284 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[JUN 



E 1, 1902. 



The next speaker was Henry M. Rogers, Esq., of Boston. 

 Mr. Rogers, an attorney, as president of the Century and Tavern 

 clubs, and as a personal friend of most of those present, was 

 well equipped to interest the audience. His speech was a mes- 

 sage to the young men present and was full of eloquence and 

 dramatic power. 



Mr. Stanley Nichols followed with a few stories in Irish 

 dialect and a song that brought an enthusiastic encore. 



Mr. James Acton, editor and proprietor of the Canadian 

 Shoe and Lea/her Journal, of Toronto, was the next speaker, 

 and caught the attention of the audience instantly by remark- 

 ing that " Canadians might be slow, but that they did not walk 

 backwards to keep their trousers from bagging at the knees." 

 His speech was full of good feeling, humor, and common sense, 

 and made a decided hit. 



Mr. W. B. C. Fox, a humorist of more than local fame, and 

 who by the way is a graduate from the rubber trade, was next 

 introduced, and, together with Mr. Stanley Nichols, gave a 

 series of duets that amused the guests. Thestaidest members 

 of the Club laughed till they cried. 



Mr. Elliott M. Henderson, treasurer of the Manhattan Rub- 

 ber Manufacturing Co. (New York), then told briefly of a re- 

 cent trip to Nicaragua, and of the many incidents that made 

 travel in that country pleasant and otherwise. 



He was followed by Mr. J.Jackson Todd, president of the 

 Chicago-Bolivian Rubber Co., a graceful and cultured speaker, 

 who beautifully described the journey from the Pacific coast 

 over the lofty Andes and down to the tropical plains where the 

 rubber tree flourishes. 



During the evening the following verses were read, causing 

 much amusement : 



THE RUBBER KING. 



A MAN looked o'er the rubber trade 

 With eager longing squint. 

 " I'll be their King," he firmly said ; 

 '■ Sure as my name is Flint." 



" I'll weld them into one big firm 

 And handle all their gold, 

 And every pound of rubber bought. 

 By me it shall be sold." 



So he began a trust to build, 



And then another trust ; 

 Some he invited with a smile. 



To some, he said, " You must." 



But as the old firms joined his ranks, 



New ones began to sprout, 

 'Till when he thought his job was done 



There were less in than out. 



So then he formed a monster firm 



With millions in its hands. 

 To corner every pound of gum 



In all the rubber lands. 



He bought, and bought, and bought again. 



And borrowed as he bought. 

 Until he found the world's supply 



Was larger than he thought. 



Yet still he bought, to keep the price 



From dropping out of sight. 

 And always told the rubber men 



He had the market tight. 



Then came a sudden rending crash ; 



The King, Oh, where was he? 

 A Wall street echo faint replies, 

 " The King is O. U. T." 



The King is not a penitent ; 

 Remorse he has not seen ; 

 Of sorrow he has not a bit, 

 Yet his regret is Keene. 



In addition to the guests of the Club there were present as 

 guests of the individual members: Mr. B. G. Work, vice-pres- 

 ident of The B. F. Goodrich Co. (Akron, Ohio) ; Mr. E. Law- 

 rence Barnard, of S. D. Warren & Co. (Boston) ; Messrs. F. F. 

 Schaffer, of Naugatuck, Conn., Charles A. Emerson, C. E. 

 Wardbrook, John S. Patterson, S. W. Bourn, A. O. Bourn, Jr., 

 J. B. Henderson, H. C. Johnson, W. H. Chase, Henry J. 

 Doughty, Rufus Pendleton, A. P. Spear, W. E. Piper, E. H. 

 Cutler, W. H. Mayo, Ernest Jacoby, E. C. Murphy, G. L. Rich- 

 ards, C. A. Richmond, W. H. Palmer, G. H. Stedman,E.C. W. 

 Bliss, George Bassett, William Williman, and F. C. Lowlhorp. 

 STANDING COMMITTEES. 



The following appointments have been made by the execu- 

 tive committee, composed of all the officers and directors of 

 the Club: 



Entertainment Committee — H. C. Pearson, William F. Mtvo, E, S. 

 Williams, Theodore S. Bassett, William J. Cable. 



Dinner Committee — F. H. Jones, G. P. Whitmore, Walter M. Far- 

 well, J. H. Stedman, Charles H. Arnold. 



Resolutions Committee — Arthur W. Stedman, Eugene 11. Clapp, 

 George P. Whitmore. 



Auditing Committee — George P. Eustis, J. Frank Dunbar. 



RUBBER TIRES FORTY-SIX YEARS AGO. 



T N connection with a communication from Mr. Henry W. 

 A Kellogg, in the last India Rubber World, regarding his 

 suggestion of a rubber tire as early as 1 865, it may be mentioned 

 that in 1856 two Boston mechanics designed a set of rubber 

 tires, which were manufactured by the Boston Belting Co., and 



used for some time on a buggy in 

 and around Boston. These men 

 were George Souther and George 

 H. Miller. The first tires made 

 were so soft that they used to ffy 

 out of the channel when driven 

 fast, and they had another and harder set made, which proved 

 more successful. The tire channel, shaped somewhat like the 

 cut herewith, was about y% inch deep on the outside. The 

 rubber tire was about JiS inch in thickness and was made almost 

 square. The tire was made " snug " and " sprung on " with a 

 rope. The square corners fitted into the socket and the tire 

 was tightly held in place by the pressure. There was about 

 Yi inch rubber outside the socket. The young inventors were 

 much satisfied with the result of their work, and were about 

 to file an application for a patent, when the chief of police 

 of Cambridge— one Robert Taylor— warned them that the run- 

 ning of such a vehicle was a nuisance, and scared them out of 

 making any further use of it. 



THE PRICES OF RUBBER GOODS." 



TO THE Editor OF The India Rubber World: I have 

 read your leading editorial in The India Rubber 

 World for May, entitled " The Prices of Rubber Goods," and 

 wish to express my appreciation of it. You have in a very few 

 words summed up the situation most completely, and I agree 

 with you fully in the position taken. I think it important 

 enough to have copies of this article reproduced and sent to all 

 of our agents and customers the world over, giving, of course. 

 The India Rubber World credit for it. I have no doubt it 

 will enlighten many concerning the true state of the market 

 for manufactured rubber goods. 



Yours respectfully, boston belting CO., 



By James;Bennptt Forsyth, General Manager, 

 Boston, Mass., Mny 5, 1902. 



