
cents an ounce for 1t, you Will see there
Is 10 great profit n II for any Of u.
IT Is HARD TO COLLECT.
As for the man who gathers it.
went on the gum dealer, ''he earns his
dollar j pound. wouldn't clean the
stuff for that money. Every piece il
1t Las to be handled, act most os IL
scrared with knife % takc OF the
rough outside. There is a good Ieal
Of waste IL the cleaning. The best
gum glthecsrs are those who know
lov 10 get clean gum, the kind that
does uc5 require "A lot Of cleaning
EotwltLsJArdIu2 the DILIGENTLY IL
getting together 100 pounds VI gum.
tLe dealer recalled that la bouEls on
one occasion sos pounds oS -um from
two men, who hal gathered 1t in
winter. They were Swede farm rs
from the vicinity Of New Sweden. IN
northern Arooatook Work Is Iu.l on
the potato tIcus IN winter. AMI the
thrifty 1vsdes look around for
chance To make a dollar Many VI
them 60 into tue woods as lumber
men. SOME trap. while others glt E=r
gum. These two farmers uettaf 81
y pound for their gum.
Ou.r men OF great patience and
neTer-cea=ing activity can gather 1eur-
lT 300 p0uuGs 0i gum IN winter The
task Is one calling for almost lucrsI--
bic work. When one buys Il little box
Of the pure, amber blood or the spruce
l= EctLs tLilks Of the patience that
has been put into tue work OF gnther-
ing IT,.
The gum gatherer begins his work
II the fall, a. soon as the snow comes
and makes travelling on foot In the
forest easier tLan when the ground IL
bare. and he keeps ut his task. dav
after day. Il storm aui shine. until
spring.
Row n - GATHERED.