1, 1920.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



405 



Is Hard Rubber W ood a Dream? 



LUVD W. Parsons, a regular contribntur to "The Saturday 

 ■' Evening Post," who furnishes much interesting and inform- 

 g matter for that great weekly, thus speaks of rubber : 



of The India Rubber World, 

 you can take the milk of the 



"Henry C. Pearson, 

 sees the dav when 



Mr. Parsi ns characterizes hard rubber wood as a dream, and 

 does il most courteously. He classes it with that type of dreara 

 known in the dictionary as "an idle fancy." H, however, it 

 sliould transpire that certain American factories were market- 

 inji products made of hard rubber wood, taking the place of 



Artistic Ruijbek Wood C, 



rubber tree, convert it into an elastic resin, then bake 

 this resin with sulphur and turn the product into 

 rosewood, walnut, mahogany and ebony of the finest 

 sort.' He says: 'Any rare wood can thus be simu- 

 lated. It will not w-arp or check, and it will not 

 absorb moisture. Its sawdust and chips can be 

 molded again int.i tlic first shape. Even the boards 



tlic slatemcr 

 fact. Such 



of tlic Editor at 

 the case. 



once out of use can be ground up and used again 

 and again." 



"Whether such dreams materialize or not, rubber is 

 sure to become one of the mightiest essentials in th( 

 life of civilized man." 



BLACK OAK RUBBER WOOD. 



: lo discuss present products it i 

 ago a French art'st built some 



.veil to recall 

 erv beautiful 



Ci-osET Seat — Ebony. 



cabinets and bookcases not from wood but from hard rubber 

 veneer backed with papier-mache. The effects secured were 

 equal in every way to the best rosewood, mahogany and black 

 oak. They were free from all of the faults that wood possesses. 

 Meat or cold, moisture or dryness were absolutely without 

 effect upon the product. Xo coaling or varnish was used. in the 

 surface finish, as none was needed. The cabinet shown in the 



