The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26

How many people in the United States chew gum? No accurate govern ment statistics being available, con servative estimate.may place the num- Der at 1o.OOO.o00, dividing them into two classes, the inveterate or habltual chewers and the occasional chewers, says a Washington special to the St. Louis Globe Democrat. Under the lat ter class may be placed school children, who are not permitted to chew during study hours.
 According to the census of 1910, there were in the United States 27.75o,599 persons between the ages of and 20
 years in the AS states and the District of Columbia. Of this number 17,200,204 attended school. at least occasionally, and may be classed as potentially oc- casional chewers. leaving a balance of 10, ,450,Ss5 as potentially inveterate chewers of gum. all under the age of 20 years Of course. all these may not have been gum chewers; equally, of course, inveterate gum chewers can- not be confined to persons under the age of 20 years. These figures may be taken, however, to show that the estimate of 1O.OO0.OO0 chewers is very conservative.
 The latest statistics published by the department of commerce show that
 during the calendar year 1913 the Uni ted States imported 13.401,3 ,316 poinds of
 chicle, valued at $5,119,500. Now the
 word "chicle" to most people in this
 country might be Greek, but it isn't. | Aoonr6ipo tn nh lot Tn
 Mexico, recently issued by the Pan-
 American union at Washington, D. C.,
 the word "chicle" Is of Aztec origin
 and is the name given to the sap of I tho sapote tree. botanically known as
 the sapota zapotilla. It is this sap
 which is the basis of practically all
 the chewing gum used in the United
 States.
 The Aztecs in Mexico are said to have been the first gum chewers known on
 this. or for that matter. any other, con- | tinent. The followers of Cortez report ed that the Indians chewed a gum to qucnch thirst and relieve exhaustion They obtained it from the sapote tree by tapping and today the manner oi gathering the sap is in close analogy to the process of gathering maple sugar in New England. The tree is in dieenous in the northern countries o1 South America, Central America and especially in Mexico, the last named furnishing about six-sevenths of the entire supply consumed annually in the United States.
 The sapote tree Is usually found ir groups, frequently grows to height O. 40 to 50 feet, is generally very straight
 and has long, clear length which makes
 1t most desirable for timber. The woot Is of reddish mahogany color i: quite hard. heavy, compact in texture and fine grained. Door frames and sills of this remarkable wood have been un earthed in the prehistoric ruins of Ux. nal and found to be in an exce1len state of preservation. The wood is il demand by cabinet makers, who emplo, it in the manufacture of high grad, furniture and household fittings The fruit. the sapodilla pear, wa. once very popular in Latin-Americs markets, but the constant demand fol the gum and the constant tapping s, reduced the size and quantity of tn, fruit that it has become almost a neg ligihle product
 Throughout the rainy season, whil, the sap is up, the tapping is done b. the "chicleros" whose only Implement are a machete and piece of rope Tn rope is fastened about the waist an, slipped around the tree, leaving tn chiclero's hands free to make the V shaped incisions spirally around tn ltree The sap runs along the incision land is collected in cups at the base.