“CORK”
The material of which this monograph treats has become of double
interest because of its shrouded mystery, which has never been pierced
to the extent of giving the world a complete and comprehensive story.
The mysticism does not encompass its utility and general uses nor its
native land, as these are well known, but is more associated with its
character, composition and chemical makeup.
Its uses may be traced far back into the misty past that is dim to us,
but from the faint scroll of history looms up in the mind’s eye as an
epoch that we may have been glad to know, and although the references
are few, by carefully analyzing them we may glean somewhat of its
lineage.
The arcana attending it have been revealed to a few, who no doubt,
through curiosity, have endeavored to penetrate its obscurity, but
unfortunately have not written extensively upon the subject, instead
leaving a meager memorandum of their findings. The years of its use have
given very little knowledge of it to us, the reason perhaps being the
lack of competition and therefore no necessity for a close scrutiny to
find additional qualities to recommend it above others. And an
additional mystery is that it has been in use for so many years and so
little said about it. Its latent qualities have mystified those who have
handled it for years, and from them we can learn very little; so it will
be of interest to peruse practically all that has been written,
incorporated in this treatise, with the addition of the latest
investigations upon the subject. To present this in a form which will
give credit to the small but authoritative references and place them in
their proper order, together with other recent data, was no small task,
and in presenting the total matter in concise style meant the weeding
out of all extraneous language or superfluous description.
In considering this material, it may be well to start with a few
precursory remarks as to the etymology of the words by which it has been
designated in the past and is now known, as by so doing it will convey a
better understanding of the material to follow.