January i, 1907.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



105 



this couin;ction is that certain English cotton goods manu- 

 facturers are planning to invest largely in planting in the 

 United States, as a means of securing cotton at less cost. 



Editor himself, but so many amusing things happi : - ^- 



am pie, our correspondent's criticism) that it is almost im- 

 possible not to sin occasionally. — TiiE Editor.] 



FoRKiGN AUTOMOBILE PAVERS are ringing the cliarges on 

 the failure of " American " tires at the last Vanderbilt Cup 

 race. This is hardly fair to the tire trade at large as one 

 American company alone furnished tires for that race and 

 their success or failure should not he credited to the others 

 who did not participate. 



The work 01* road improvement is being taken up in 

 earnest by the autlioritics of the state of New York, in view 

 of the liberal e.\pendilures sanctioned by popular vote last 

 year, and as a first instalment contracts have been let re- 

 cently for $4,000,000 worth of work. No doubt the growth 

 of automobiling has done much to bring about this desir- 

 able improvement, while the completion of the new roads 

 will doubtless lead to more automobiles being used — a con- 

 dition most encouraging to the rubber tire trade. 



An analysis of the prospectus of the largest Ceylon 

 rubber enterprise yet "floated " in London, involving more 

 than $1,500,000, shows the stated capital to amount to $4.68 

 for each rubber tree reported on the ground, and most of the 

 trees are yet too young to yield rubber. It is true that the 

 large valuation is not placed upon the rubber alone, but 

 takes account of a large acreage yet to be planted, besides 

 which a considerable amount of the capital subscribed will be 

 devoted to new development work. Still, the growing rub- 

 ber is the most important asset, and the compan3' had not 

 enough shares to satisfy all who wanted to invest. 



FROM A FRIEND IN MEXICO. 



THE or 



■RBER INTEREST. 



THE Continental Rubber Co. are reporUd to have closed 

 a deal for the purchase of the Sobras hacienda and ad- 

 jacent property belonging to the Pena brothers, of Torreon, 

 Mexico. The purchase price of the Sobras is given at J.4,- 

 300,000, and the price of the other tracts brings the total up 

 to about $6,500,000 (Mexican). The .sobras property alone 

 embraces 2,000,000 acres, all of which contains Guayule 

 shrubs. The purchase covers also extensive property in 

 livestock. =:^Another report mentions V. Floyd, of Laredo, 

 Texas, having made a contract to supply a rubber company 

 with a large amount of Guayule shrub from a 30.000 acre 

 tract which he owns in northern Mexico- 



The annual report of the Mexican Central railroad, issued 

 on December 8, makes this reference to the progress of the 

 Guayule rubber industry : 



" The manufacture of rubber from the Guayule plant has 

 taken great strides and there are now four factories estab- 

 lished with this object on the line. The business appears to 

 have passed the speculative stage and is now settling into a 

 legitimate industry. It has had a wonderful eifect on the 

 value of so-called desert land properties that a few years 

 ago could be purchased for a tithe of their present price. 

 The increase in the production of ixtle from the lechugilla 

 plant has also assisted in this rise in land values. " 



The Continental Rubber Co. have recently ordered 550,- 

 000 feet of lumber to use in dwellings for the employes of 

 the Guayule works at Torreon . 



OBITUARY. 



To the Editor of The India Rubber World : I wish 

 to suggest that yon give us more practical details of 

 real value to the planter, instead of sketchy though readable 

 abstracts that are of no practical value in the field. Your 

 paper is always entertaining but not instructive enough, be- 

 cause lacking details. To illustrate: The paper on Casiilloa 

 from the Quarterly Journal of the Liverpool Institute of 

 Tropical Research was published in full in the Ceylon paper 

 and was worth more to a planter than a hundred clever sto- 

 ries of the general appearances of plantations. I am aware 

 that details require space, but if you don't give them some 

 other paper, as for instance the Mexican Investor, may in 

 time eat into your constituenc}' down here. Of course, I 

 don't know how valuable this field is to you, so merely ofier 

 this pointer for what it is worth. Yours truly, 



J. mCRliURT FOSTlvK. 

 ■["ula de los Tuxtlas, Vera Cruz. Mexico, November 26, 1906. 



[The gist of the paper on Castilloa mentioned above was 

 published in The India Rubber World [April i and May 

 I, 1906, entitled "Notes on the Castilloa Rubber Tree"] 

 months before it appeared elsewhere. We are delighted 

 that Mr. Foster approves and appreciates that particular 

 article. The matter was later published in the Quarterly 

 Jourfta I of Tropical Research (Liverpool) and in almost every 

 tropical paper. No one bemoans the Editor's temptation to 

 write sketchj' matter and to add semi-humorous comments 

 to articles that should be dull and ponderous more than the 



GEORGE C. SHIRTS, who died in Chicago on November 

 23, was born about 30 j-ears ago at Grand Rapids, 

 Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan and was 

 a member of several of the fraternities there. Five years ago 

 he came east for the Revere Rubber Co. , becoming in time 

 their assistant sales manager. For the past four months he 

 had been in charge of their Chicago store. He was ill one 

 week and died of typhoid fever. The interment was at Grand 

 Rapids. Mr. Shirts is survived by a wife and daughter. 



At a special meeting of the New England Rubber Club on 

 November 30. 1906, the following resolutions were adopted : 



Whf.reaS. Our friend and associate CTCorge C. Shirts has been 

 stricken by death and removed from our midst, we, his fellow 

 members, in recognition of o>ir loss, record the following resolu- 

 tions : 



Resolved. That during his connection with the rubber trade, 

 extending over some five years, and especially during his residence 

 amongst us in New England, his magnetic personality made of 

 every business acquaintance a personal friend, each one of whom 

 now laments liis untimely decease. Genial in association with his 

 business companions; upright and honest in his dealings with 

 men, the trade has lost a valued member. 



Resolved, That we extend to his family, and to his business as-so- 

 ciates, our deep and sincere sympathy. 



Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the records of 

 the Club, and that a copy be sent to his family. 



ARTHUR W. STEDMAN, ) 



GEORGE 1". VVHIT.MORE, i-Comroittee on Resolutions. 



ELSTON E. WADBROOK.J 



