WKKX EDITORIAL NO. 116

(Charles Goodyear)

     According to the Journal of Physiological Applications of Rubber Products, a young man named Charles was fascinated with India rubber made from the milky juices of a rubber tree.  At that time it’s only use was as a pencil eraser.

     Others had tried to make shoes and clothing from the rubber, but they froze in the winter and melted in the summer.

     Charles knew that somehow this magical substance would one day serve many purposes.  People laughed at Charles and called him the “rubber man.”  For years Charles experimented with the raw product, and one cold night he mixed the rubber with sulfur and a piece accidentally fell on the stove.  The material did not melt and was elastic.  Charles nailed the material outside on his door, and when morning came he found it was still flexible and easy to handle despite frigid temperatures.

     On the verge of a life-changing discovery, Charles was unable to borrow any funds so he sold his personal belongings, which included his children’s’ books.  Finally Charles discovered the proper amounts of heat, rubber, and sulfur to create today’s rubber products that are used in shoes, clothing, tires, and many other products thanks to the persistence and dreams of Charles Goodyear.