The Detroit times., 1910-08-23
UNTOLD RICHES IN
RUBBER INDUSTRY
Only About Five Per Cent of World
Product is Cultivated-Profts
Are Enormous.

AiAAhau rSisAtSI y-nra oaay y-TaDDefrlb-l -lnk
scandal OF the world because II
makes the consciences OF twentieth
century men as callous as slave-hold
ing ever did.
The civilized world rose against
Belgian rule In the Kongo because OF
the unspeakable outrages committed
on the blacks OF that country all for
RUBBER.
"A rev years ago an American PRO
moter' with fake rubber plantations
In Mexico swindled tens OF thousands
OF school teachers and others out OF
millions OF dollars.
What is rubber?
Rubber Is obtained from the milky
juice OF the rubber tree. Ii Is not the
true sap, but secretion which Is not
essential 10 the life of the plant. Cuts
OF such depth that the wood Is un-
touched are made In the bark. and
through these wounds the milk
fiows into cups placed TO receive II.
The natives coagulate this milk
In various ways, sometimes by heat.
ing 1t over an open fire and occa-
sionally by rubbing II over their arms,
chests and legs. A wooden paddle
bladed tool is dipped in the pan OF
liquid, and when drawn out 1t is COW
cred with sticky substance. This
Is held in the smoke until the rubber
Is dry. This process Is continued un-
I'll the blade forms a center OF a ball
OF considerable size.
The annual yield OF one tree Is
from two TO seventeen pounds. The
trees are usually tapped at sunrise,
when the milk" is supposed to run
more freely. The first incisions are
made about six feet from the ground
and each succeeding day incisions are
made lower down until the ground is
reached.
The product OF the rubber tree is
gathered in India, Africa and South
America. Rubber forests OF vast ex-
tent are being constantly discovered
in these countries. especially in the
Kongo. Africa; Bolivia and other
countries in South America. The
largest quantity and best quality OF
rubber is furnished by the province
of Para, Brazil, and all other varieties
OF the article are not to be compared
with It.
Columbus. after his second voyage
to America, speaks Of the inhabitants
OF Haiti amusing themselves with
rubber balls. In 1915, In a book pub
lished in Madrid. the author described
a tree In Mexico which yielded rub
Der, also the method used In collect
ing It and told how II was made into
shoes.
The first shipment Of rubber into
the United States was In 1900. The
manufacture OF rubber began In 1920.
Surgeons and chemists began to use
1t about that time, then Chas. Mcln-
tosh a Scotch chemist, invented the
waterproof coat, which still bears his
name.
In 1852 Boston sea captain i'm
ported 500 pairs of rubber boots made
by the natives Of Brazil, and there
was a great scramble for them, the
captain readily selling them at 80
pair. During the Is years following
this first importation, about a mil
lion pairs were sold.
Charles Goodyear accidentally dis
covered the art OF vulcanizing rub
ber; he developed the process and
placed IL upon a commercial basis. In
electrical appliances rubber Is almost
Indispensable as an insulating ma
terial. which Is another reason Tor the
wonderful growth of the Industry In
the United States Statistics show
that during the last decade OF the
nineteenth century the value or crude
rubber imported into the United
States increased from $1S,020,SO4 In
1891 to $31,555.4S3 in 1900. In the
decade beginning with 1900 the In
crease has even been greater, but no
exact figures are available.
The increase OF the price OF crude
rubber and the manufactured product
has been so great that those com
,anies and individuals that had the
'oresight and nerve to embark In the
industry when prospects were some
What problematical, are now reaping
! profit all the way from $50 to 300
yer cent.
The systematic cultivation OF the
ubber tree Ia now going on in all
,arts of the world where the tree
lourishes, and 1t is matter or sur
rise that only about per cent or
he worlds production Is cultivated. |
)yer 60 per cent Is the wild rubber
rom Brazil. about 20 per cent Is wild
African rubber. and the remaining 10
er cent Of the wild rubber grows In
ther parts of the world.
In January, 1907. fne hard Para
ubber sold in the United States at
1928 a pound; during the panic It
hrink to &C cents. and with the re- |
.ival OF industry following the panic
he price rose TO $1.2S per pound. At
resent SIS, 900 900 could not buy the
ears output OF rubber The total
weight OF the crude rubber as drawn
rom the trees would reach about
8 900 tons, OF which. only 1000 tons
ONES from regularly cultivated plan
ations.
The mania OF speculating In rubber
as reached the point OF madness IN
England. More than 100 companies
yere organized In a short time with
Capitalization OF S27 100000 and
nobs OF men and women were rushing
o the banks, fighting TO pay as mgh
. s35 a share, whose par value was
My IS.
The science of cultivating rubber is
ow I'm the ascendency and much |
tudv Is devoted to the industry.
'oung plants are grown in nurseries
yhich I'm course OF time are planted
ut about $50 to the acre. When the
rees have attained a circumference
2 90 10 "a inches, which may be AT
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