Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-29
CHEWING SPRUCE GUM.
It Aids Digestion, Stimulates lmag-
gination and Soothes the Nerves.
Picking Gum and Fir Balsam Tips
Sources of Revenue.

Chewing spruce gum is not society
function neither is it particularly edl
flying to the onlooker, says CORE
spondent of Maine Woods; but to those
who indulge in it with malice afore-
thought it certainly has attractions
which compensate somewhat for tie in
ability to use that heavenly weed
whose praises have been so often sung
by poets and scholars, tobacco. Some
there are who can have a tempting
quid of gum in the mouth without Civ
ing much evidence of it's presence by
vigorous motions of the jaws; but the
average person succumbs readily to
the insidious influence of this Yankee
habit and chews con amore.
One test of true Boston culchaw' is
to sit in rocking chair and not rock;
but given good hard wood floor, an
easy rocker and a generous lump OF
Maine spruce gum and ! will defy any
one, not slave to society requirements,
to resist the combination. Chewing
gum aids digestion and stimulates the
imagination, soothes the nerves and by
it's taking up of a portion of the mus
cular energy otherwise likely to be ex-
pended in conversation, tends to lessen
speech and thus gives to mankind some
of that silence which is golden.
The dignified OK and sweet breathed
COW are models on cud chewing and the
satisfaction they evidently take in it
is edifying and instructive.
In my imagination 1 see readers now
glance at the end of this letter to see if
it winds up with advice to chew some
-, 81 h,,t % Low
such suspicious l will say that 1 refer.
not to villainous compounds of pitch, or
of some South American gum, similar
to gutta percha, which form the basis
Of most of the commercial chewing
gums, but to the pure, unworked lump
spruce gum, as gathered in the Maine
forests by the native g4snmers.
Unfortunately for us, who love these
tears of the fragrant spruce, the supply
has become almost exhausted and the
price has risen sharply. This shortage
has not thus far been attributed to the
action of any spruce gum trust" nor
am l aware of any strike on the part
of the gummers, so it is to be pre-
sumed that the energies of these wild
woods runners have been temporarily,
it is hoped, diverted to other chan
nels.
There is good money in the business
and let us trust that a goodly number
of the boys will this fall take to the
woods in search of this commodity.
A somewhat similar occupation to
gum picking is the gathering of fir
balsam tips and although not so
generally pursued. for profit is a fruit
full source of pleasure to visitors who
gather the tips to make into pillows and
cushions to take back to their city
homes the odor of the woods
Now is a good time to get the ma
terial. as it is hard enough to dry with
out mildewing; and then, too, the
blackflies have entirely disappeared
and the groves are comfortable resorts,
making the search for the trees d
pleasure instead of a penance as it was
few weeks ago. A good sharp knife
is perhaps the best implement to use in
harvesting the tips although some use
shears and l recall an instance where a
Southern lady startled her cont
paniOns by drawing a razor for the
purpose.