The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-03-11

porfant material in the cleo
tricaI industry. II II used
extensiv ely an m insuiat.
ing material. being one OF the best
insulators OF electricity in the world.
Nearly all the wires that carry cleo
tricaI current are protected with rub
Der insulation. Rubber prevents the
electricity escaping throagh coasact
Of the wire vtth other conductors. IL
prevents accidents. fires. and keeps
the electrical apparatus from burn.
ing out and destroying Itself. BESIDES
being used for Insulating wires and
cables ut the plants of the General
Electrical Company. rubber IN USED TIA
the manufacture of motors. switches.
generators. aud nearly all electrical
machines.
The story of rubber liz the story OF
the conquest Of the tropical ~iargses.
the fights against alse ase. poisonous
reptiles and insects. man eating AMI
mails. hunger and thirst and the dan.
ger OF being lost forever.
Civilization tIrst heard Of rubber In
iierrera's of the second voy-
age of Columbus in nh. year issa.
where he speaks of elastic balls made
by the natives from the gum Of q tree.
The FIRST authentic account OF its
practical use Was recorded In l-ss
by the leader of a FRENCH government
expedition returning from South
America. Who reported that the ma.
tives secured from the juice OF a tree
certain gum which was very elastic.
impervtons TO water and used In max
ing bottles. shoes and squirt guns.
Thirty years later IL was introduced
To when an f.ngIishnaan
brought from Assam. India. q soft.
spongy substance which would erase
lead pencil marks ard which after
wards became known an India rubber
Many primitive uses were found
for this wonderful gum. but owing to
Its susceptibility to changes oil sen1-
perature. which rendered IL sticky and
more or less fluid. rubber did O come
into its o~n until early in the last
century. At that time liz was dlscov.
cred. after q great deal OF expert.
nient. that by mixing sulphur with
crude rubber and sabiecting IL 10 q
high degree OF heat. these for me de-
h~eiencies were eliminated n q mate
rial was produced which wax both
tough and elastic. and would retain
those properties under varying tenn
peratures. This process OF curing VAS
called INFLAMMATION and In the basis
of rubber making today.
So great has been the development
OF rubber manufacture since the time
tina, IT'S products now exceed u value
of $500. 900. 600 annually.
Contrary TO the popular impression.
rubber gum is not derived from the
sap. IL Il secured FROM 4 milky Juice
or latex which In found only in the
bark This latex contains q substance
known as caouichouc 1.-THE active prin-
cipie OF rubber. together With Ger.
tain albuminoids. resins. etc. which
upon the evaporation of moisture
coagulate. forming . thick. sponxy
substance. The percentage Of caout-
chouc, In proportion to other inxredi. |
sA III XIV tAIEf. deter \
mines h quality OF the rubber.
The regions from which rubber
gum Is secured form an irregular belt
In the tropics and sub-tropics extend
Ing around the earth. the quality prD-
cured varying greatly according TO the |
species Of plant. the soil and the eli |
mate. Great quantities are produced
In Africa. Mexico. Ceyion and the
Malay islands. but the most desirable
rubber Of resiliency and wear resist
Ii secured from 4 tree found In
the Amazon river district. South
This rubber In known M
the name being derived from its
chief city OF export. II not only con.
as high as So per cent. or caous-
.honc. but the methods used by the
In preparing II for market are
20 much superior that II il selected
IL preference to all others for mann
featuring purposes.
rubber gathering Ia the Amazon
district Is a hazardous and I'm
cult undertaking. The supply comes
rom wild trees scattered throughout
forests. to which paths must be
tut through the tangled and luxuriant
indergrowth. Even then the trees can
'nly be reached during three 81 Ava \
months OF the year, as throughout thu
vet season the forests are cOmpIetolv
inundated. The climate Is u IN.
s--HAA- - "a