The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-10-25

family in clearing and secures
fair degree of comfort.
The latex of the rubber tree is a
viscid liquid, composed Of water and
an elastic substance known as caout-
chouc. This is secured by making
longitudinal incisions near the base of
the tree and extending upward for
several feet, what is called the herring
bone system of tapping being most in
favor. Small cups, attached to the
tree trunk by clay plasters, catch the
flow. Each tree yields about half a
pint of latex in four days and about
ten pounds in a season.
The rubber gatherer makes the
round of his trees daily, in the fore
noon. bringing back supply of latex
to his hut. The production of rubber
from this occupies him during the bal
ance of the day. The process of CO
agulation is simple and the yield Is
about 80 per cent. of the latex- The
latter is poured as evenly as possible
over the fattened end of a paddle
about three feet long. This is slowly
turned in the smoke of wood fire in
which oil nuts are burned. When the
first layer of latex has sufi GENTLY stiff
until the paddle holds enough to make
a certain sized ball or biscuit" The
biscuit" or f1attened form of unit, is
now generally preferred because it is
more easily handled and more readily
lends itself to the detection of impuri-
ties. These are present to greater
or less degree in all wild rubber. For
merly the gatherers who were paid by
weight Of turnout, deliberately doc
tored the rubber balls by mixing sand
with the material, and sometimes by
placing stones in it. These practices
have, however, been practically elimi-
mated from the business in recent
years.
Inhabitants Semi-Savage.
The rubber collected srom the gath
erers il assembled at the various sta
tons in the forest and thence shipped
to Para. At the port 1t passes into
the hands of the buyers, who subject
it to close examination to determine
quality. Before being offered to the
manufacturer as commercial rubber.
the material is cut up and subjected
to mechanical processes with a view
to extracting all foreign substances
and of reducing the moisture to min
imum. +,ss 5r
Manaos is situated on the bank OF
hn oh
the rivers mouth. 1t Is distinctly a
modern city. although its foundation
dates from the early days Of the mis-
sion fathers. Manaos contains a num-
Der of extremely handsome buildings.
and many fine residences. Its streets
are weH-paved. electrically lighted and
served by an excellent trolley system.
A pleasing popularity of the city is its
intersection in several parts by small
streams which the natives call "iga-
rapes." or canoe paths. and which the
Indian inhabitants commonly turn to
the same account as the Venetians do
their canals.
Manaos is surrounded on all sides
but the river front by primeval forest
inhabited by semi-savage Indians. The
city is the receiving and shipping
point for large. quantities of rubber,
and although 1t exports other products
its prosperity is due to and dependent
upon the rubber trade. About 2,00e
river steamers and small vessels call
at the port every day, in addition to
about 200 ocean-going ships. Ten
years ago the city could offer nothing
better than river anchorage to ship
ping. 1t now has ample warehouses, a
stone quay and floating wharves and
bridges. These last are necessitated
by the great fluctuations In the river
level, the extreme range of which Is
SO feet