Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-07-29
perlls lhat EnvIron the camphor Indu.lry.


a dispatch from Toxic says that
camphor refinery at Clan, in the
island of Formosa, was attacked re-
Gently by l50 Of the wild natives,
who killed the Japanese workmen
and the policemen who were guard
ing them. IL was but small es-
tablishment aud the victims num-
bored only eleven persons, but, the
tragedy illustrates the perils of the
oampbor industry in this island. !
Few industries of tho world are
carried on under conditions so diff
cult and dangerous as camphor col
lecting and refining in Formosa.
There is great deal more tragedy
than romance about it and camphor
lis obtained only by Drawing these
dangers, for nearly all the worlds
supply comes from Formosa.
Japan and China together pro-
duce only about 100000 pounds a
year, but the annual yield of For
mosa is from 100000 to 100000
pounds. Formosa controls the cam
phor markets of the world and will
probably always be the great source
of this valuable gum. The world
has to pay more for camphor than it
did few years ago and one reason,
is the danger and difficulty of col
lecting it.
The tree.clad mountains of the
east part of the island contain the
largest camphor forests in the world.
They are also the home of savage
tribes that have never been subdued.
Nearly half of Formosa is still
occupied by these murderous men of
the forests, whose weapons are
turned against all strangers. Thus
the forests present very different
conditions from the peaceful plains
to the west, inhabited largely by
Chinese rice growers.
The men who collect the camphor
have to work among these treacher-
GUS natives. The camphor camps
are scattered for 140 miles north and
south. The workmen themselves
are well armed, but the natives do
not hesitate to attack them unless
they are in considerable numbers or
are strongly guarded by Japanese
police.
There is glory for the natives in
killing these intruders in their for
ests, and, furthermore, the camp
equipment and the food supplies are
the legitimate spoils of war. At
last accounts the japanese govern
ment had force of 1900 policemen
and soldiers guarding the camphor
camps and escorting the parties that
carry the gum out of the forests.
But in spite of all precautions, con-
flicts are of frequent occurrence.
Campaigning among these noun
tains, covered with tropical Jungle, is
almost impossible, and this is the rea-
son why the japanese government
has not attempted to end the con-
fiict by sending a large force against
the natives. If the government
should attempt to do so the natives
could not be found. Only they can
move with celebrity among their
mountains and they could easily
elude and battle all pursuers.
Of course the government adds
the cost of the protection it affords
to the price of the commodity, and
this is one reason why camphor is
held at high price. Another rea-
son is that the japanese have made
camphor government monopoly
and it turns large profit into the
national treasury.
1t is not difficult to obtain a per-
nit to collect camphor, but not
pound can be sold except to the gov
ernment, which fixes the price to be
paid for it. The government also
endeavors to keep the market price
at good round figure by limiting
the amount to be sent to the markets
and it will not buy pound in excess
of this limit.
But while the world has to pay for
the camphor monopoly, the Japa-
nese government is entitled to credit
for its efforts to maintain the indus
try and preserve the source of sup
ply. While the Chinese were still
masters of Formosa the camphor
forests were gradually growing
smaller, because the tree is killed to
collect the gum and nothing was
done to make good. the timber de-
stroyed.
The Japanese, on the other hand,
require that a tree shall be planted
for every one that is DESTROYED and
the government is also establishing
plantations of camphor trees, so that
Formosa is expected, in the near
future, to yield large quantities of
cultivated camphor as well as the
y y