Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-06-04
POSSIBILITIES
FOR RUBBER
Plant From Which Valuable Sub
stitute Discovered By B. +.
Spencer will Be Ex.
tracted
.MANUFAC TORY
AT SAL IDA
Happy Accident Enables Las VI
gas Man to Prove Public Ben
efactor and incidentally
Make Money


VIII rubber become an importan
product of New Mexico? B. Il. Spen
Ger Is firm believer that Ii Will AMI
nc gives very good reasons for I'LL
belief,
Ono day, carly IN September, 1909
b 4. Spencer was doing some assess
ment work on "a mining claim Iii these
parts when accidentally he upset Iii
vessel Of drinking water. The dis
lance to the tream where he pro
cured water was considerable and he
did not wish to SO down and bacl,
again before completing his after,
Moons work, hence he looked about
for the shrub known as Oregon grape
root which allays thirst Ii chewed
Not ainding any Or this at hand be
plucked q small plant growing plenti
fully around and began To chew IL.
Quickly he observed that substance
OF peculiar character was forming as
result Of the rnastication Of this
root. Examination showed It to be
one or rubner.lilse consistency and al.
asticity. More Of the shrub was treat.
cd similarly BY chewing until ball
as large as All orange was gathered
-.ssat afternoon Mr.. Spencer felt sure
that he had made d discovery as i'm;
portant as that Of d guld mine.
Shortly afterward Mir. Spencer went
70 Denver taking with him thirty
pounds Of the peculiar shrub ana the
ball 81 elastic substance which he had
extracted from It,
There he exhibited both 10 Charles
Fuller, d wen known chemist, since
deceased. and = Ills son, G. M. Fuller
and q Henry Y. Wood, ali expert ann.
3ytic chemist. These people made tho
most thorough and complete tests of
me new Innterial III every way and
became satisfied thai II possessed tile
characterIsties " rubber in all re.
speets and that y a applicable ID use
in manufactures Of all eofta aa fl The
rubber Of The tropical tiee.
50 great II The confidence Of the
persons who have treated this new
product Ii iis saluable qualities, thsi
they with 4 few others, have form.
.ed company capitalized ii sl,0Do.v0a
III enter a once into lts development
and manufacture. The head Of this
company Is John Beck, said 10 be Il
millionaire mine owner and railroad
owner % Salt Lake City, Utah AL.
ready they have d building erected at
salida, Colorado, and machinery In
place for the treatment of The plant.
They will proceed further % put up
works for the Manufacture Of articles
Iof many kinds from the substance
produced which may Us well be desIg-
mated rubber for such Il Ii claimed
~ be chemically and practically,
What Is The Plant and Where Found7
are questions naturally asked first
concerning this discovery which prom
Eises 50 much II all be true that n
claimed BY the interested parties
rabbit Weed il supposed to be lhe
common name 81 the plant, But Mr.
spencer in talking with The
Optic representative would
not give its name Or describe Its ap-
pearsnce Or habit IN any way SO that
ii might be identified.
Mr.. Spencer would say that tho
shrub grows rrofnsely IN certain local
fttos mol far from Las Vegas aud eiaos
where III New Mexico and in Colorado.
10 has network of spreading roots
and reaches d height of about eighteen
lnsiles roth root ami shrub produce
5tla rubhcrlElse substance II lhc am
olnt 81 ab0ut 26 pqf cent III weight
Experiments made Iii M Spencer
iuFing two years past ahnw that the
plant can be cultivated successfully.
1n i plat 81 ground near salida seed
sown year ago has produced a growth
j roots six inches long and more.
9u i piece 81 railroad grade where
ill., roofs have md Il three yaark