No. 216.] 245 



throughout the whole Malayan coast to monopolize the raw ma- 

 terial. The company purchased of the patentees all their rights in 

 England, France, Belgium and the United States, (where patents had 

 been applied for) by all the patentees, therefore the Gutta Percha 

 business is at present monopolized by the London company in Eng- 

 land. This company disposed of their patents in France to the 

 house of Rattier & Cubal, by whom the business is extensively car- 

 ried on. 



In the month of June, 1846, S. T. Armstrong, of this city, re- 

 ceived from one of the directors of the East India Company a small 

 quantity of the raw material, with a request to make some experi- 

 ments, and give him the result of his experiments. And at the 

 same time suggesting the idea of visiting Europe on this business of 

 Gutta Percha, however, being at the time engaged W'ith some heavy 

 government contracts, he was unable to leave for Europe until 

 March, 1847, arrived in London in the month of April, and spent 

 six months in England and on the continent, visiting all the Gutta 

 Percha manufactories then in existence, and after much negotiation 

 succeeded in purchasing the rights in the United States, applied for 

 by the English patentees, and of visiting and perfecting himself in 

 the art of manufacturing the different articles from Gutta Percha, and 

 made arrangements with this company for a supply of the raw ma- 

 terial. Ml. A, returned to this city in September folic w-ing, and 

 immediately made arrangements for the manufacture of articles from 

 Gutta Percha. He imported the first lot of Gutta Percha for man- 

 ufacturing purposes that was imported into the port of New-York, 

 and is at the present time the only person who understands the art 

 of manufacturing the article properly in the United States. He has 

 now established in Water-street Brooklyn, a very large manufactory 

 which is devoted entirely to Gutta Percha. 



This mysterious substance can be manufactured iuto articles as 

 soft as silk, and as hard as marble; it will take a polish equal to 

 marble; it is made into machine belts, shoe soles, decorations of all 

 kinds, round cords, book-binders' boards, military equipments of all 

 kinds. &c., &c. 



The supply will be limited for some time, excepting to those who 

 have secu ed their supply, but after a few years the supply will be 

 abundant. 



Accompanying this short sketch you have a few samples of the 

 many articles manufactured by the American Gutta Percha Compa- 

 ny, office 139 William-street, N. Y. 



