Green’s Dictionary of Slang

rubber v.³

In phrases

rubber around (v.)

1. to wander about.

1899		W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 3: Up there [in the woods] you are likely any minute to come face to face with an Apache or some old left-over Aztec rubbering around among the bushes.
1900		Omaha Dly Bee (NE) 12 Jan. 6/7: [advert] You can ‘Rubber’ around our Suit tables, You can ‘Rubber’ around our Overcoat tables.
1914		Jasper News (MO) 24 Dec. 7/4: Come right to town and go to their barn, / ‘Rubber’ around — it will do no harm.
1928		J. O’Connor Broadway Racketeers 69: I told the kid to take the bundles and grab a hack for home. I told him I’d tail him in another and warned him not to rubber around.

2. see rubberneck v.

rubber in (v.)

to enter.

1902

Sun (NY) 12 Oct. 18/2: As I rubbered into the meatshop I saw Dippy’s wife . She was swinging the butch for a chop or so for supper.