The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-12
RUBBER INDUSTRY
VIII Be RevoIutionIzed by Ohio Company
With Valuable Secret.
Denver Republican.

~. HI -.'s. Denver RepuDl.can.
If experiments being secretly carried on
in Akron, Ohio, are successful the rubber
industry will be revottionized, the price
will be reduced at least fifty Per cent and
in all probability the result will be to give
the company the exclusive control OF the
market ...- 49,.
The new, preparation, which is said to
sap of the greasewood or Chico bush, Which
is so plentiful in the southwest and which
has heretofore been considered great null,
to Akron from Southern California, and
upon it's arrival at theArubber company's
experimental station is crushed SO as to
bring out the sap, which is chemically treated
and produces glutinous substance with all
tho qualities of rubber.
AS usual with experiments of the company
their operations are being kept as far as
possible a strict secret, Beyond the fact
that it is first thoroly Boiled and all tie I'M
purities removed, little has been learned b5
the public. In its melted condition the sub
stance can be run into mol0s and Will retain
any shape in which it is allowed to harden.
A curious fact is that while this substance
has most Of the peculiarities OF rubber, 1t
cannot be ussd as an eraser.
When seen last night Walter S. Tullis,
assistant manager Of that companys in
terests in Denver, stated that while he was
ments were practically over and that the new
process had proved a success. He said that
experiments along this line bad been in pro-
gress for several MOI tbs.
Tie expense of rubber is such that there
is a growing tendency on the part of manu-
facturers to Introduce impurities In order
to lessen the cost Of production With the
new substance, en- account Of its. cheap
ness, this will net he done. Rubber III its
crude form costs at present IS cents to s1.2O
per pound while at the most, Mr.. Tullis
says, TIE greasewood product will cost only
Is cents, with the probability of this being
reduced as improvements are introduced.
There is large quantity of greasewood
On the western slope in Colorado, but 1t
reaches its most luxuriant growth in the
southwest. 1t grows best in rocky, arid
highest bushes are about ten feet tall and
in some places only graw to height Of
enc or two feet
AS soon as the new product is proved
to be an absolute success, Mr.. Tullis says,
it is the intention of the company to start
a plant somewhere in the heart Of the
greasewood country SO that the expense Of
shipping the etalks to the factory can be
saved, and the finished product sent to any
place desired He said that experiments in
growing the brush in the east have been
tried, but the shrub does not do we'll. The
largest trunks seldom reach diameter of
over four inches, tho with cultivation it is
hoped to make them grow much larger.
in making the knotty canes which were
fashioned a few years ago, but beyond this
no use for 1t has ever been found. The stalk
is very hard and brittle. In the summer the
branches are covered with short pulpy leaves
which are quite salty and are eaten ranven-
ously by cattle in the spring. During the fall
these leaves drop off and dry up and the cat
tie eat them in the winter, tho they make
very poor feed.