Evening journal., 1911-05-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Rubber Made a Great
War Governor
By Holland"

One Of the great war Governors fifty
years ago was William A. Buckingham
Of Connecticut. He exerted himself
continually to raise troops in support
Of the Union; he was so earnest in his
efforts 10 uphold the hands of Lincoln
that he became widely known as one Of
the very ablest and most energetic Of
all the war Governors, either north or
south. In September, 1862, he wrote to
President Lincoln: This little State
has already sent into the army, and
has now at the rendezvous, more than
one-half OF her ablebodied men be-
tween the ages Of 1s and As years. and
has more to offer If wanted" william
A. Buckingham was, in deed and in
truth, a great war Governor; and yet,
in all probability, he would never have
had this fame but for rubber.
When Charles Goodyear, who discov-
cred the secret of vulcanizing rubber
thereby giving IL its present CONNER
cial importance, was wrestling with the
problem of overcoming the fatal de-
fects of India rubber In its natural
state, which is brittle in cold weather
and sticky in warm weather, he came
in touch with a rival experimenter,
one Nathaniel Hayward by name, who
had kept a livery stable in Boston.
BY means Of a mixture which Hay
ward sold to Goodyear. the latter was
able, through further experimentation
to discover the yulcanizing process and
open the way for the commercial use
of rubber.
Not long after this Hayward, upon a
visit to Norwich, Conn, met William
A. Buckingham, then a dry goods mer-
chant and manufacturer OF the town.
Said Hayward to Buckingham: al
know how to make rubber shoes so
that they will not melt in hot weather
or crack In cold weather; Goodyear and
have an arrangement which will per-
NIT me to exercise the exclusive right
of making rubber shoes under the vul-
canizing process But have got some
thing else that Goodyear doesn't know
anything about" Here Hayward
took from a pocket strip of rubber
which carried a polish equal to that of
patent leather.) THAT polish on this
rubber is my secret, and 1t is a secret
which will belong to the company that
/ intend to organize for the manufac-
ture of rubber shoes. II you will help
me organize the company, and Sc
cure a good location for the factory. l
can assure you OF great profits"
DO you mean to tell me-" said Mr..
Buckingham, that you can varnish
rubber like that?"
THAT isn't varnish; that's polish.
Hayward replied.
? "Is It waterproof" Mr.. Buckingham
asked
you have got a pump here. haven't
your" Hayward asked. IN put 1t un-
der the pump"
He did so and the water rolled of of
the piece of ruber as though the polish
were oil,
Wont it wear out?" asked Mr..
Buckingham.
Not until the rubber wears out, ?"
was the reply. And / want to tell you.
Mr.. Buckingham" Hayward continued,
when people can put on rubber shoes
with such polish on them they will
be as vain of them as though they had
dancing pumps on"
Mr.. Buckingham thought for a few
minutes. Well" he said, finally. Il
think there will be no difficulty about
organizing your company, and / will
help you"
So It came about that Mr.. Bucking-
ham In due course branched out as a
manufacturer Of rubber shoes which
carried a high polish. His name speed |
lily became prominent al over the State
as a promoter of a new and great in
dustry. and when, in 1858, the politici-
ans picked him out to head the guber-
Material ticket OF that year because
his had become a familiar name, Mr..
buckingham accepted the nomination
feeling that his wealth, gained in rub
ber shoes, would permit him to give
a portion OF his life to service to the
State.
Copyright, 1911, by E J. Edwards. All
rights reserved)