October 1, 1914. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



A model code of moral laws — 

 The old Commandments, ten. 



"Thou shalt not steal" seemed plain i 



To this dear-minded seer; 

 Today we feel he shi mid 



"Thou shall nol sou\ i 



We wire sail- 

 ing under "sealed 

 orders" for Eng- 

 land, but » In ther 

 London, South 

 ampton, Liver- 

 pool, or other 

 port, none knew. 

 Reaching i 

 tar, Livi 

 was announced 

 as the destina- 

 tion. Thereafter 

 we stole 

 through the 

 night, ports 

 shrouded, deck 

 lights out, and 

 hlankets hanging 

 on the smoking- 

 room windows. 

 About noon each 

 day a battle-ship 



appeared and telegraphed Eor the next twenty-four 



hours. No news, or next to none, was received, as the wire- 

 less was used only for admiralty purposes. 



Among the British passengers were many whom I knew — 

 rubber planters from the .Malay States, a young Englishman 

 connected with the Booth office in Para, the superintendent of 

 public works in Barbados, and so on. A Boston Minot, one of 

 the editors of the "Youths' Companion," organized the Free Ma- 

 sons aboard, some sixty in number, one-half of whom were 

 English and the rest Americans, and a sort of informal lodge 

 meeting was held daily, where we all became well acquainted. 



By Spain and Portugal we ran and finally reached the mouth 

 of the Met Presumably n was defended by mine-, for we 



i . , mi Was News — A Common Sight in England. 



Soldiers Drilling on the Golf Course. England. 



were guided by wig-wags, on boats stationed at intervals, and 

 we zig-zagged slowly along, and al -run in the evening made 

 fast to the pier. A wait of two hours ensued for the discharge 

 of the luggage. Once ashore, instead of the usual orderly Brit- 

 ish custom house, we found a mob of frantic passengers, 

 harassed officials and incompetent porters. The war had taken 

 baggage trucks and men, and upset all system. At eleven o'clock 

 our baggage was cleared, loaded on taxis, and hotel hunting 

 began. All of the large hotels were choked with Americans — 

 so full that it was hard work to get anything to eat. The little 

 commercial hotels, the temperance hotels, and the pensions were 



congested. Finally, at two in the morning, beds were 



found in a boarding house, and we slept the sleep of the "bust." 



It looked as if real hardships were in sight, but the next 



morning I met by accident a rubber friend, who hurried to the 



Vdelphi Hotel — ecured the rooms 



of some Ameri- 

 .'. ho were 

 leaving that day, 

 brought around 

 pounds in 

 English money, 

 and did his best 

 ■ com- 

 le. The 

 next day, by spe- 

 cial favor, the 

 banks allowed me 

 to draw all I 

 ! on my 

 letter of credit. 



A brief look at 

 English business 

 c o n v i need me 

 that there was 

 little doing in am 

 line, so passage 

 home was nego- 

 tiated. So 

 thai I >eck "I >" on the old 

 "Campania" was the best ill sight, and I received it thankfully. 

 I was not the only rubber man caught by the war. I heard 

 of numbers of them, and found that F. C. Hood was also quar- 

 tered at the "Adelphi." He had been caughl in Berlin, and with 

 Ins wife and son journeyed to Norway, there taking ship to a 

 port in Scotland. The Hoods also slept on deck, and arriving 

 at the Scottish port were forbidden to land— army orders. Mr. 

 Hood managed to get ashore, saw the chief of police, and ar- 

 ranged that in the event of the boat leaving that evening for 

 Norway, they be arrested and taken to the police station for 

 on rhis ingenious plan, however, was not necessary, 

 for at the lasl moment the rule was waived and they came 

 ire. 

 With some tune on my hands, 1 visited rubber stores, general 

 stores, talked with manufacturer.- and filled up on information. 



Vessels of This Sort Are More Often Seen Tn < s 



Ml Ki HANTMEN. 



Again and again the question was asked: "Where in America 

 can I get this?" "What rubber manufacturers make that?" 

 And I gave addresse- by lite -.ore. The interest seemed chiefly 

 to center about small specialties in hard rubber and grad 



