Cat Face

Cat Face. Historic Florida Barge Canal Trail. , What do you think about when you see a long-leaf pine tree?, If you had lived in North Carolina 100 or more years ago, pine trees might have caused you to think about turpentine and the Original Vicks Vapo-Rub. Household cleaners, medicine for burns, bites and stings and a sticky substance for saving wooden ships from sinking might also have come to mind., Herty Cups , You see, back then, cat-faced like notches were cut in pine trees so gum (resin) would run downward into a container. Dr. Charles Herty developed an efficient cup for collecting pine resin at the base of the tree., The resins were distilled in big vats and turned into a thick substance called "pitch," which was put into wooden barrels for shipping to customers. Pitch was used for "naval waterproofing.”, Cheap Manpower , Back in the day, the turpentine industry was labor-intensive, usually manned by convicts "leased" from law enforcement agencies, and/or low-wage employees who were paid with company script redeemable only in the company's stores. Debt was often accumulated, so the workers were perpetually linked to the company until, if ever, their debts were paid off., In the late 1800s, the pine forests in other Southeastern states were played out, so the turpentine industry shifted south to Florida., By the mid-1900s, this whole industry had dripped away for three primary reasons. Turpentine was identified as a carcinogen (causing cancer); ships were made of steel, not wood; and synthetic (man-made)… [end of sentence missing from marker], Look for the Cat-Face tree on the right side of the trail just south of this display.