22 GOODYEAR ON GUM-ELASTIC. 



With regard to the inventions and applications of his own. 

 which are marked with the initials of the inventor, he deems the 

 greater part of them of little importance in comparison with 

 the original discovery, through which, alone, all the subsequent 

 applications and inventions are rendered useful, or in comparison 

 with the fibrous and plated fabrics which he considers exceed- 

 ingly important in a mechanical point of view, as many of the 

 fabrics, and a great number of the articles which are designed 

 as substitutes for leather articles, could not be made to advan- 

 tage in any other way, on account of the gum peeling off the 

 cloths and canvas on which it had been spread. It is for this 

 reason that the woven cloths, coated with gum, are not recom- 

 mended for a greater number of uses. The reason why they 

 are recommended in some cases is, that in the present state of 

 the manufacture, they may be more conveniently made or ob- 

 tained than the improved fabrics. 



Since the properties of the heated or vulcanized gum-elastic 

 and the qualities of the fabrics are becoming better known and 

 appreciated, there is a growing interest in the subject which 

 has drawn the attention of many inventive minds to the appli- 

 cation of the substance and the various fabrics, to numerous 

 arts and manufactures, which come within the sphere of their 

 operations. Among the useful inventions made by others are 

 Ship Lights, by Mr. Hidden ;* Spring Shoe Clogs and Hydrant 

 Faucets, by Dr. C. Stearns ; f and Car Springs, by Mr. F. M. 

 Ray. J Many others have since been made. These are 

 alluded to as being among the earliest established manufactures. 

 From the complete success of these various inventions the 

 future success of others may be anticipated. 



To enumerate all the articles which it is believed may be ad- 

 vantageously made of this substance, would swell the catalogue 

 itself to a volume. It would include a great proportion of the 

 articles in common use. The writer has selected and described 

 from some of the classes of articles those only which were most 

 prominent. For instance, among the articles or utensils which 



* New York. t New York. i Springfield, Mass. 



