The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-12-16
MAKING CORKS
FROM GUM ROOT
Unique Industry Established at
BeIhaven Making Much
of Waste

1t has been known for years that the
root of the common gum tree grown
in the swamps of Eastern North Caro-
lima is lighter than cork and many years
ago when people spun their own cotton
and wool into yarn and made their own
yarn into homespuns, the fishermen of
Eastern North Carolina made the floats
for their seines and gill nets from the
roots of the gum. But it has remained
for an enterprising youngster to revive
the use of gum root as substitute for
cork and build up an industry to con-
vert this waste product of our swamps
into an article of worldwide commerce
Two or three<years ago G. B. Worme.
then a salesman for the Linen Thread
Co.. of New York City, discovered the
similarity of gum root to cork and found
that thousands of tons of this valuable
commodity were being wasted right
here in North Eastern North Carolina.
Down in the Belhaven country great
dredges were digging out vast quantities
of gum root in the drainage canals be-
ing constructed in that territory. The
roots encumbered the drainage canals
and men were paid to drag the roots out
of the canals and destroy, them.
Mr. Worme began to experiment with
the manufacture of fishing net floats
from gum root found on the drainage
canals around Belhayen and to-day, IN
stead of the reclamation folk having to
Day some one to get the gum root out
of their way, Mr.. Worme is paying men
to bring him the roots. In fact, they
are not digging canals enough to pro-
vide gum root as fast as Mr.. Worme
can turn it into corks and floats and he
has had to contract for many acres OF
gum from which to get roots. Begin
ming in a modest way two years ago
the U. S. Buoy Corp, of which G. 3
Worme is president, has built up 6
promising industry at Belhaven, N. C..
an industry which is destined to grow
to considerable proportions as the work
supply of cork continues to diminish ano
the value of the substitute for cork is
established.
Mr.. Worme is enthusiastic over his
Belhaven enterprise. There is an abun'
dance of gum root available in North
eastern North Carolina and a world
wide market for cork substitute. Fish
ermen in this country alone use twenty
five to thirty million cork floats annual
ly. One manufacturer of painted f1oat
for hook and line fishermen uses fiv'
million pieces of material annually. Th'
gum root is. lighter than cork. 1t ism
subject to checking and splitting a
cork is and it hasn't the porousness o
cork. 1t is lighter and easier to worl
on a lathe than Balsam wood and NOR
ipermanent. When treated with pc
culiar waterproofing compound, the for
mula of the U. S. Buoy Corp, it is alb
solutely impervious to water and deca
is permanently arrested.
The U. S. Buoy Corp. is at presen
confining its operations to the manufac
ture of fishing floats. 1t expects to ge
into the manufacture of life preserver
and insulating material. 1t also see
vast possibilities in the manufacture
of the tiny disks of cork used in lnsu
lating the common bottle caps. Billion
of these caps are used annually an
thrown away, and every cap has to haV
tits precious inlay of cork.