Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1909-04-30
THE ROMANCE OF RUBBER

Next to copper and iron, rubber is
the most Important material in the
electrical industry. 1t is used extern
sively as an insulating material, be
ing one OF the best insulators Of cleo
tricity in the world. Nearly all the
wires that carry electrical current are
protected with rubber insulation. Rup-
Der prevents the electricity escaping
through contact of the wire with other
conductors, it prevents accidents, fres,
and keeps the electrical apparatus from
burning out and destroying itself. Be
sides being used for insulating wires
n cables at the plants Of the Cen
eral Electric company rubber is used
IN the manufacture of motors, sW1tch-
es, generators, and nearly all electrical
machines.
The story Of rubber is the story Of
the conquest of the tropical jungles;
the fights against disease, poisonous
reptiles and insects. man eating ami
mails, hunger and thirst and the danger
of being lost forever.
Civilization first heard of rubber in
Herrera's account of the second voy-
age of Columbus in the year 1893,
where he speaks of elastic balls made
by the natives from the gum OF a
tree.
The first authentic account Of its
practical use was recorded in l14o by
the leader of a French governmental
expedition returning from South
America who reported that the natives
secured from the juice of a tree a GER
tain UNI which was very elastic, inn
pervious to water and used in making
bottles, shoes and squirt guns.
Thirty years later it was introduced
to commerce when an EngllshTlan
brought from Assam, India, a soft
spongy substance which would erase
lead pencil marks and which after
wards became known as India ruboer.
Many primitive uses were found for
this wonderful gum, but owing to it's
susceptibility to changes of tempera-
ture, which rendered it sticky and more
or less fluid. rubber did not come into
it's own until early in the last century.
At that time it was discovered, a1ter
a great deal Of experiment, that by
mixing sulphur with crude rubber and
subjecting it to a high degree Of heat
these former deficiencies were elim1-
mated and a material was produced
which was both tough and elastic, and
would retain those properties under
varying temperatures. 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 evceed a value
of $500, 900, 1000 annually.
Contrary to the popular impression
rubber gum is not derived from the
sap. 1t is secured from a milky Juice
or latex which is found only in the
bark. This latex contains a substance
known as ]caoutchouc (the active prin-
ciple Of rubber), together with certain
albuminoids, resins, ETC., which upon
the evaporation Of moisture coagulate.
forming a thick, spongy substance.
ILL., @~o>,,%1cr o nf n N11fohnII0 in nrn-
portion to other ingredients contained
in the latex, determines the quality OF
the rubber.
The regions from which rubber gum
is secured form an irregular belt In the
tropics and subtropics extending
around the earth, the quality procured
varying greatly according to the spe-
cies Of plant, the soil and the climate
Great quantities are produced in
islands, but the most desirable rubber
for resiliency and wear resistance is
secured from a tree found In the ANA
zon river district, South America. This
rubber is known as Para, the name be-
ing derived from it's chief city Of ex-
port. 1t not only contains as high as
IS per cent Of caoutchouc, but the
methods used by the natives in pre-
pairing it for market are so much SUI
perior that it is selected in preference
to all others for manufacturing pur-
Rubber gathering in the Amazon
River district is a hazardous
asd difficult undertaking. The
supply comes from wild trees
csts, to which paths must be cut
through the tangled and %luxuriant I'M
dergrowth. Even then, the trees can
only be reached during three to five
months of the year, as throughout n
wet season the forests are completely
inundated. The climate is SO unhealthy
that white men cannot do this work
and it is necessary to rely upon the
native blacks, who at best are unde-
pendable and lazy. Their reluctance to
Join rubber gathering expeditions can
readily be understood when it is re-
membered that out of a seasons ex-
perhaps only half will return
alive.
When a rubber tree is found the nat
gatherer cuts a series OF gashes
the bark with his machete, enclrc-
ling the tree from the ground up, as
high as he can reach. Cups are fas-
to catch the latex as it oozes out.
When a sufficient quantity is collected
it is removed to the temporary hut
a dense smoke-producing fire is
made Of certain nuts and palm leaves.
Then taxing his WOODEN pduule lne ma
tive dips it into the latex and holds it
over the fire, turning it round and
until the latex coagulates. AS
soon as it is hard a new layer Of
latex is added and ~coagulated as be-
fore. This process is continued until
the mass has grown too large for han
ding, when the paddle is taken out
and the rubber set aside for export.
The process Of coagulation and fumi-
cation with these specially selected
and leaves prevents decay and
adds to the life and wear resistance OF
the manufactured product.
Tapping the trees for rubber does
necessarily destroy them, no. is it
believed to materially shorten their
but unfortunately many thou
sands of trees are annually rendered
by careless and improper meth
DDS. Although the source Of crude rub
Der gum is practically inexhaustible,
he limited native labor supply and the
encountered up to the time
Of marketing 1t have tended to keep
down the supply and maintain a high
standard Of prices.
How Russell Sage Made Money.
In a long experience with Wall street
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