NoVEMIiER I, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



35 



The Eaj^le rxfxt tells us that "Primarily the cause for this 

 strange industry is the ever-increasing demand for rubber in 

 America." This certainly is clear enough, but what are we to 

 understand from what follows : " The old rubber shoes come 

 in bales, thousands of them every week, for the home con- 

 sumption in Europe is not one-tenth of what it is in America." 

 Does it mean that if the European consumption of rubber were 

 larger, old rubber shoes from there might come in carboys in- 

 stead of bales ? 



We cannot agree with our contemporary, however, that 

 " All the old rubber shoes are gathered and shipped to Liver- 

 pool, which is, so far, the only shipping point from which the 

 rubber has come to this side." Isn't flamburg a "shipping 

 point".' Or Odessa.' 



constructed in America are all rubber insulated, which fact 

 may go far in rendering the world, in days to come, independ- 

 ent of Gutta-percha in cable construction. 



After hearing for many months of an incredible number 

 of "rubber factories " starting, or about to start, in Colorado, 

 the old established manufacturers in the Eastern states, who 

 have been trembling at the prospect of increased competition, 

 doubtless will feel relieved to learn that the whole thing, alter 

 all, possibly may have been a joke. The two extracts from able 

 Colorado newspapers which follow may serve to throw a great 

 light upon the subject: 



I. 



[From thr La Vhta Entertkisb.] 

 The Alamosa InJependent Journal of last week tells what Ala- 

 mosa has in the way of business and what they want. One thing 

 they want is a rubber factory. La Veta can beat Alamosa on that 

 point, as every time a pretty girl goes down the street several rub- 

 ber factories can be seen at work. 



II. 

 [From tiih Ai.amosa Independent Joupnai., SHiTEMrER 30.] 

 That's right, brother ; you can beat us, because Alamosa girls 

 are all pretty and the boys' necks are about woih out. That's the 

 reason we want a rubber factory. 



Whatever may happen in other Colorado rubber centers, it 

 does not appear likely that the old concerns have much to fear 

 from the " rubber factories" of La Veta and Alamosa. 



The opening of cable communication to Alaska is an- 

 other triumph for the India-rubber industry of the United 

 States. When ocean cables first began to be planned the 

 United States, comparatively speaking, were rich in nothing 

 but territorial possessions. The people of this country were 

 busy in subjugating a virgin soil, covered for the most part 

 with a heavy forest growth, to cultivation, and establishing new 

 towns along the lines of new railways built with the aid of capi- 

 tal borrowed from Europe — and since repaid. The domestic 

 requirements in the way of rubber goods were, it is true, sup- 

 plied by home factories, but in no case did this call for such 

 command of capital, by a single factory, as was involved in the 

 building of ocean cables. Moreover, the American people 

 were not then accustomed to making large investments abroad, 

 such as would be required in large cable building operations. 

 Hence the building of cables was allowed to proceed without 

 much attention being paid to the subject on this side of the 

 Atlantic. Recently, however, some American manufacturers 

 have become determined to have a hand in submarine cable 

 building, and within a short time they have constructed a 

 greater length than would be required to cross the Atlantic 

 twice, and the new cables are in successful operation. When 

 the history of the new line to Alaska is written, it will be a 

 story of overcoming difliculties unique in electrical engineer- 

 ing, and this in a country which took up cable building fifty 

 years later than our competitors in Europe. Last, but not 

 least in point of interest, is the fact that the new cable lines 



"CEARA RUBBER" IN NICARAGUA. 



THE Nicaragua Rubber Co. was incorporated August 25. 

 1904, under the laws of New Jersey, to develop rubber 

 plantations in the republic of Nicaragua and elsewhere. The 

 company has been organized by the election of John E. 

 Foster, of Corinto, Nicaragua, president ; Austin Van Gieson, of 

 Newark, New Jersey, secretary ; and Charles M. Crawford, of 

 New York, treasurer. The office of the company is at No. 800 

 Broad street, Newark. The company begins business by ac- 

 quiring a plantation of CearS rubber near La Paz, Nicaragua, 

 owned by Mr. Foster, who has been engaged in business in 

 that republic for a number of years, and his partner, C. H. Mc- 

 Laughlin. 



The cultivation of Ceard rubber {Manihot Glazovii) was be- 

 gun in Nicaragua about four years ago. The splendid condi- 

 tion of the plantings and the large yield and excellent quality 

 of the product taken in trial tappings, give promise of the suc- 

 cess of the enterprise. The Ceard rubber tree is a dry land 

 plant and will not prosper in a wet soil. In congenial climatic 

 conditions and soil its early and abundant product and excel- 

 lent quality make it most profitable to plant. The location in 

 which it is being planted in Nicaragua is a part of the districts 

 of La Paz and Momotombo, where the Momotombo mountain, 

 by driving the clouds to one side, protects this section from the 

 force of the tropical rains, so that it is comparatively dry, re- 

 ceiving just about enough water to grow corn, which is abund- 

 and for Ceara rubber. The soil is sandy, with an admixture of 

 a little clay, and very deep and level or slightly rolling. The 

 elevation above the sea is some 300 feet. The section is trav- 

 ersed by the Nicaragua Central railroad. The plantation of 

 the Nicaragua Rubber Co. is the " San Nicolas," on which are 

 the oldest and largest trees in this section. Three year old 

 trees on this plantation measure 26 inches in girth three feet 

 above the soil, and are over 30 feet high. 



That Ceara rubber will yield at two years of age has been 

 proved on the "San Nicolas" and neighboring plantations. 

 Twenty-one trees from 14 to 21 months, with an average age 

 of 14 months, were tapped, and together gave i% pounds of 

 dry rubber. A tree 15 months old gave 3 ounces of rubber. 

 Many trials have been made, with like results. Still it is not 

 intended to tap until the trees are four years old, in order not 

 to retard the best development. It is expected that four-year- 

 old trees will produce one pound of rubber per tree, and from 

 that time the product will augment rapidly. There are now in 

 the district, outside of native plantings, four American planta- 

 tions of Manihot Glaziovii, the " San Nicolas," " La Victoria," 

 " La Americano," and " El Trinufo," on which are planted 

 some 200,000 trees, while as many more will be planted in 

 another year. 



FOR VENEZUELAN DEVELOPMENT. 

 A i'UBLiC company under the style Venezuela India Rubber 

 Trust, Limited, was registered in Guernsey, England, October 

 I ; capital, ;£65o,ooo [=$3,163,225], in £\ shares. Object, to 

 acquire gum and essential oil enterprises, concessions, and 

 properties, and India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and Balata forests, 

 especially in the Orinoco valley, Venezuela ; to develop and 

 exploit the same, and to carry on any business incidental or 

 auxiliary thereto. The names of the first directors are not 

 given. 



