226 



THE INDIA RUBBER '*VORLD 



[April i, 1902. 



WESTERN NEW YORK STATE, 

 Frank C. Howlett reports, in regard to the territory ad- 

 jacent to his Syracuse and Buffalo stores: The weather con- 

 ditions for the past few weeks have been favorable for the sale 

 of boots and light Vubbers. We have received some 'sizing 

 up ' orders, which'goes to show that the stocks in the hands 

 of retailers are becoming reduced, and we do not anticipate 

 that they will carry over a very large stock." 



ST. LOUIS. 



A LEADING jobbing house reports : " In our judgment stocks 

 of rubber footwear in the hands of retailers generally, through- 

 out the west and southwestern section, are extremely low. 

 There are perhaps more boots being carried than any other 

 one article in the line of rubber footwear. There has been a 

 heavy demand during the winter months for fleeced lined 

 goods, especially arctics. It is our opinion that rubber stocks, 

 in the hands of both jobbers and retailers, are reduced to a 

 minimum." 



ST. PAUL. 



James SUYDAM, secretary and manager of the Goodyear Rub- 

 ber Co., reports : " February, in this section, was very favorable 

 to the sale of light rubbers, and the stocks of retailers have been 

 reduced. They are now quite low, judging from the way that 

 orders came in, nearly^every order during the past few weeks 

 having been marked 'rush.' Most of the jobbers of rubber 

 shoes, we think, have been using extra hands and working extra 

 time ; at least this has been our experience. The improvement 

 in financial conditions in this part of the country has made an 

 increased demand ^for the better grades of goods. This was 

 very noticeable the past year, when the proportion of the de- 

 mand for better grades to poorer grades was far in excess of the 

 previous years. It is quite certain that in some sections large 

 stocks have been carried over. This has been the third winter, 

 in succession, in this territory when there has been very little 

 snow, and while the temperature has been low, there is not a 

 large demand for rubber overshoes unless there is snow on the 

 ground. The early breaking up of the ice and cold weather 

 has curtailed considerably the operations in the woods by the 

 lumbermen, with the effect of lessening the demand for lum- 

 bermen's shoes." 



THE SOUTHEAST. 



CraddoCK-Terry Co. (Lynchburg, Virgmia) report : " In 

 the territory which we cover— tha£ lying south of the Potomac 

 and Ohio rivers and east of the Mississippi— this has been an 

 exceptionally good winter for the sale of rubber boots and 

 shoes. In our opinion, retailers have been enabled to clean up 

 their stocks better than they have done for some years, and the 

 outlook for a good business the coming season is better than 

 usual. Our territory takes mostly light goods, the ' storm 

 slipper, ' in men's and women's, being the popular shoe." 



* » » 



Newspnpers throughout the snow belt contained articles 

 during the storm period indicating an unusual demand for 

 rubber footwear, many retailers being quoted as reporting the 

 largest sales ever known for the same length of time. 



RUBBER SHOES FOR HORSES. 



A READER asks if rubber horseshoes for horses are a suc- 

 cess. They are a pronounced and decided success for 

 use on hard and slippery pavements, and for sorefooted horses. 

 They save jar and concussion to a great degree. With the re- 

 markable extension of the smooth asphalt as a street paving 

 material, we are convinced that city horses, if humanely treated, 

 must be shod with a shoe which will bring a rubber surface in 



contact with the smooth pavement. Some of the shoes now in 



use are what may be called " rubber tired," a combination of 

 rubber and steel, the metal being next the foot. Some shoes 

 are made to hold a rubber pad over the frog, but the contact of 

 either rubber or leather with the frog is objectionable. A very 

 satisfactory form consists of a steel shoe in which is a groove 

 that holds a strip of rubber securely by reason of the clever de- 

 sign, and the tread is on the rubber not the metal. In general 

 all these rubber and steel shoes or rubber pads will last about 

 as long as a shoe should stay on a horse's foot — three or four 

 weeks. Hard usage on gravelly or gritty roads will, however, 

 cut the rubber ofl in less time. We use a rubber shod shoe 

 with much satisfaction on a driving mare, but a journey of sixty 

 miles one day over rock and gravel roads woie the rubber clear 

 down to the steel. — Breeder's Gazette {Chicago). 



NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. 



nPHE Davol Rubber Co. (Providence, Rhode Island), have 

 A issued a revised edition of their illustrated catalogue of 

 Fine Rubber Goods for the druggists', surgical, and stationers' 

 trades. It is an attractively made book, covering the whole 

 range of goods of the classes referred to, with pictures that 

 give a good idea of the goods described, and prices of every 

 item. Attention is called in a prefatory note to the care taken 

 to produce goods of a high quality, at prices as low as those 

 quoted by any first class house. [9"X6". 103 pages.] 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) have 

 issued a new illustrated catalogue of Bicycle Tires — including 

 single tube, double tube, cushion pneumatic, and detachable, 

 designed for all cycling purposes, and involving some impor- 

 tant features of construction on which the company hold pat- 

 ents. There is also included a full line of tire sundries, includ- 

 ing repair outfits. [7"X4/^'- 3^ P^g^s.] 



The Gutta Percha and Rubber Manufacturing Co. 

 of Toronto, Limited, issue a catalogue of Rubber Boots and 

 Shoes, dated March i, 1902, containing illustrations and prices 

 of their " Maltese Cross" and " Lion "brands. [4"X6j^". 68 

 pages.] 



Hood Rubber Co. (Boston), have issued a handsome illus- 

 trated priced catalogue of Rubber Boots and Shoes, for the 

 season of 1902, covering their " Hood" and "Old Colony" 

 brands, and embracing a number of special lines — for example, 

 their " Plymouth " line of goods for men, women, and children. 

 WA" X 6>^". 64 pages.] 



The Dunlop Tire Co., Limited (Toronto) send us a neat 

 illustrated booklet devoted to Vehicle Tires, solid rubber and 

 pneumatic, with references to their horseshoe pads and rubber 

 matting. Wy-lW- 16 pages.] 



SOME WANTS OF THE RUBBER TRADE. 



[234] << /'"^AN you give us the name and address of a hard 

 v_^ rubber manufacturer, who would be a good party 

 to make the backs of hair brushes.' " 



[235] " Where can we obtain glass forms for catheters and 

 tubes? " 



[236] From a jobbing house : " Can you advise us as to the 

 parties putting on the market a long handle rubber force 

 cup.' " 



[237] " Please give me the addresses of parties who do sus- 

 pender weaving for the trade." 



[238] An English firm of India-rubber merchants write : 

 " Can you tell us the names of some American houses who 

 manufacture raw hide pinions?" 



