116 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January i, 1902. 



THE LOCKE EJECTOR OR TANK FILLER. 

 The operation of this device is exceedingly simple. The 

 carriage is backed up to the water supply ; the hose, with 

 strainer attached, is thrown into the water, and the little steam 



valve opened. Water is sucked up 

 by the vacuum, and the tank is filled 

 in a very few minutes, with no ma- 

 terial reduction in the steam pres- 

 sure. As shown in the accompa- 

 nying cut, the water and steam 

 L connections are necessarily abbrevi- 

 (ated. About six feet of hose is used, 

 which can be coiled neatly when 

 not in use, and easily carried on top 

 of the tank. The valve is operated 

 from the seat. No bucket is needed. 

 The new device is understood to be meeting much favor from 

 the owners of steam automobiles. The manufacturers are the 

 Locke Regulator Co., makers of steam appliances, Salem, 

 Mass. The cut shown above is supplied from the agency of 

 Charles E. Miller, No. 97 Reade street. New York. 



THE "PILGRIM HEEL" RUBBERS. 

 Of the two shoe illustrations here presented the worn-out 



shoe gives eloquent evi- 

 dence of the exceedingly 

 weak spot in the ordi- 

 nary type of rubber 

 shoes. In other words, 

 the heel breaks away 

 first just about as the 

 illustration shows. The 

 " Pilgrim " heel is de- 

 signed to overcome this 

 by a reinforcement at 

 the weakest part. As the manufacturers very happily say — 

 quoting Garfield — " Things don't turn up in this world until 

 somebody turns 

 them up. We 

 have, therefore, 

 ' turned some- 

 thing up ■ and 

 call it the ' Pil- 

 grim heel.' " A 

 further advant- 

 age of the heel 

 is that, it prevents the short fit by not allowing too long a 

 foot to go into a rubber. It is manufactured by the Hood 

 Rubber Co.. Boston. 



RUBBER STAMPS AND POTTERY WORK. 

 The rubber stamp has quietly insinuated its way into almost 

 every industry. Perhaps its most interesting triumph has been 

 in the field of ceramics. The trade mark, usually an intricate 

 coat of arms, is applied to the article before its firing with a 

 stamp made of the very best grade of stamp gum. The inks 

 used are so severe on the rubber, however, that the stamps last 

 only a little while, and the trade in them is really quite consid- 

 erable. 



Dick's Balata Belting is prominently advertised in the 

 Mexican newspapers, as well suited for use in that country. It 

 is said to be in extensive use in the states of Yucatan, Cam- 

 peche, Jalisco, Durango, and Mexico. A dealer in the city of 

 Mexico announces that he keeps this belting in stock, in sizes 

 from I to 20 inches. 



BUILDING A CABLE FOR MEXICO. 



THE Safety Insulated Wire and Cable Co. (New York) are 

 manufacturing under contract for the Mexican govern- 

 ment a submarine cable, to be laid between Vera Cruz, Fron- 

 tera, and Campeche. The cable is to be rubber insulated, and 

 472 nautical miles in length ; there must be enough to reach a 

 depth of 49 feet in the port of Campeche and 65 feet in the 

 ports of Vera Cruz and Frontera. The cable is to consist of 

 nine copper wires, protected by sixteen galvanized iron wires 

 for deep water and eighteen additional steel wires for the coast. 

 The cable is to be ready for service on April 2, 1902. The con- 

 tract price is $600,000, gold, of which $283,000 is to be paid 

 upon the laying of the cable and the balance within two and 

 four months thereafter. 



THE LARGE PARA RUBBER CROP. 



[FROM THE "NEW- YORKER HANDELS ZEITUNG," NOVEMBER 9.] 



THE manufacturers of rubber boots and shoes, whose busi- 

 ness for the past two years, owing to the absence of 

 snow in large quantities, has been poor, and who have been re- 

 peatedly compelled to cut their prices in order to rid them- 

 selves of accumulated stocks, are much pleased at the reced- 

 ing tendency in the crude rubber market, which has lowered 

 the prices during the last two months 10 cents per pound. 

 While the leading brand, " Upriver Para " was, in August last, 

 still quoted at 90 cents, and a year ago at 93 cents, it can be 

 had now at 82 cents, and it is likely that the prices will go be- 

 low the present level. At these declining prices little anima- 

 tion exists in the market, the manufacturers, in expectation of 

 a large crop this year, and consequent lower rates, withholding 

 any large purchases. It is possible that the drop in the prices 

 of crude rubber will enable the manufacturers to close their 

 yearly account more satisfactorily than had been anticipated. 

 One of the principals of the importing firm of Reimers&Co. 

 discoursed to a representative of the New-Yorker Handeh- 

 Zez'/un^ as ioWovrs: "The statement that the stocks at first 

 hand in Para have been disposed of, and that therefore the 

 European markets are retaining a firm position, with an up- 

 ward tendency, is without foundation. As a matter of fact the 

 stocks of crude rubber at Para are 1200 tons in excess of those 

 at the same period last year, and at that time the offers were 

 larger than ever before. The European markets show the same 

 dullness which dominates our markets, and reports have been 

 received stating that sales over there had been made at i}4d. 

 lower than was asked for the same qualities a week ago. The 

 large stores of crude rubber are not traceable as much to a 

 weak market in rubber goods, as to the excessive oflfers of 

 crude rubber, a much larger crop having been brought in this 

 year than last year and the year before that. That the prices 

 of Para rubber will show a material change for the better is not 

 to be expected— Africa bringing continually larger quantities of 

 crude rubber into the market, and offers from that source having 

 become an important factor in the rubber situation. Five years 

 ago only about 200 tons of African rubber were brought into 

 the Antwerp market; last year it ran up to 7000 tons, and the 

 crop this year will at least equal that of last year. These heavy 

 offers of African rubber will have a tendency to continually 

 crowd the Brazilian product out of the Antwerp market, and 

 therefore a larger quantity will reach our market here. Under 

 these conditions prices dropped considerably, but, through this 

 the inquiries from consumers have become more animated, the 

 industries using rubber in their manufactures being, generally, 

 well employed." 



