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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July i, 1903. 



CHICAGO-BOLIVIAN RUBBER CO. 



pHE Chicago- Bolivian Rubber Co., incorporated June 18, 

 A 1903, under the laws of Maine, with $1,500,000 capital, 

 has been formed in the interests of the old company of the 

 same name, incorporated under the laws of West Virginia. 

 THE INDIA Rubbek World is informed: "The new company 

 will take over the Bolivian Rubber Estates and the business of 

 the old company. The total capitalization remains the same — 

 $1,500,000— but the common stock is reduced to $1,000,000, and 

 the preferred (7 per cent, cumulative) is increased to $500,000. 

 This has been done to provide additional working capital with 

 which to handle the increasing business of the company, and 

 to promote and further more approved methods of river navi- 

 gation and transportation across the Andes generally." 



The Chicago-Bolivian Rubber Co. began operations by ac- 

 quiring and consolidating several rubber concessions on the 

 Mapiri, Caca, and Beni rivers, in Bolivia, from which the ship- 

 ment of rubber had already been started. This business has 

 been extended by the company. The manager of their estates 

 is George Merritt, who was interested in the development of 

 some of the original concessions. The fiscal offices of the com- 

 pany in South America are at Sorata, Bolivia, located in the 

 mountain pass through which communication is maintained 

 between the rubber estates and Mollendo, on the Pacific coast. 



VIEW OF SORATA, BOLIVIA. 



The illustration herewith presents a view of Sorata — a town 

 with a higher elevation than any other in South America — and 

 it may be added that the building immediately behind the plaza 

 which occupies the center of the picture is occupied by the 

 Chicago-Bolivian Rubber Co. for office purposes and as quar- 

 ters for the office force. The principal office of the company 

 is at No. 170 Summer street, Boston, in charge of Arthur W. 

 Stedman, general manager. 



'•MANJAK" AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR RUBBER. 



THE commercial agent for Canada at Port of Spain, Trini- 

 dad, reports a rapid development in the mining of " Man- 

 jak " on that island. Up to very recently it was believed that 

 manjak was applicable only to the manufacture of high class 

 varnishes, and the demand, like the supply, was limited. Since 

 the discovery of extensive mines of this article in Trinidad, 

 however, and the certainty of a regular and large supply at a 

 moderate price, other uses appear to have been discovered for 

 it and a single order for 5000 tons, to be taken within a year, is 

 reported. This order, it is understood, comes from a firm who 



believe that in manjak there will be found a marketable substi- 

 tute for India-rubber, and who have erected a special plant for 

 its treatment. While not so stated, it is to be inferred that the 

 shipments are to be made to the United States. The agent 

 writes that none of the material as yet has gone to Canada, 

 though he commends it to manufacturers there interested in 

 the production of insulating materials. 



The asphaltum commercially known as manjak has been im- 

 ported into the United States hitherto from Barbadoes. Wil- 

 liam H. Scheel (New York) reports that it is "largely used by 

 manufacturers of varnishes. The goods are sold at from $45 

 to $65 per ton of 2000 pounds, according to quality, and usu- 

 ally come to this market packed in bags or barrels. The supe- 

 rior grade is brilliant and runs pretty free of sand or dirt." 



RUBBER SUGGESTED FOR A BRIDGE FLOOR. 



SOME of the New York newspapers of June 10 contained a 

 statement to the effect that Bridge Commissioner Linden- 

 thai, with the intention of making the new bridge over the 

 East river as noiseless and dry as possible, had ordered " rub- 

 ber dust " to be placed under the creoresinate wooden paving 

 blocks that are to constitute the roadway. As this plan would 

 be a radical innovation in bridge building, an India Rubber 

 World representative called upon the bridge commissioner 

 for further information. Mr. Lindenthal pronounced the re- 

 port erroneous, and declared that he had not thought of such 

 a thing. He had seen the statement, but averred that there 

 was nothing in it. 



The idea of a rubber pavement or roadway, is not new, by 

 the way. Captain T. Blashill, in an article on roadmaking in 

 the " Encyclopedia Britannica" (Vol. XXXII), says: "For a 

 perfectly noiseless pavement, such as is specially required 

 where a carriage entrance under bedrooms is used by night, no 

 substance is equal to India-rubber. For this purpose it is 

 made in inch sheets about 3 feet wide and as long as the width 

 of the roadway; it is fixed over concrete and secured by iron 

 clips. This arrangement carries the whole of the passenger 

 traffic to St. Pancreas station, London, and also a considerable 

 amount of traffic under the Euston Square Station Hotel." 



SOME WANTS OF THE RUBBER TRADE. 



[291] T T^ROM a Western jobbing house: "We are desirous 

 -1- of learning a process by which patches can be vul- 

 canized on miscellaneous rubber articles by the use of acid." 



[292J From Connecticut has been received an inquiry for a 

 formula for quick curing stock for repairing tires. 



[2!(3j " I shall esteem it a favor if you will send me a list of 

 concerns manufacturing vulcanite emery wheels." 



[2it+l " Where can we obtain ' Glugloss Gelatine,' mentioned 

 in Mr. Pearson's book, ' Crude Rubber and Compounding In- 

 gredients ' ? " 



[295] From a rubber jobbing house: "Can you inform us 

 who makes rubber dice cups ? " 



[290] An inquirer writes : " I am desirous of getting a small 

 vulcanizer for experimental purposes, and trust that you may 

 be able to refer me to the party who will have just what I 

 want." 



[2!(7] From a factory producing hard rubber rods and tubes, 

 in electrical work, comes a request for the addresses of parties 

 in New York or its vicinity who are prepared to fraze and pol- 

 ish the same, if sent to them in the rough. 



[2!>s] We have had several inquiries from persons desiring 

 such tins are used in collecting rubber sap in Brazil. 



