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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August i, 1901. 



SOME MEMORIES OF GOODYEAR. 



BY L. OTTO P. MEYER. 



THE recent appearance in this journal of Senator Dr. 

 Traun's notes on the origin of the hard rubber industry^ 

 with some reference to the connection with its early develop- 

 ment of Mr. L. Otto P. Meyer, once a resident of College 

 Point, Long Island, but for many years latterly of Dresden, 

 Germany, has led Mr. Meyer to record some of his early recol- 

 lections of the trade in a letter to the Editor of The India 

 Rriii.EK World. While not intended for publication, the 

 writer doubtless will pardon the presentation here of a few ex- 

 tracts, for the interest of our readers. Mr. Meyer writes : 



" My acquaintance with India-rubber and with rubber men 

 runs pretty far back. In March, 1852, when I was at the age 

 of 30, the Goodyear vulcanization of hard rubber was shown to 

 me at New Haven, Connecticut, by the son of the inventor of 

 vulcanization, Charles Goodyear, Jr. The latter, who was at 

 that time about 18 or 19 years old, was a perfect gentleman, 

 and I speedily became attached to him and a lasting intimacy 

 grew up between us. The last letter he ever wrote was written 

 to me. At New Haven, at the same time, I made the acquain- 

 tance of Mr. William C. De Forest and of Mr. Austin G. Day, 

 with whom I got intimate in after years. 



" In the same month of March, 1852, at Trenton, New Jersey, 

 where Daniel Webster defended Charles Goodyear's patent in 

 the lawsuit against Horace H. Day, I saw and heard Mr. Web- 

 ster on the second day of his speech in the case. I assure you 

 he was a giant in body and mind, with the physiognomy of a 

 lion, his forehead and his eyes uncommonly large, the latter 

 showing the grandeur of his soul. Charles Goodyear sat at 

 the end of the court table where, to the right, Webster stood. 

 Mr. Goodyear's face showed all the suffering he had under- 

 gone. 



" As the judge interrupted the speech by saying : ' Mr. Web- 

 ster, no more proof is needed in that matter,' Webster replied ; 

 ' Then we excuse the honorable judge from any further hear- 

 ing to-day.' Then all the friends of Goodyear left the court- 

 room rejoicing,.sure of Goodyear's victory. From the court- 

 room many persons, including myself, went with Mr. Goodyear 

 to his private room in the hotel, where he showed us beautiful 

 samples of soft and hard rubber articles, of almost everything 

 makeable of rubber. A soft rubber globe, about two or three 

 feet in diameter, with all the countries of the world printed on 

 it, excited much admiration. Now that was the first ' India 

 Rubber World !' 



"On that memorable day nearly all the principal men inter- 

 ested in the Goodyear patent sat at table d'hote with him, at 

 immense tables, my friend Conrad Poppenhusen and I sitting 

 together at one of them. Joy reigned all around, tuned high 

 by champagne. I wonder if many are yet living who were so 

 happy at that feast ? Seeing these American rubber manu- 

 facturers, with their frank and cordial ways (which have helped 

 so much their success in business), was really the best kind of 

 introduction for me, to attach me to the rubber business, 



" I have never ceased to feel an interest in the welfare of my 

 American friends, and therefore I have read The India Rub- 

 ber World since its commencement. Its arrival always gives 

 me pleasure, especially when I read of the successes of old 

 friends or of their descendants. For example, I was pleased 

 to read, some time ago, your reference to Mr. George M. Aller- 

 ton, with whose father I was intimate, and the prediction that 

 the son, whom I knew as a very nice boy, would even surpass 

 his father in enterprise. I have congratulated him, and see 

 by his answer that he remembers me. That The India Rub- 



ber World has thus brought me in remembrance perhaps to 

 many old friends is cheering, for nobody likes to be in lifetime 

 entirely forgotten." 



PARA RUBBER ESTATES REORGANIZED. 



THERE was held in London recently a series of meetings 

 of the shareholders of the Rubber Estates of Para, Lim- 

 ited, with the result of voluntarily winding up the original 

 company and placing its affairs in the hands of a new com- 

 pany, involving, by the way, the sacrifice of the common 

 shares. The original company was formed in 1898, with a cap- 

 ital of ^350,000 (=$1,750,000) to take over the rubber pro- 

 ducing estate of the Visconde de Sao Domingos, on the island 

 of Maraj6, near Para — 182,254 acres, with more than 1,300,000 

 full grown rubber trees estimated, and stated to have yielded 

 1,682,240 pounds of rubber in the preceding three years, worth 

 /279,67o (=$1,398,350). It was stated in the company's pros- 

 pectus that this rubber had been produced from only 6 per 

 cent, of the total number of trees, and that the revenue to be 

 derived in the future from these estates was entirely a question 

 of sending out more capital and more labor, to expand a going 

 business. The reports made at the various meetings since 

 held have been a continuous story of failure — delay in com- 

 pleting transfer of the property, trouble with labor, desertion of 

 laborers in debt to the company, robbery of the rubber con- 

 tained in the trees, etc. At the late meeting it was reported 

 that the result of the year's operation had been the collection 

 of 45 tons (=100,800) pounds of rubber. At a meeting held 

 December 17, 1900, it was announced that salaries, directors' 

 fees, and Joffice rent, which formerly had been at the rate of 

 £7600 (=$38,000) had been reduced to ^4000 ("$20,000) a year. 

 At the same meeting was reported a loss, from the beginning 

 of ;£23,769 i2.f. jfd. (=$118,849), though part of this might be 

 considered in the light of money invested in plant. Mean- 

 while no dividends have been paid, and no interest on deben- 

 tures. At the meeting in June last the shareholders were in- 

 duced to go on, by the consideration that they own the lands, 

 that they have acquired much valuable experience, that they 

 have considerable plant, including a boat ; that the laborers 

 have been induced to work on the cash basis, instead of requir- 

 ing advances ; and that the trees are in better condition, owing 

 to the long rest they have had. The estates manager, who 

 was present, said that with ;^6ooo (==$30,000) he could pull 

 through another year, and this amount of new capital was 

 guaranteed. He has an idea that it would be well to begin in- 

 creasing the number of trees by planting. It is interesting to 

 note that there is no longer any enthusiasm in England over 

 investing in Brazilian rubber estates. 



AN ENEMY OF THE RUBBER TRUST. 



' ' "T* H E devil ! " exclaimed the president of the rubber trust, 

 *■ crumpling up a letter and viciously thrusting it into 



the waste basket. 

 " What's up now } " asked the secretary. " Bad news ? " 

 "No; cheerful news," answered the president disgustedly. 



"I've been corresponding with some idiot in Texas in regard 



to the purchase of his rubber plant, and in my last letter I 



asked him where it was situated." 



" Yes," assented the secretary, " and where was it situated ? " 

 '• Why, his letter says it is located in the right hand corner 



of his parlor." 

 And the office boy had a hard time of it the remainder of 



the day. — Jndianapolii Sun. 



