October 1 , 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



27 



they give piantit) orders, and thi factories are kept running 

 along .hi lull time at a moderate profil 



The waterproof clothing nun air busy, though with some of 

 tlinn the outlook is not so bright. Their foreign trade is cut off, 

 .ni'l wiili some tin, is an important pan of their business. Then, 

 again, they complain of the difficulty in securing some lines "i 

 fabrics which they need. Those using imported cloths are not 



the ''iil\ our, affected. Many who have contracted for domestic 



fabrics find tlu- mills held up bei iu oi tin- embarg i dyes. 



However, some of the makers oi high class garments report a 



heaviei trade on these g Is because ot the decline in imports 



of foreign made waterproof coals and cloaks. 



The tire men seem to be hit pretty hard. Some factories have 

 curtailed their output. One factor) where a small numbei ol 

 tires was made has discontinued this department. Another is 

 working only four days a week, while a larger producing plant 

 is working right along with as large an output as usual 



The rubber boot and shoe factories are running reasonably 

 full. Man) retailers who declined to < .rder in the spring and 

 early summer are now stocking up, and this reassures the jobbers 

 to the extent that they are sending in supplementary orders to 

 the manufacturers. The mills made up floor stock during the 

 summer in anticipation of this very condition, and shipments are 

 heavy. 



* * * 



The Boston Boot and Shoe Club is the largest trade dining 

 club in the city, I Hiring the fall and winter months six or seven 

 banquets are held at the Hotel Somerset, to which swim- nf the 

 mosl noted speakers of the country are invited. Once, several 

 years ago, a "Rubber Night" was held, at which many prominent 

 members "l the rubber footwear industry were guests. There is 

 a possibility that an evening this season may be devoted to this 

 subject. 



* * * 



Hon. L. D. Apsley, president of the Apsley Rubber Co., of 

 Hudson, was suddenl) called to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, 

 earl) last month by the severe illness of his venerable father, 

 who died on September 10. This was a second affliction to Mr. 

 Apsley. whose wife died only a few months ago. 



George Apsle) was Lock Haven's "grand old man." Up to 

 his ninety-fifth year he walked back and forth every day from 

 his house to his shoe supply and findings store, which he estab- 

 lished in 1861. He was born in Chestertown, .Maryland, in 

 1818. His son. L. D. Apsley. made- it a duty to spend Thanks- 

 giving every year with his father, and on every such visit a 

 game of checkers with the old man was a regular part of the 

 programme. It is reported that this was the origin of the 

 checker board printed on every case ol Apsley rubbers sent from 

 the factory. 



* * * 



Ira F. Purnham, president and treasurer of the Stoughton 

 Rubber Co., spent his vacation at White-field, New Hampshire. 

 He returned to business September 10, reporting very cold 

 weather in the White Mountain region, with the summits of 

 the Presidential range covered with snow. 



* * * 



Washington B. Cook, manager of the Boston store of the 

 Gutta Percha & Rubber Manufacturing Co., had a lively expe- 

 rience early last month. He had been summering, with his 

 family, at Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. Business requiring 

 his presence in Boston, he decided to spend the night at his 

 home in Sharon. Arriving there at a late hour, he opened the 

 front door with his latch key and was confronted by a burglar, 

 armed with a revolver. Ordered to put up his hands, Mr. Cook, 

 who was certainly surprised, and who was unarmed, obeyed the 

 order, and the thief escaped. Then Mr. Cook got busy at the 

 telephone and a man-hunt was instituted b) the police, in which 

 more than 300 citizens took part. An hour or two later or 



the volunteer searchers, tiring of the game, started across lots for 



his home, when he saw a man entei thi Imshes on the lawn. 

 In- saw the man lying in a secluded spot. 1 he telephone 

 brought the police, who found a man serenely sleeping in the 

 bushes with Mr. Cook's revolver in his hands and the Look family 

 jewels in In i I I i Mi . t '..ok is congratulating himself that his 



timely arrival saved for him jewels and silverware oi consider- 

 able value. 



* * * 



The Haskell Goli Hall i o.'s sim against the Sporting Goods 

 Sales Co. has been decided in favoi oi the Haskell company. The 

 I mi. d States ' ircuil I ourl ..i Vppeals found the complainant's 

 patent valid and that the defendants' ball was an infringement 

 holding that the Haskell ball's core and shell in combination pro- 

 duct a new mode ot operation and that the patent is not void, as 



disclosing no patentable invention. 



* * * 



The G \. Edgarton Manufacturing ( o ol Shirley, has voted 

 "ihat the name of this corporation be, and the same hereby is. 

 changed to the President Suspender Co." Thus the name of 

 the founder of this important business disappears; but senti- 

 ment must give way to modern business expediency. The 

 product ot" this company is so thoroughly advertised that it has 

 a world-wide reputation, and it is certainly advisable that the 

 company should bear a name easily identified with the goods. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN RHODE ISLAND. 



By (hu Regulai I orrespondetit. 



EFFECT OF Till: WAR ON INI RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



WHILE much anxiet) was expressed among those concerns 

 connected with the manufacture of rubber goods in Rhode 

 Island during the days immediately following the outbreak of 

 the war in Europe because of the fear that hostilities might 

 prevent the procuring of crude material, a much more optimistic 

 sentiment now prevails. 



At first a very pessimistic feeling pervaded the local trade and 

 several of the manufacturers in Providence and vicinity made 

 no secret of their fears. Almost immediately a curtailment was 

 begun in production and a cutting off in the time card and 

 number of employes. However, the conditions do not seem 

 to have been so disastrous as was anticipated and there is now 

 a more settled feeling. A majority of the manufacturers now- 

 express themselves as confident that the coming winter's business 

 will fully equal, if it does not exceed, that of a year ago. 



M.si ,,i the factories are now working full time and to nearly 

 full capacity One plant, which dropped its night shift at the 

 beginning of the European trouble, is still running short time, 

 and the night workers are still idle. Another plant is holding 

 all orders for Europe for the present, but is shipping some 

 g K io other countries, especially to South America. 



The makers of rubber boots and shoes are finding a fairly 



g 1 husiness and most of these plants are being operated to 



their full capacity. The outlook is regarded as being very good 

 with the price of crude rubber working downward. 



Col. Samuel P. Colt, of Bristol, president of the United States 

 Rubber Co., who arrived home early in September from Liver- 

 pool, was in Paris when war was declared. He had been in 

 Europe for s.mie time previous to the outbreak and had naturally 

 given considerable attention to the interests of his corporation 

 and to the rubber situation generally. 



Concerning the effect of the war upon business Colonel Colt 

 said, in an interview: "In the end the war in Europe is certain 

 to prove of great benefit to the United States and its diversified 

 business interests. We have already secured a great deal of 

 trade that had formerly been closed to us, and we will not only 

 keep it but will materially increase it. Of course, it is only 

 natural to . spec! that for a time business would suffer owing 

 to the unusual and unnatural financial strain consequent upon tin 



