The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-01-27

v rubber Is the most I'M
portant material in the cleo.
triCal industry, II Is used
extensively as an iusulat'
ing material, being one Of the best
insulators Of electricity in the world.
Nearly all the wires that carry cleo
trical current are protected with rub.
Der Insulation Rubber prevents the
electricity escaping through contact
of the wire with other conductors, Il
prevents accidents. fires, and keeps
the electrical apparatus from burn.
ing ont and destroying itself. BESIDES
being used for insulating wires and
cables at the plants of the General
Electrical Company, rubber is used tn
the manufacture OF motors. switches.
generators. and nearly all electrical
machines.
Tho story Of rubber Is the story Of
the conquest Of the tropical junglcs;
the fights against disease, poisonous
reptiles and insects, maneating ami
mails hunger and thirst and the dan.
ger of being lost forever
Civilization first heard Of rubber in
Herrcra'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 tree
The first authentic account of its
practical use was recorded In l745
by the leader of Il 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.
impervious to water and used In max
ing bottles. shoes and squirt guns.
Thirty years later It was introduced
to commerce when an Engllshman
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 tenn
perature. which rendered 1t sticky and
more or less fluid rubber did not come
into its own until early in the last
century. At that time It was discov.
cred, after great deal of expert
ment, that by mixing sulphur with
crude rubber and subiecting II to IL
high degree of heat, these former de
iic'encies were eliminated and II mate.
rial was produced which was both
tough and elastic, and would retain
those properties under varying TEN
peratures This process of curing was
called inflammation and is the basis
OF rubber making today
So great has been the development
OF rubber manufacture since the time
that its products now exceed a value
of s500,O0O,OOO annually
Contrary to the popular impression,
rubber gum Is not derived from the
sap. II is secured from a milky Juice
or lateX which Ia found only In the
bark. This latex contains substance
known as caoutchouC (the active prin.
CIple of rubber, together with GER
tain albuminods, resins, etc, which
coagulate. forming a thick. spongy
substance. The percentage OF caout.
chouc. in proportion to other ingredI.
ents contained in the later, deter.
mines the quality Of the rubber
The regions from which rubber
gum Is secured form an irregular belt
In the tropics and sub.trop.cs extend,
ing around the earth, the quality pro.
cured varying greatly according to the
species of plant, the soil and the eli
mate. Great quantities are produced
In Africa, Mexico, Ceylon and the
Malay islands, but the most desirable
rubber of resiliency and wear resist
ance is secured from a tree found In
the Amazon river district, South
America. This rubber is known as
Para, the name being derived from It's
chief city of export IL not only con
tains as high as % per cent. Of caout
chouc, but the methods used by the
natives in preparing It for market are
in preference to all others for manu-.
featuring purposes
Rubber gathering in the Amazon
river district is hazardous and din
cult undertaking. The supply comes
from wild trees scattered throughout
dense forests, to which paths must be
cut through the tangled and luxuriant
underground. Even then the trees car
only be reached during three to five
months of the year, as throughout the
wet season the forests are completely
Inundated. The climate is SO un
healthy that white men cannot do this
work ard It 10 necessary to rely upon