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Show PAGE 20 cmc THE MIXING EDITION BEAVEK COUNTY NEWS IbWERED yX CM&WINGl KAIU.Y Ihri-i-lio- City hS of Tuscany till or pieces chewing gi;in are In manufactured the United Slate p ra annually, all of w hich la nmilo from one product of tropical TbIa America. account clearly for the $ I.Mil, dim In chicle, anu.iul ly exported hy our sister republics, and brings to light the workings of a most gigantic In lustry. In the fifteenth century chicle was exknown to the Intrepid Spanl-iplorers, who reported thut the liidhius thirst employed the guin to quem-and relieve exhaustion; hut the ucl vernal use of the gum tan not he said to have begun until as late as 1 STS. Since that time the demand for this almost mysterious commercial commodity has Increased to Much an extent that Importing Arms have been obliged to search the markets and ex plolt the growing of the tree In order to obtain a supply sullictoiit to meet existing requirements. Prior to 1KS8 chicle sold for from 7 to 8 cents per pound; In IH96 It sold for 36 cents per pound; and now It Is selling for $2 per pound. The tree, Achras Sapota, from which the chicle Is obtained. Is Indigenous to northern 8outh American countries, Central America, and In Die Mexican atates of Yucntan, Campeche, Tabasco, Chlapua, Yemenis, Onxacn, Puebla, Jalisco, San Lula Poind, and the tenltorlns of Teplc and CJ'ilnt iiiih and Australian South African colo nbta are large and ever Itoo. Aa yet tho systematic cultivation of the Acliraa 8 a pot a has not been carried on to any great ex tent, but experiments have that abown trees planted at a distance of 10 feet apart, or 400 to the acre, will yield from to 6 pounds of, 5 micV to 10 years old and from 12 to 13 Inches In diameter. In Its wild slate the tree Is tiaunlly found in (re-quentlgroups, growing to a height of from 40 to 00 when from 8 It la straight, and hns a long, dear length, thus making It most desirable for tlni-ieWhile It grows well In a variety of soils. It aeems lo thrive best In a rich cloy loam, with good drainage and an annual rainfall of about 90 inches. IjiimIs well ndnpted lo the growing of the tree vary In price from $3 to SIS gold, per acre, and are I sing largely dealt In at the present time The wood Is of a reddish color, closely resembling tnahoRany, is quite hard, heavy, compact In text tire, and fine grained. Prehistoric door frames and rafters of sspola wood are found among the Mexican ruins, and are mill In an excellent stale of preservation. This wood Is today greatly In dctnimd by ablnetinakers, who employ It In the manufacture of high grade furniture and household fittings. which also Fur many ears the sapodllla comes from the Arhras Pnpola tree, was a popular variety of fruit lound In the markets throughout I.atln America; but now. on account of the great demand for chicle gum and the attractive rewards offered for Its gathering, the fruit Is seldom dealt In by the natives. The operation of gathering chicle and preparing It for the market Is similar to that employed In the maple sugar Industry In the United States. Throughout the rainy season, and while the sap Is up. the lapping la dime by the chicle gatherers, or "chlcloros," as they are railed. Their outfit Is most simple, and consists lu nothing more than a piece of nqc and a machete. Hy means of this the waist and roe, which Is fastened about slipped around the tree, the chlcbTO Is enabled to hold any desired position and wield the machete In rutting the Incisions or gullies. Great care must be exercised In tapping not lo cut loo deeply, aa excessive bleeding of the sap will cause the rapid decay or the tree. It Is possible for a clilclero to gather, properly, from 10 to K pounds of the sap per day, for which he Is paid. In most eases, a contract price of from 10 to 15 cents per pound ; hut on ninny of the large estates an effort Is now being made to effort payments for the labor hy the day, week or month, and In this way prevent the destruction of the trees frequently caused by a gnu'dy desire on the part of the rhiclcro, when under contract, to obtain aa much sap aa iosslblc without regard to the Injuries sustained by the treea. In granting concessions to gather chicle In the national forest reservations, the governments demand that natives shall be properly Instructed In the gathering and preimratton of fhe gum, as promiscuous tapping will not be longer tolerated. In some instances trees have lieen tapped for 25 years, where rare has been taken, although after that time they produced but from cue-hal- f to two pounds of sap. However, If allowed to remain untapped for a period of flvr or six years, they will then produce from three to flve pound of gum. Authorities differ In regard to the aver gv h- - Ik it of the aapota, and the length of time r. lcr, Increasing JiiTba, to a required-consistenc- y, adding some flavoring extract, such vanilla, peppermint, or wlntergreen. sugar, after which it Is transferred urge rentrlfugal receivers. Here it Is pped Into a dough, and afterward reed to tables and kneaded In powdered tr. It la then rolled into sheets, cut letiired sixes, dried, wrapped by ma-ier- y In attractive papers, and placed boxes ready for the market, the en process being at all times under the test inspection. visit to any of the chewing gum fac lea will convince the mpst skeptical it the product is nothing more nor leas ;ii a pure und wholesome article and solutely harmless to its vast and faith fll army of consumers. y feet; - consumers. It Is a estimated by manuprominent facturer that sufficient chewing gum Is produced each to supply year every human being on earth with two sticks, and that the exdully energy pended In tho con sumption of this popular masticatory Is equal to that necessary to light a city of 250.-00- 0 inhabitants for the same period. There are nufactories merous scattered through-ough- t the United States, where can be witnessed the Interesting processes by which chewing gum Is manufactured The factories are sanitary In every particular, and methods of absolute cleanliness prevail In each detriment. An of flclal report hy the department of commerce and labor states that a chewing gutn factory was the second cleanest plant inspected In the United States. The process of manufacture consists in simply mixing and boiling the gum, in required for Its maturity; but a general average height ean bn placed at from 25 to 40 feet, and' maturity Is reached at from 40 to 50 years. A tree 25 years old, and producing from 20 to 25 pounds of rhicle each year, will measure 25 to 30 fet In height, and 22 Inches In diameter. la cut In tapping the trees a Incision spirally all around the tree, the arms of the cut extending upward. In order to permit the sap to flow freely to the bottom, where a receptacle Is placed at the end of the gtuly. The sap has the nppenrance of milk as It flows from the tree, but It afterward takes on a yellowish color, and thlrk-tnuntil It Is about the consistency of treacle. After gathering the sap it Is carried to the toiling sheds, and by a rather primitive boiling process Is brought to the proper consistency. As the ('Iteration continues. It Is necessary to knead the melts from time to time. In order to extract the water. The gunt, If properly handled, will take on a light gray color, although there Is considerable variation In the shades and colors of the products received from the different districts. In the old days much deception was practised by the chicleros, who. In order to Increase the weight, would Insert stones, bark, sand or wood In the boiling chicle, before It was formed into loaves. This clever deception Is a thing of the past, however, aa the contracts today call for a pure straight article, and there Is little opportunity of adding any foreign substances. Much of the rhlete Is shipped In rough, uneven loaves to tho United States via Uanada. where It of Its original Is refined and dried out to one-hal- f weight, thereby saving 50 per rent, of the duty. Under the Wilson bill the gum was admitted act free; but In accordance with the or 1897 a duty of 10 cents per iund was fixed, which Is the present rate. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1909, there were Imported Into the United States 5.430.139 pounds of chicle, valued at $1,987,112, as compared with 929.959 pounds, valued at $156.11)2, n ms; Kepeated attempts hove been made to ndx, adulterate. or substitute chicle In every conceivable manner, but nature Insists that the gum shall only bo used to furnish unlimited molar action, and that It can not le artificially prepared by rlirm leal or mechanical means. No medicinal use has yet been discovered for chicle; but In the manufacture of chewing gain various digestaais, kiicIi as pepsin, have been added and the product pronounced by eminent medical authorities as pure, free from any Injurious substances, and lirnedrlnl in the relief of various forms of dyspepsia and In In the strict sense of (he word, chewdigestion ing gum Is an ludestructible residuum, the user having the advantage of both the finest confection and a medicament, as well. Its distribution extends In the Western hemisphere from Hudson bay to the Argentine Republic; In the east, from I,ondon to Hongkong; and the Inhabitants of ths s 1 tariff-revisio- OCEAN MONSTERS IN BATTLE whth Early on the morning of August 14 last, the for new light in quarters building engaged bouse keeper at Hreaksea Island, near Hot t nest Western Australia. Hie contractor and his men noticed a bull whale with a cow and a calf passing the Island some distance off. An hour or so later about nine oclock to b exact the men were startled by an extraordinary noise, apparently coming from the eastern end of Hie island, a noise unlike anything they had ever before. Dropping their tools and atartlng toward the east, they beheld such a sight as it falls to the lot of few people lo witness. There, not 506 yards from the shore, was' being waged a battle lo the death a fight between the great cow whaU pu'tiously veen and a school of thresher sharks. The sharks, aa though acting in accordance with some preconcerted plan, had completely aur rounded the two whales and. apparently realizing that nothing was to be feared from the calf, eon cent ruled all their efforts upon the cow. Agair. and again they charged in upon her. their Jaws snapping, tearing at her mighty aldea until thr sea was red with blood. Meanwhile the cow lashed her tail furiously, hurling up sheets of reddened water and occasionally crashing down with ter rifle force upon one of her voracious opponents Presently the spellbound spectator! realized two facts first, that the calf had disappeared in Hie melee, and secondly that the tortured whale w as undoubtedly becoming weaker. It was obvious that the unequal struggle could have only one end lug. Still, however, ahe fought on doggedly, win exhibition ring admiration and sympathy by her of hopeless courage. Altering her tactlca. by a u preme effort she hurled her whole great bulk cleni of the water for a moment and the fascinated on lookers beheld the sharks hanging from varionr parts of her gleaming body by their serrated teeth Then down she went again with a crash like thnn dcr and for an Instant whale and sharks were burled amid masse of foam, heavily colored with life blood. Rising again, she the poor mammal of plan, making for the another change essayed rock and desperately striving to rub off the cling ins sharks against their edge. But the threshers were equal to the occasion; while those on the out side maintained their grip, the others dived undei the their enemy and charged her anew, tearing at was of that an ferocity in ecstasy whale's side bloodcurdling to wltnesa. More and more feeble grew the whales strug relief of the spec glea and at last to the heartfelt had been terrible it tators, for her death light heboid -t- he great body turned over and sank be water. The unequal hattlr d neath the was over. - red-tinte- w OU cannot know Tuscanny until you have seen San It was the Gimignano. Oracle who spoke she H who had been three whole years in Tuscany, ahe for whom every hilltop castle and echoing convent had yielded up Its story, she who no longer addressed servants with the personal pronouns specially reserved for gentlemen or for royalty. We four American women seated about the Signora Soldalnl's charming table In Siena made haste to supply our deficiency. Our start the next morning waa In approved Italian style, with a big, comfortable carriage, red trappings and horses, and a driver whose smile made up in friendliness what It lacked In dental perfection. San Gimignano U 25 miles from Siena. The way ilea through valleys and over bills once peopled with warring Guelfa and Ghlbelllnea, many of whose grim gray castles still crown the heights; and each fresh valley opening which brought a castle Into our view waa a signal for a lively discussion over the factions significance of Ita architecture vhether the w W well-serve- - aqnafe-rurrdte- battlenfAu d erttioe-o- walla crowned with their mysterious towera stand chill and silent along the ulirrow lanea of streets. The email boys In low voices ask us, not for pennies, but for foreign stamps, and, anticipating our inability to supply them on demand, they hand us tiny scraps of paper uion which are their names and addresses carefully spelled out In pencil unexpected signs of enterprise in this sleepy place. After a dinner In the hotel housed In an ancient palace with a tower, we set out and follow a guide whose careful English and smiling face seem also alien to this strangely hushed city. We go with him from church to church, wondering anew at the skill of those old architects and builders of the agea we call dark. We puxxle out the Bible stories In the bright frescoes of Oouoll and Ghirlandaio which line their walla and we marvel again over that old Italian race of men who were fighters, courtiers, painters or princes of good fellows as occasion served. In the lovely white and gold chapel dedicated to her we listen to the story of the city's patron aalnt Santa Fins a maiden of fifteen who, to expiate a sin, lay for five years upon an oaken board. At the end of that time she died after s vision of Saint Gregory, 'and the board" upon which she had lain broke out Into flowers, and great tempests arose, when of a sudden the bells In the city towers rang mysteriously and the tempests were stilled and, looking up, the people saw white-robe- d angels swinging the bells In their towera; and they knew that she was holy; and,-- behold! as we turned, there upon the walls we, too, saw the swinging bells and the white-robe- d angels painted by the hand pf Ghirlandaio. Then we climbed the stairs to the old Palace of the People and saw the spot In the council chamber where Dante stood when he came from Florence In 1300 and talked for the Guelflc league. aa the marble tablet on the wall tella us. Little did those people Imagine as they listened to the young ambassador that upon this visit to their city In the thick forest would rest much of San Gimignanos fame In years to come. We wandered about and studied the battlements of the palaces, some with Guelflc and others with Ghlbelllne trimmings, aa the city, midway between Florence and Siena, followed the fortunes now of one, now of the other rival. These towera were once the signs of the wealth and aristocracy of their owners, who vied with one another in building them so high that at last the law had to intervene and regulate their height and no private Individual waa allowed to exceed with his tower the height of the tower on the public buildings. Today only the bats and owls tenant these proud relics of tha past and peer from the little windows, from which distant battles were watched. There remain only a few hundred out of the 16,000 Inhabitants of San Glmlbnano'a prosperous fifteenth century days; wars, the black death and the new trend of times having left the place In a backwater of modern Italian enterprise. Aa we drove out. through the gate and down Into the lovely valleys of the Elsa, we had a feeling as of having been bodily back in the dim middle ages, of having taken sides In Ita fierce hates and lovea and prides. We had Indeed added another vivid Impression of Tuscany to our experiences, and as the sun waa reddening In the west we halted In an Ilex forest to listen to the clear notes of the nightingales. the finishing touch lo our last vacation day. The oracle had said truly one cannot know Tuscany who has not seen San Gimignano, the City of Tlcantlful Towera. ADA WALKER CAM Kill.. f oxhorned shape were tie authentic symbols of Ghlbelllne or Guelflc leanings. Guidebooks consulted on the spot left ua In doubt, so, according aa our sympathies lay with dim mysterious Sienna or with her gayer rival on the Arno, we settled medieval politic! In the fancy of the moment As we bowled gaily along over the hard white roads we gave thanks to the ancient Romans for their construction and to the moderns for their preservation, not forgetting to praise Dame Nature for the honeysuckle hedges, for the bright scarlet popples dotting the waysides and for the picturesquely tilled fields which lay like huge checkerboards against the hillsides. Now and then we passed a gaily colored house with a row at false windows a painted sham made necessary In the days of heavy tax on window glass. The artist waa so realistic as to put a painted lady, leaning upon a painted sill. Ve disputed the highway with d oxen hitched to basket carts or queer farm Implements. We had a Pisgah view of a tiny hilltop city encircled with a wall whose towers were crumbling and the Monteregglonl, whose sole claim to fame rests upon Dantes visit and inferno" allusion 600 years ago and uon every side we came upon natural landscape arrangements ready to the hand of the artist, scenes which must hare served as models for the dainty backgrounds of Plntnricchio and Sodo-nfrescoes. We thundered through one city gate and nut the opiioslte one of Poggl-bon(the city with the good mouthful of a name), our clattering wheels and snapping whip bringing cafe loungers and basket plallers to doors and windows to see the noisy foreigners. d More hills, more winding valley roads, more red and fields and olive green checkered groves, when of a sudden a view ahead seems to transport us to the States for are not those slender towers the familiar smokestack of a signs bustling manufacturing city? (lut no clouds of smoke Issue from their tops, nothing dims the clear blue of the sky against which they are silhouetted. They are the towers of San Gimignano not symbols of modern progress, but relics of medieval pride and glory. We count them as we draw nearer; 13 now remain out of the 38 which once made the city "resemble a cornfield." A sharp ascent through olive orchards and past a row of women washing clothing at an ancient public fountain, and we enter an old gateway and drive up the steep, narrow streets of the city. Triumph of Oratory. A strange feeling of depression Did Showier hold bis auditors spell In seizes us, someihlng contrast to the usual gay spirits so contagious In bound under bis hypnotic Influence? He went further than that. He Italy. There are few people about, em fast asleep. put visible Is no we seem there Industry, almost to be In a city of the dead. We leave (he carriage In 6 small square High Prices far teed in Germany. In German cities food prices are now near (he cenier of the city, and aa we oak about us those dull gray palace about aa high as In the Unlied States wide-horne- n o sl castle-crowne- . |