130 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1913. 



"It was a real estate deal which brought rubber to Akron," 

 continued Mr. Holton. "Dr. Goodrich was in the real estate busi- 

 ness in New York. In one of his trades back in the 70's he got 

 possession of a little rubber factory which was not making money. 

 After trying to interest New York people in the factory he came 

 to Akron, where he installed his machinery, and started a busi- 

 ness under the name of the Akron Rubber Co. I think it was 

 in 1881 when he reorganized, with Col. Perkins and George 

 W. Crouse as the principal backers. It was then that the com- 

 pany took the name B. F. Goodrich Co. 



"At that time I had a little rubber accessory shop in New York. 

 In 1885 Dr. Goodrich brought me out here and placed me in 

 charge of the accessory department. I remained with the com- 

 pany until 1900. When 1 came here, we didn't do as much Inisi- 

 ness in a year as the Goodrich now does in one day. The indus- 

 try braced up after bicycles became popular in the '90's and other 

 companies started. Then came llie autoni.ibik- and with it more 

 and more uses for rubber." 



* * * 



Rubber common stocks wiiich have for some time been inactive, 

 displayed some life during the past few days. Late quotations 

 are as follows: Bid. Asked. 



Firestone preferred 102 103^4 



Goodyear preferred 96^'i 97 



Miller 125 



Swinehart 78^ 80^4 



Goodrich common ISj-j 19J/2 



Goodrich preferred 81 82 



* * * 



Ralph Upson and R. A. D. Preston, the Akron boys who 

 gained world-wide fame by winning the International Balloon 

 Race out of Paris, October 14, arrived in Akron on the 22nd 

 in time for the big home-coming celebration planned in their 

 honor on the afternoon of that day. In order to reach here on 

 time they were obliged to cable the Aero Club of America head- 

 quarters in New York to cancel the dinner and reception arranged 

 in their honor on the night of the 21st. The monster balloon 

 "Goodyear" in which they won the sensational air race arrived in 

 Akron on the 18th, The reception in their honor was held at 

 the Court House. There was a patriotic program, with band 

 music, speeches and singing. One of the features was the 

 presentation of loving cups to the young aeronauts. 



CANADIAN COMMERCE IN RUBBEK GOODS. 



The following table shows statistics of rubber exports and 

 imports of Canada for the first six months of the years 1912 

 and 1913: 



IMPCRTS. 



1912. 1913. 



India rublier, gutta percha, and 



manufactures of $5,157,256 $6,117,846 



Elastic, round or flat, including 



garter elastic 93,147 75,042 



EXPORTS. 



India rubber, gutta percha, and 



manufactures of 223,593 474,084 



"Wliat does this nation need?" shouted the impassioned orator. 

 "What does this nation require, 'f she steps proudly across the 

 Pacific, if she strides boldly across the mighty ocean in her march 

 of trade and freedom? I repeat, what does she need?" 



"Rubber boots," suggested the grossly materialistic person in 

 a rear seat. — Kansas City Star. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk— Crude Rubber and 

 Compounding Ingredients; Rubber Country of the Amazon; 

 Rubber Trade Directory of the World. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN CHICAGO. 



Hy a l\c.sidciit dirrcspondcnt. 

 DL'.SJNHSS has not as yet started upon its winter activity, 

 ■'-' lience not much change is noted since last report. Al- 

 tlio Thanksgiving is past and gone, Chicago, much to the dis- 

 couragement of the rubber industry generally, and especially of 

 the boot and shoe trade, is enjoying an Indian summer. 



In the mechanical rubber line the slackness has not been so 

 marked as in some of the others. The demand for rubber belting 

 has been considerably better tlian at this time last year, which is 

 attributed to the large number of grain elevators now being 

 erected in the West and in Canada. In Iowa, Nebraska and 

 Kansas the farmers' co-operative elevator movement is growing 

 every day, and while inost of the elevators being erected are of 

 small capacity, in the aggregate the amount of rubber belting 

 required is enormous. The large crops which have been gar- 

 nered during the past few years in these States also necessitate 

 increased facilities for handling the surplus, and consequently a 

 large number of new elevators, some of them big ones, have 

 been built by private and line companies. The headquarters of 

 many of these latter are located in Chicago, and for that reason 

 these companies are inclined to buy fixtures for the new elevators 

 here in the city, a tendency which local rubber belting houses are 

 constantly doing the most in their power to stimulate by the per- 

 sonal solicitation of salesmen. 



On the other hand, the rubber belting business has received a 

 decided blow from two quarters. One of these is in the northern 

 Michigan copper region, which has during the past few weeks 

 been the scene of a number of desperate strikes, featured by 

 pitched battles between miners and militia. The mine owners 

 have been more stubborn than usual in coming to an agreement 

 with the men, claiming that the conditions under which they were 

 working in the mines were better than usually prevail in such 

 places. The peace which has been arranged is more in the nature 

 of a truce than anything else, and those who have made a study 

 of the situation — including a number of Chicago rubber belting 

 manufacturers — declare that hostilities are certain to break out 

 again after the first of the year. Of course during all this trouble 

 the mine operators have not been placing orders for rubber belt- 

 ing, packing or any of the other lines handled by mechanical 

 rubber dealers, of which they formerly ordered to the extent of 

 many thousands of dollars at this time of year. The loss from 

 this source is a matter of great concern to dealers here, and they 

 are hoping for an immediate and permanent adjustment of the 

 trouble. The other quarter from which the rubber belting busi- 

 ness has received a blow is northern Mexico, where unsettled 

 conditions have played havoc with the great copper mines. With 

 federals and insurrectos trying to make sieves of the hillsides 

 and of each other, and tearing up railroad tracks whenever they 

 can muster enough energy, these mines have been compelled to 

 curtail operation, or shut down altogether, which latter course 

 has been followed in many instances. These concerns, which are 

 in most cases owned by Northern capital, formerly sent in large 

 orders at this tiine of the year, but now little or no business is 

 being received from them. The only considerable order received 

 from this region during the past month was by the Gutta Percha 

 & Rubber Co., 301 West Randolph street, from the Cananea 

 Consolidated Copper Co., Cananea, Mexico, for rubber belting 

 aggregating several thousand feet. 



The druggists' sundry business is fairly good at the present 

 time. 



Two facts have conspired to make the tire business dull — 

 maiidy the season, and an expected change in price. 

 * * * 



Rubber overshoes and boots have been very active in the local 

 market during the past month, all dealers in these lines reporting 

 a most satisfactory demand. Raincoats are also experiencing 

 the usual seasonable demand and are being offered at such low 

 prices in the windows along South State and in Van Buren streets 



