The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-11
GATHERING SPRUCE GUM.
An Industry That FIourIshes In tho
Northern Woods.


| SARANAC LAKE, n. Y, Feb 10.-The
gumpickers of the forests of New York.
Maine. and other Northern States pursue
vocation OF considerable profit that Is
little known TO inhabitants of the cities
or towns outside the shadow OF the great
woodland tracts. Many persons who claim
some knowledge OF woodcraft are skepti-
cal when the statement is made that the
stick of gum called spruce gum. wrapped
in tinfoil covered outside with a fancy
paper. and sold in the shops Is an adul-
teration OF little amber-colored chunks
found on the trunks Of spruce trees IN
the forest where the sap has oozed cut to
heal some wound. The pure gum OF the
spruce tree appears on the tree-trunlSs
like drops OF wax. crystallizes. and is
gathered by the gum pickers. who clean it
and sell 1t to the gum manufacturers,
who adulterate the pure gum as much as
their consciences permit. Some OF the
adulterants used are paraffine, resin. and
chicle
Picking the spruce gum and selling it to
chewing-gum men is the principal source
OF income for great many men during
the winter months. The gum picker may
be guide or in the summer he may op-
crate one Of the small farms at the edge
of the forest. There are. however. many
who make gum-ga thering business the
year through. Preparations for gum
picking do not call for much capital. Thu
most-needed article is the long pole at
the end OF which is a can. very often a to-
mato OF corn can, or a funnel about
three inches wide at the top. to which 8
fastened sharp chisel called the gum
spud. This tool the gum gatherer
pushes far up the trunk of the tree until
the chisel has cut loose the chunk of
gum which falls into the can from which
1t is emptied into sack or basket. In
the winter they travel on snowshoes from
ten to fifteen miles through the forest,
and at night lie down to sleep in an old
shack, deserted by hunters and fishermen.
more or less open to the elements, on
bed OF pine and balsam boughs, with a
blanket more or less dirty to cover them.
They may select hut of this sort for
headquarters for three or four weeks,
starting out in the morning to plunge into
the forest, some equipped with compass.
and others depend ng upon their own
powers of observation and knowledge OF
woodcraft to get them safely back again
at the end of the day.
In the Adirondacks there are three kinds
spruce, and the white spruce, the red
now recognized as a separate species,
having heretofore been included under the
head of black spruce. The tree forms a
regular cone. and attains height of from
40 to 100 feet. often measuring at the base
eight feet in circumference. In the Adj
rondacks the common height is eighty
feet, and the common diameter twenty
one inches. The cones hang on the ends
of the lnuV bra nPhas he har ri 10 10
brown color. tinged with grey. covered
with roundish scales. The best gum is
gathered from the sapwood of the white
spruce. The small trees have thicker
sapwood in proportion to the size and age
than the larger ones, and from all the
trees of this species a resinous gum
sxudes. The gum will start where limb
has been broken of or an axe inserted,
1r where a tree has been split in a Storm
It is said that forest fires have been
started by the sun shining through
Jump of pure gum. which formed a lens.
The rarest of the spruce gums is the
blister gum, which is translucent and
urns blue after it has been ehewed. The
'ickers scrape. wash, and brighten it. and
t sells at s1.5e per pound. There is
'oarser grade, which consists of the
crapings OF the blister gum. and has
many particles of spruce bark mixed with
loths in & steam tank. and the heat and
team draw cut the good gum The latter
S the ordinary spruce chewing gum Of
commerce, and yields the first producer
bout so cents per pound.
During the winter several grain-bags
re filed by the gum gathers and sent to
be markets. About three years ago the
aTvestings of an aged gum gatherer OF
he Cranberry Lake region were lost in
he bottom of the lake. He started out
nth twenty-three bags of gum in his
oat and when about half way across the
AXE the boat was split in two. He had to
vim for his life, but returned and spent
eyeral days dredging In vain for the
UNI. The water, the woodsmen say, will
reserve it for some discoverer of the
ltuTe.
Years ago a favorite drink. known as
pruce beer. was made by boiling the
Dung branches and evaporating the in
I5ion. but its place as a beverage has
cen so largely taken by other drinks
lat one seldom sees or hears of the old
shioned spruce beer. This decoction of
lie spruce twigs has medicinal properties.
I'd is well-known antidote for seurvy.