122 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January i, 1908. 



Reclaiming Plant at Plymouth of the Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Co. 



hose as suction, dredging sleeves, and the like; while on the top 

 floor is stock and finished goods. 



The largest building, really two buildings joined at the end. 

 is for storage and shipping. This is four stories in height, of 

 reinforced concrete, light, fireproof, and 550 feet in length by 

 SO feet average width. Here also will be located, when com- 

 pleted, the factory offices, laboratory, and experimental depart- 

 ment of the company, now in the old plant, which space when 

 vacated will be used in manufacturing and will be quite an addi- 

 tion and a needed one. 



While the Cambridgeport plant is thus growing, the company's 

 reclaiming factory at Plymouth has also been rebuilt lately and 

 added to, so that it is now of a capacity and completeness that 

 will fill all possible needs. All of this work begun during the 

 past summer is now practically completed and the buildings now 

 for the most part occupied. Not that other improvements are 

 not projected, however, such as a tidewater canal, additional 

 railroad sidings, new machinery, and other buildings, but of this 

 "more anon." 



The illustrations herewith relate to the new brass foundry 

 of the company, put in operation October 14, 1907 ; the new 

 hose and press building, just now completed, and the reclaiming 

 plant of the company, at Plymouth. 



CRUDE RUBBER INTERESTS. 



HIGH RATES ON THE CONGO RAILWAY. 



'T'llE rate on crude rubber charged over the Congo railway — 

 ^ for a distance of only 260 miles around the cataracts in 

 the Congo river, and only a small fraction of the distance 

 between the producing regions and the consuming markets — will 

 help to make plain why the raw material remains so high in 

 price, compared with the reputed small first cost to the trading 

 companies. The starting point by rail, as cargoes proceed to- 

 ward the Atlantic, is Leopoldvillc. and the lower railway 

 terminal at Matadi. The rate per ton of rubber, expressed in 

 equivalent terms of American gold, from Leopoldville, and the 

 intermediate stations, to Matadi, is as follows : 



From Leopoldville $82.99 From Thysville $47-86 



From Kinshasa 80.87 From Tumba 38.79 



From Dolo 80.48 From Songololo 20.84 



From Madimi 59-^5 From Kenge 8.30 



The rate for the whole distance covered by the table works 

 out at about 37?^ cents per pound. This rate, however, is low 

 as compared with that on ivory — 87. 



ABYSSINIA. 



A recent statement issued by the Imperial Ethiopian Rubber 

 Co., Limited [see The India Rubber World. June i. 1907 — 

 page 274], mentions the shipment from their concessions in 

 Abyssinia of 90,278 pounds of rubber, of which 62.809 pounds 

 had reached London and over 50,700 pounds been disposed of. 

 The company are also shipping coffee and wax. 



THE TEXAS GUAYITLE CONTRACT. 



The following letter relates to a rumor regarding a contract 

 for the sale of guayule slumbs on the state school lands in Texas 

 [see The India Rubber World, October i. 1907 — page 21] : 



To the Editor of The India Rubber World: I am in receipt 

 of yours of the 6th in which you state that you are informed 

 that the Big Bend Manufacturing Co., of San Antonio, have 

 let go their contract to purchase the guayule school land in 

 Texas. You are advised that I know nothing about what they 

 have done, more than to say that they have paid into the state 

 treasury of Texas the full amount of $61,000 on the contract. 

 Very respectfully, j. T. robison. 



Acting Commissioner [General Land Oftice]. 



Austin, Texas. December ll, 1907. 



A NEW invention is mentioned providing for the construction 

 of telephone receivers so that the shell may be made largely of 

 metal, only the cap — that part which fits over the ear — being 

 made of hard rubber. The magnetic system is entirely insulated 

 from the shell, being mounted on a hard rubber bushing which 

 is secured in proper place within the casing. The new method 

 is referred to as reducing materially the cast of receivers. 



Among recent visitors to New York was Monsieur Louis F. 

 Kerremans, of Bru.ssels, who is identified with the management 

 of La Chronique Coloniale ct Financicrc, which journal is among 

 the foremost of those interested in the promotion of the rubber 

 culture. 



