The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-10
CONQUEST OF RUBBER
IN THE SOUTH
PREVENTS AccIDENTS-KEEPS
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
FROM BURNING OUT

Next to copper and iron, rubber '
the most important material in III,
electrical industry. 1t Is used exten
sively as an insulating material, beiat
one OF the best insulatorS OF electric
II ity in the world. Nearly ail the wire,
THAT carry electrical current are pro
Btected with rubber insulation. Rub
Der prevents the electricity escaping
through contact Of the wire with other
conductors, il prevents accidents, fires
and keeps the electrical apparatus
from burning out and destroying il.
self Besides being used for insula.
ting wires and cables at the plants ci
the General Electric Company rubber
| is used in the manufacture OF motors,
switches, generators and nearly all
electrical machines,
The story Of rubber is the story Of
the conquest Of the tropical jungles;
the fights against diease, poisonous
reptiles and insects, man eating AMI
mails, hunger and thirst and the dang.
er Of being lost forever.
Civilization first heard of rubber IN
Herrera's account Of the second vow
age Of Columbus in the year 1898.
where he speaks Of elastic balls made
by the natives from the gum of tree,
The FIRST authentic account of its
practical use was recorded in l74s hy
the leader OF French governmental
expedition returning from South
America who reported that the natives
secured from the juice Of tree Ger.
tain gum which was very elastic, inn
pervious to water and used in making
bottles, shoes and squirt guns.
Thirty years later ii was introduced
to commerce when an Englishman
brought from Assam. India. soft
spongy substance which would erase
lead pencil marks and which after,
wards became known as India rubber
Many primitive uses were found for
this wonderful gum, but owing to its
susceptibility to changes of tempera-
ture, which rendered il sticky and
more or less fluid, rubber did not
come into its own until early in the
last century. AT that time it was dis,
covered. after a great deal of expert
ment, that by mixing sulphur with
crude rubber and subjecting it to a
high degree OF heat, these former de-
fciencies were eliminated and a ma
terial was produced which was both
tough and elastic, and would retain
those properties under varying TEN.
peratures. This process of curing was
called vulcanization and is the basis
Of rubber making today.
So great has been the development
Of rubber manufacture since that time
that its products now exceed a value .
Of FIVE hundred million dollars annu- /
ally. |
Contrary to the popular impression
'ubber gum is not derived from the
zap. 1t is secured from the milky
uice or latex which is found only in
he bark This latex contains a sub
itance known as caotchouc (the act
We principle Of rubber, together with
certain albuminoids, resins, etc, which
ipon the evaporation of moisture
:oagulate, forming thick, spongy
The percentage Of caout-
:houc, in proportion to other ingred-
ents contained in the latex deter
mines the quality Of the rubber
The region from which rubber gum
secured form an irregular belt in
he tropic and sub-tropics extending
round the earth, the quality procured
'arying greatly according to the spec.
es Of plant, the soil and the climate.
1reat quantities are produced in Al
lea, Mexico, Ceylon and the Malay
Stands, but the most desirable rub.
er for resiliency and wear resistance
) secured from tree found in the
Amazon River district, South Ameri-
a. This rubber is known as Para,
he name being derived from its chief
ity Of export 1t not only contains {
s high as 95 per cent. Of caoutchouc,
ut the methods used by the natives !
preparing it for market are so much
lperior that it is selected in prefer. !
he Danish princess whose smile won c
Ie heart Of England deserves sun