434 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1915. 



in New York, Chicago ami St. Louis. Whether this is to be at- 

 tributed to a keener ability to see a joke on the part of the citi- 

 zens of these three cities, or to a less serious type of mind, may 

 be left to tiologist to determine, but these three cities not 



only surpass the others in the number of novelty stores where 



V Reckless Blow ox Sharp Pointed Tacks — of Rubber. 



goods of this kind can be obtained but they support a larger 

 number of street vendors who sell these humorous rubber con- 

 ceits and demonstrate them as they sell. 



These street salesmen constitute the main channel through 

 which these rubber mirth-makers reach the ultimate consumer. 

 It is estimated that there are a thousand of these itinerant mer- 

 chant^ in New York and probably 15,000 in the whole country. 

 Adding this army of street vendors to the more dignified dealers 

 who offer their wares from behind a counter and under shelter, 

 there arc probably 20,000 honest citizens who are engaged in 

 supplying the great American public with these rubber con- 

 tributor- to the joy of living. Formerly, before the subjects oi 

 the Kaiser had so many other things to occupy their minds, many 

 of these conceits came from Germany. But now we must rely 

 for our supply on home production. There is no mill in the 

 United States devoted exclusively to the manufacture of rub- 



articles made just for fun, but when one reflects how large a 

 proportion of the product of the Hevea Brasiliensis goes into gar- 

 ments, shoes and hot water bottles for the comfort of the body, 

 there seems full justification for the question — Why should not a 

 small fraction of this product be turned into forms that contribute 

 to the pleasurable activities of the mind and to the general gaiety 

 of the nations? 



Lifting a Thousand Pounds — All Air. 



ber jokes, but then an several that turn them out as an in- 

 cidental but thoroughly established line of manufacture. 



As to the value of these article- sold in this country in the 

 course of a year, one big wholesaler puts it at $2,000,000, and 

 probably he is not so very wide of the mark. Possibly some 

 one might say that this seems like a large sum to spend for 



trade opportunities from consular reports. 

 A firm in Spain is in the market for materials for manufactur- 

 ing rubber stamps. Report No. 16,148. 



A business man in Spain requests samples, prices, etc., on 

 electrical supplies, including insulated wire. Report No. 16.233 



A dentist in the West Indies considers the establishment of 

 a dental supply depot and wishes correspondence with manu- 

 facturers. Report No. 16,253. 



A firm in Russia also desires similar correspondence. Report 

 No. 16,255. 



A Swiss firm is in the market for refined Para rubber for the 

 manufacture of a solution to be used in repairing tires. Report 

 No. 16,263. 



A business man in France desires to secure agencies to rep- 

 resent American manufacturers and exporters of rubber sponges 

 and articles made of hard and soft rubber, to be used in con- 

 nection with surgical, electrical and similar instruments. Re- 

 port No. 16,288. 



A firm in Russia wishes to be placed in communication with 

 American exporters of raw rubber. Report No. 16,341. 



A business man in Italy desires correspondence, in Italian, 

 with American exporters of rubber. Report No. 16,374. 



Prices and quotations c. i. f. Russian ports are requested on 

 rubber goods for surgical and hygienic purposes. Report No. 

 16,183. 



An opportunity is reported from Switzerland for the sale of 

 solid rubber tires. Report No. 16,413. 



\ linn in Italy is in the market for large quantities of articles 

 of rubber, gutta percha, etc. Report No. 16,432. 



A business man in France desires to purchase rubber sponges, 

 gutta percha and hard and soft rubber articles. Report No. 

 16,438. 



\ company in the United States is in the market for supplies 

 to lie used on a rubber plantation in the East Indies. Report 

 Xo. 16,457. 



A foreign business firm desires to purchase large quantities 

 ■ if red rubber bands for preserve jars and glasses. Samples 

 may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic 

 Commerce, Washington. Report No. 16,535. 



A RUBBER PRODUCING SHRUB IN AFRICA. 



\n English reader sends this publication a letter received from 

 a friend who has recently been exploring certain tracts in Africa. 

 One paragraph is of particular interest, as it describes a shrub 

 which the explorer says yields "rubber gum equal to any plan- 

 tation product." The paragraph is as follows : 



"I have for two months past been exploring several hundred 

 square miles of the hinterland, all covered with a wild shrub 

 from which can be pressed (with a sugar mill) rubber gum 

 equal to any plantation product. The supply seems to me to be 

 almost unlimited, the cost of the right to cut the shrub a mere 

 trifle, and so also the cost of pressing. I reckon the gum all 

 together will cost at the coast less than half that of plantation." 



The Tayson Rubber Co., of Wooster, Ohio, is now manufac- 

 turing "Tayson" tires. 



