The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-01

A Glimpse ~ History ana the Frocesn
sfboup Making "A vtsit,o the wbriss
OF Messrs. CoiIer ~ Laehappeiie.


sation introductory TO our mission, we
were escorted Oyor 10 the factory,
shown the works aud given an Insight
Into the process of making the ordna-
ry bur soap, the only kind NJ present
manufactured by the firm. The works
are situated at the foot Of Austin
street. The factory building Is q frame
structure twenty-five by lilty feet, II
well adapted for the purpose for which
II Is built, IL surrounded with conven-
fences aud guarded by n lorco pump
and hose against fire. The ground
room Il one hundred by two hundred
feet, substantially ENCLOSED, and, Ike
the Office quarters and stable, gotten
up with some regard 70 general effect
There Is an air of attention about the
Office, iheworks, theyad, the walks, the
drains, etc., which bospeaks and ut
once satisfies the observer that want
Of success viii notbe because the enter
prise has not been conducted with sys-
tenn. .etAf- lad "
Soap, rs everybody knows or should
know, Is u chemical compound result
ing from the combination of m acid
with an alkali. The acid Is fat or tall
low, and the alkali either soda, when
makes hard soap, or potash, which
makes soft soap. Soap making is SIM
ply conductDgthe combination. Many
different materials are used In making
soaps-some cold, some hot, some UNI
der prtssure-but they all come under
the one brief statement Of n union of
caustic alkali with the acid part of fat
or oil Tallow, suet, fish oil, goose
grease, and almost all animal fat up TO
even that of man, have been used. a
number of vegetable oils, including
olive, lnseed, castor, cotton seed and
snnflower seed oils have, not only been
manufactured oXperimentally, but are
regularly used in the business, The
variety Of alkalies available may he
numerous, but ii can hardly be said
that any besides soda and potash are
commerciallyused.
Although the word soap is found in
the bible, soap, us we know it, could
not have been referred to, for the Jews
at that time had not soap itself but
used usa Substitute, the ashes OF the
saicornia, u plant ora variety ofwhich
is found in and used 10y many inhabl-
tants of Mexico. The word soap is
used 10y Jeremiah in speaking of the
sins ofJuslah, as follows3 'For though
thou wash thee with nitre, and take
thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is
marked ill, %; and by Malachi, in
describing the majesty and grace of
Christ, viz "For He slilie arefner's
fire, and like filters soap" Let it be
remakred right here, reverentially,
An aside for The benefit of the simple
minded--the fuller here referred to is
not the Fuller you are thinking about,
consequently he was not the patentee
fthe process of making soap but ref
erence is had to iuller's earth, n species
OF mari having the property Of alb
sorbing grease, and therefore used in
cleansing cloth by the fuller or scoulrer
Soft soap was apparently made be-
fore hardsoap, as apotash lye from the
ashes of trees was at first used, and not
soda, by the Gauls, who discovered the
invention, before the christian era.
From these barbariams, the authorities
have il, the Romans learned to make
it, and from the Romans the Greeks,
an order of introduction the reverse of
thatwhich. commonly prevails. Some
kind of soap was used by the Roman
ladies, not to cleanse their pretty
faces and dimpled hands, for then, as
now, the belle eschcwed it, but-just
think of tito dye their hair a fire
red or brightisl, yellow; and all because
it was the fashion then, you know.
Soap, hut not exactly The kind used by
the Roman ladies, was quickly and
generally adopted by the most civilized
people of ancient times after they be-
came acquainted with it. In Italy
and Spain soap, was manufactured in
-theeighth century, in France about the
twelfth, and in England not until the
fifteenth century. az iIsE,n
The important scientific epoch in the
history of soap making was in the
beginning of the present century, and
the process then adopted at Marseilles,
with such Improvements as have
since been made, is the basis of opera
ture In the establishment Of Messrs.
Cotter 4 Lachapelle. Letus follow the
process through the works of these
gentlemen. There are three immense
wooden tubs, called spans. The first
extends from the basement to the first
story, and stands about five feet above
the floor; the other two have iron
kettle bottoms; are ranged over furna-
ces in the basement, like the first pro-
tudes through to the first floor, are
about six feet in depth and will hold
eight Thousand pounds each.
In numbef one the I've is prepared,
and this is done 10y the action of fresh
Stacked lime, which, on being mixed
with carbonate of soda in water, be-
comes caustic soda dissolved, or the
alkali. Three different portions ofthis
I've are prepared, varying in strength.
la number two the first essence of the
fatty acid and alkali commences, the