El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-04-28
LITTLE
INTERVIEWS

] Is threatened by the trouble
| with Mexico If it should be lasting"
said H. L. Potter. the confectioner.
I I'VE get practically oil our chicle for
/ the manufacture Of gum from Mexico.
| about six-seventEs of our supply. ac-
! cording to a United States bulletin,
and trouble win Mexico will undoubt-
/ edly cut this off. ParentheticaIIy,
have often wondered why El Paso
could not get a chewing gum factory
when peace is restored in Mexico. We
are nearer to Mexico than any Of the
cities in which the big 1acories are
located.
The latest statistics published by
the department Of commerce show
that during the calendar year 1913
the United states imported 13.401.316
| pounds Of chicle, valued at S5,119,5GO.
According TO the pamphlet on Mexico
recently issued by the Pan-American
Union, the word 'chicle is OF Aztec
origin, and is the name given to the
sap OF the sapOte tree, botanically
known the SapOto ZapOtiua- 1t is
this sap which is the basis of practic-
ally all the chewing gum used in the
The Aztecs of Mexico were the first
gum cheWers known on this, or for
that matter any other continent. The
followers of COrteZ reporued that the
and relieve exhaustion They obtained
It from the sapOte tree By tapping,
and today the manner Of gathering
the sap is in close analogy TO the
process OF gathering maple sugar in
l New England
The sapote tree is usually found in
groups, frequently grows to a height
or 40 to so feet, is generally very
straight. and has a long, clear length
which makes il most desirable for tim
4 Der The wood is Of a reddish ma
hogany color, and is in demand ~
cabinetmakers, who employ It in the
manufacture OF high grade furniture
and household fittings.
Throughout the rainy season. while
the sap is up. the tapping is done by
the 'chicleros' whose only implements
are machete and @ piece Of rope The
rope is fastened about the waist and
slipped around a tree. leaving the
chicleros hands free TO make the
shaped incisiOns spirally all around
the tree. The sap runs along the in
cisiOns and is collected in cups at the
4 base. II looks like milk at first but
soon turns TO a yellowish color and
then thickens II is collected and
boiled in a rather primitive manner
in large kettles. and when IL has
reached the proper consistency, IL is
kneaded and the surplus moisture
taken out II is then nodded into large
loaves and is ready for shipment
When it reaches the factories in
the United States it is mixed and
Quired consistency and flayOring eN-
tracts such as vanilla. peppermint or
wintergreen are added. with the re-
CURED amount OF sugar. II is then
whipped into a dough and removed to
tables and kneaded in powdered sugar,
rolled into sheets, cut to desired sizes,
wrapped by machines in attractive
paper, packed into fancy boxes and
is then the chewing gum Of commerce.
1t is estimated that 30O.0o0.000 pack
ages OF gum are sold annually IN the
United States"
Castles in feudal times were no
better protected by their meats than
Is FL Paso from attack" said an Amer
lean army officer. The irrigation canal
which runs along the southern Dor
der of the city. with its barbed wire
fences. its high earthen embankments
and its deep channel would make per
feet entertainments for fighting In
addition to the acequias the river bed
itself would offer an excellent Skin
mish line protection with its 1aggetlug
and riprapping- The mesa makes
ideal placements for artillery and the
concrete buildings could be used for
mounting machine guns TO sweep the
streets and bridge approaches
Cattle business presents a mighty
good outlook in the Van Horn dis
trict just now" said J. B. Bean. Of Van
Horn The cattle have wintered well
and are in good spring condition
There is plenty OF grass in the cOun-
try around Van Horn, and every IN
dicatiOn that IL viii continue. so there
would seem to be mighty good spring
feeding for the cattle Of that section
The cOwmen are all wearing a smile
Of content
'El Paso is not the only city where
extras are being issued said Jack
NoOnan. who is here from New York
4 was in New York when the Benton
case startled the country and extras
were issued from. the big New York
newspaper plants as fast as any de-
velopments We're received The boys
were selling extras on the streets as
rapidly as they were printed ana peo- :
PIE were calling from the upper stor- I
les Of the hotels for them. There was
as much interest there in the devel- (
opments as there was in FL Paso.'
There is no doubt that the Mexican
arrested Saturday night was Jesus |
san Martin" said Tod McClammy. Il |
have seen the man in Mexico and I ]
know him. He answers all the de-
scriptiOns Of the man and ] should /
know him for he tried TO break down I
a door TO get to me / am glad they /
have arrested him for he was q dan /
gerOus man to be at liberty He viii /
be in the best place when he is put ]
in the bullpen at the post"
Congressman W. r. Smith viii be /
to Washington at the next !
here from Snyder. Texas. Mr.. Wilmeth, (
by ". T. Malone, Of Van 4
Horn. has completed a trip through ]
the congressional district and reports 4
that the sentiment in favor OF Mr.. 1
Smith is strong.
IN smith viii be opposed by judge /
". L. Blanton," said Mr. Wilmeth /
The judge has already started his /
and Mr.. Smith viii open his
when congress adjourns- Mr.. Smith I
has a record Of hard work for IA years j
behind him, and I have found that the 4
voters appreciate the work that he had I
done and realize that only by reuurn-
ing him can the big projects now I
under way be carried to a successful Z
One Of the largest OF these
Is the irrigation bin, which has put
this section on the map Rnd prevented
Colorado from Selling all OF our water
rights. The catuemen have much 10
thank Mr. Smith for and in my opinion
ais constituents viii return him to con-
yress with a big majority"
Mr.. Wilmeth was formerly in the |
state legislature and introduced the I
irrigation bill there that was sponsored Z
n Washington by congressman Smith. /
Everything in Parral is at a stand
still and The Parral Light and Power