August i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



385 



Rubber Tree Planted by the Editor. 



scribed to me the mail carrying of some of these smaller boats 

 that went far into the interior. Not being paid for the service 

 the owners were resentful, and sometimes when away from the 

 restraints of civilization the mail bags were viciously dumped 

 overboard. At other times they were completely forgotten, and 

 after months of journeying were brought back and delivered to 

 the postoffice from which they started. 



Of great importance to city and state is the Associaqao Com- 

 mercial do Amazonas, commonly called the Commercial Associa- 

 tion. Every business house in Manaos, of any prominence — Bra- 

 zilian, Portuguese, English, German, and American — is repre- 

 sented in this Association. Nor is this all; business interests 

 throughout the state of Amazonas, particularly in the upper 

 Amazon, are also members. It is really a State Board of Trade, 

 active, progressive, comprehensive, and vital. 



Organized 35 years ago, its history has been marked by vary- 

 ing degrees of activity, but it has ever stimulated cooperation 

 in the direction of the general welfare of the city and state. 

 Its work has been much broadened since its reorganization under 

 the new statutes of May 28, 1908. Since July of that year it has 

 published a monthly Revista (review). This is no mere com- 

 pendium of statistics — though its commercial figures are of much 

 value — but every trade topic bearing upon Amazonian progress 

 is treated in forceful and well-written articles, which have been 

 influential in government circles as well as with the business 

 public. 



The Association has launched a plan for a biennial Congress 

 to be devoted to commercial and industrial interests, and par- 

 ticularly to the promotion of the rubber trade. I was fortunate 

 enough to attend the first congress, the success of which has 



Seringueiros Bringing Home Latex. 



been so generally recognized. A very interesting feature in the 

 Association building was their varied collection of samples ot 

 crude rubber and of rubber articles made by native gatherers in 

 the forest. 



I saw much of the Secretary of the Commercial Association. 

 A quiet, modest, scholarly gentleman, whose whole thought is 

 for progress in his state and country. He reads and writes most 

 of the modern languages, but shyly avoids conversing except in 

 his own. As a historical writer and author he has already taken 

 high rank. 



The visitor to the Amazon country, whatever tongue he may 

 speak, soon learns some Portuguese. One word in particular 

 impresses itself upon him from the beginning, that is borracha. 

 He hears it in the streets of the cities, on the river steamers, in 

 the jungle, and soon learns that it means rubber. Like all people 

 of Latin extraction, the Brazilians are very apt in coining ex- 

 pressive phrases. They often call india-rubber "oicro frcto," 

 black gold, a fascinating term, perfect in its complete sug- 

 gestiveness. 



[TO BE CONTINUED. 1 



NEW RUBBER RECLAIMING PROCESS. 



A PATENT on a new mechanical process for reclaiming rub- 

 **■ ber from waste has been granted to E. W. Snyder, of 

 Akron, Ohio. The process has been worked out along oil and 

 heat resisting lines, after nearly four years of experimenting by 

 the inventor. Many grades of reclaimed rubber, if over cured, 

 are liable to burn, but this product is referred to as not being 

 affected injuriously by over curing. By the Snyder process, the 

 fabric contained in rubber waste is removed in a shape designed 

 to fit it for use by paper manufacturers. 



