GOODYEAR ON GUM-ELASTIC. 



United States, it was found that no kind, except that which had 

 been cured (in the manner alluded to) by the Indians, could be 

 manufactured in any way, into goods that would not, in a very 

 short time, decompose. This fact being generally made known 

 in Para, and being exactly adapted to the state of the manufac- 

 ture there, the Indians continued to smoke it, and the exporters 

 have continued to send this kind of gum, and the manufacturers 

 are now compelled to work it because they can obtain no other. 

 This unfortunate state of things exists for the reason that it 

 is not generally known that for the present manufactui-e, by 

 the vulcanizing process, the gum is very much injured instead 

 of being improved by the present mode of gathering, and 

 curing it by this tedious and expensive process of smoking. 

 But the greatest objection to this method is, that being 

 drawn into the clay cups, and moulded on clay, the clay gets 

 mixed with the gum, and also during the process of smoking 

 in the air, insects, and other foreign substances become mixed 

 with it ; beside, it is so much discolored by the smoke, that it can- 

 not be worked into bright colors, or made so white as would be 

 desirable for the purpose of printing. 



Were the gum drawn into close vessels, or into pans, and thus 

 kept quite clean without this waste of labor, it would not only 

 cost less," but be more than doubly valuable, for many uses, 

 especially for the manufacture of air-proof fabrics, which could 

 be made air-tight, with much less than half the thickness and 

 quantity of gum that is now required, because when the gum is 

 perfectly clean, articles of air work may be made air-tight, with 

 an exceeding thin layer of gum, while a very small particle of 

 dust in the gum will cause a leak, in a sheet thicker than would 

 be required for this purpose, if it were quite pure. 



Although the labor of smoking is performed by Indian females, 

 and may not be considered of much value, it is nevertheless a 

 waste, the results of which are only evil, requiring the more 

 costly labor of others to undo them. 



The importance of a change in the mode of gathering the 

 gum, will fully appear, when it is considered that the chief cost 



