New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-12
NEW SOURCE OF RUBBER.
Colorado Supply Has Discovered
Through Goats Indigestion.


Washington, March 1l-American rubber
grown uDon the arid lands Of the West and
manufactured by the original Americans. the
Red Men. Is the dream OF Representative Brooks,
Of Colorado. Mr.. Brooks has introduced & bill IN
the House granting 10 the P. F. Z. Rubber Com
pauy the use OF certain arid lands IN La Plata
County. Col. for the exploitation Of e new
found rubber plant. II the bill is passed the Sec
Rotary OF the Interior will TX a rental value on
such land as shall be used by the rubber making
concern. The money derived from the rent OF
the desert is 20 go 70 the Southern Ute Indians
within whose reservation the county named Is
located. and the measure further stipulates the
company shall. whenever possible. employ the
Indians In the rubber factory
within the last two years. recites the
Brooks bill. 1T has been discovered that hith-
erto worthless weed growing IN the higher alti-
tudes Of the Rocky Mountain States may. with
proper treatment, yield a rubber gum OF good
quality. The P. F. L. Rubber Company has
erected factory at Durango for treating the
weed and extracting the gun and has. after
exhaustive search extending over several states
end territories. determined that the plant has
reached its highest development as far as the
percentage and quality OF its gum is concerned
in the specimens found on the desert tract in La
Plata County" That's why the company wants
70 get hold of this particular spot on the Colo
RADIO desert, and. as It looks like good PROPOSE
ton for the Indians. with no chance for them
TO lose. the Committee on Public Lands. to whom
the bill has been referred. will probably be in
clined TO o. K the scheme
While the finding OF real rubber on North
American soil is an interesting event, 1t is not
near as interesting as the story Of how the "hnd"
was made in the first place. According to Rep
resentativs Brooks. a fine Angora goat was the
20 science and progress gave up her life for the
new industry. For years and years IN fact ever
since the first palefaces pushed their prairie
schooners over the alkan wastes. the rabbit
weed" OF Picradenia fOribunda, was known to
the settlers and cordially detested by them.
Like the sage bush and the greasewood, the rab-
bit weed apparently had no reason for existing,
unless 1t were TO prove that some vegetation
could grow in the bitter soil The prairie dogs,
the buffalo and other animals inhabiting the
desert lands refused to eat the rabbit weed. If
the heet-foOted jack rabbits themselves ate IL
they only did so as a last resort. and the early
settlers and their followers in the march OF civil
iiZation gave it 40 heed except now and then TO
invent more or less opprObious epithets for It's
nerve" in growing where nothing else could live
and being absolutely worthless after all.
One day gentleman farmer near Durango
imported lot Of fine Angora goats. He had
read up on the Agricultural Department bulle-
tins and was anxious TO turn his modest compe-
tence into a great fortune by exploiting the
famous hair Of the aristocratic goats. All went
well with the goats until one OF them, more
curious or perhaps more hungry than her COM
panions, concluded to sample the rabbit weed.
Finding the flavor much more to her liking
than tin cans or sage bush. she made generous
meal Of the plant. and soon afterward bleated
her last The owner had autopsy performed,
and much to his establishment found that his
valuable goat had apparently been dining on
rubber balls. elastic bands. pencil erasers and
hot water bottles. Closer investigation revealed
a fine collection Of rubber in various stages Of
digestion within the interior of the deceased
Angora, and a little Sherlock Holmes work
the part OF the goat raiser developed the fact
that the rabbit weed to blame From this
discovery was evolved the plan of using the rub
Der weed for commercial exploitation It Is said
that the Angora goats Of Colorado altogether
too wise TO eat rabbit weed nowadays. The
news Of the fate Of their unfortunate ancestor
As believed to have been assiTniated by the herds
in some mysterious but intelligent manner, and
now they prefer starvation to meal of golf
balls and porous plasters.