Louis W. Mahle; Inventor of Chiclets Gum

Louis W. Mahle, 101, inventor of the tiny, square-shaped chewing gum Chiclets. Mahle named his invention for an ingredient from the chicle tree. Adams Co. later bought the patent for the gum. Mahle was active as a consultant in the industry from his retirement into his 80s. He shared his expertise in chewing gum manufacturing with firms in the Philippines, Spain, Germany, Ireland and the Dominican Republic, and he wrote articles on chewing gum for encyclopedias. On Feb. 13 in Ambler, Pa.