The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-12-12

himself to q wealthy hrm or manu1ac-
turers as the discoverer of new and
cheap dye for calico printing. He was
taken into the laboratory of the estab-
lishment. and in half an hour convinced
the manufacturer of the truth of his
statements. In a fortnight he was on
his way home with $4,000 in his
rockets. Before seeing the father he
changed the money into gold, and when
his father began to demonstrate with
him on his extravaganza, cut the CONVEX
sation short by throwing the bags of
sovereigns on the table, and asking
"whether that wasn't some extrava-
gance." Nothing, however, could in
duce him to settle down. In a few
months the whole of the 800, 900 had
found it's way into the pockets of
Partisan adventuresses, German gam
blers, and the thousand and one sharpers
who haunt the pleasure centres OF the
continent. When the money was all
gone Paraf went to his uncle, Of the firm
of Paraf, Javai & Co., in the Rue de
Santier, Paris, and in short time as
before had compounded new color,
which sold for $40, 900. Another month
of dissipation followed, and then the
youthful chevalier determined to "Go
West"
Paraf landed in New York from the
| West Indies in June, 1877. Adroit,
handsome and daring, he found no diff
Guilty in effecting an entree to the count
ing rooms and parlors of New York mer-
chants. His first acquaintances were
Bredt & Co., chemists, in Fulton street,
by whom he was introduced to Prof.
Charles F. Chandler Of Columbia Col
lege and the Board of Health. His
scheme at this time was the manufacture
of iodine out Of sponges, and he applied
to the professor for all analysis of his
process. The enterprise was found to
be impracticable, and was soon drop
ped. Paraf then turned to his old
forte of calico printing. He profe used
I'd have discovered an "analine black :"
superior to any in the market, and
with this he made trip through the
manufacturing districts OF New Eng.
land, selling licenses to manufacture
the dye to various mill owners at from
50, 900 to $4,000 apiece. This campaign
is said to have netted him over $780,
600 in cash.
Returning to New York. he took ele-
CANT apartments in the first story of
the Everett House, at $125 q week,
bringing with him O tall, distingue
looking blonde, whom he introduced as
Madam Paraf. The money which he
had made "down East" he flung
around him in the most lavish style.
He would take absolute pleasure in
loaning 81, 900 or $4,000 at time to a
friend, and would even press it upon
the latter if he thought him in want.
He gave elegant dinner parties at Del
monico's, at which men well known in
scientific, mercantile and legal circles
we're welcome guests. He would drive
home late in the evening and allow the
carriage 10 stand outside all night, too
indolent to send down the order for it's
dismissal, but perfectly willing to pay
$25 or $50 to the driver in the morn
ing for his trouble. In bathing, he
would throw 800 worth of ottar Of roses
into the water, and then lie and soak
in Oriental luxury for an hour or more.
When the "analine black" was ex-
hausted by the discovery of the fact that
the owner and patentee in Europe was
coming over to make those who had used
it pay roundly for the privilege, Paraf
carried his explorations into another
field. He professed to have hit upon a
method of employing the extract of mad
der in calico printing at much cheaper
rate than that in common use. BE
called upon Gov. Sprague, of Rhode
Island, and laid his plans before him.
The two together took trip to Prov
dence, where Paraf performed his ex-
periments 80 successfully that the
Governor became convinced of the value
of the invention. and paid the Chevalier
$25, 900 down, with contingent interest
or royalty on the profits that might be
made out of the undertaking. Madder
works were started in Providence, and
m imposing Office rented at 42 Broad
way, in this city. For time everything
went on swimmingly, and Paraf over
flowed with money. His entertainments
at Delmonico's became more lavish than
ever, and one in particular that he gave
to Hassan, the Tunisian Ambassador,
was a marvel of richness and luxury.
The Sprague "placer " at last became
exhausted, and the Chevalier was forced
to new shifts to keep up his magnificent
style of living. In the eighteen months
during which the "madder" excite
ment was at it's height, he had spent
over $l00, 900, besides running into debt
largely. Something had to be done, and
that speedily. What was done is best
described in the words of an intimate
friend: "I was coming up Broadway
one evening, when, who should hail me
but Paraf, who was driving by in a
coupe. He dragged me in, without a
word Of explanation, shut the door, and
held small black bottle before my eyes.
taste it, said he imperatively, did 80.
why, it's good butter" said I. Yes,
replied he triumphantly, 'and it's made
without one particle of milk"
This was the foundation of the oleo-
margarine scheme, at least as far as
America was concerned. The process
had originally been discovered in Paris
during the siege by the Germans-the
government having offered reward to
any one who would produce an artificial
butter. The gist of the scheme lay in
the conversion of the fat of cattle into
a substance resembling butter, by the
use of pepsin-a method which was sup
posed to accomplish in another and q
cheaper way what vas effected by the
process of digestion in the cows stomach.
Specimens of the butter were prepared
in DR.. Chandler's laboratory and the
School of Mines in Columbia College,
and submitted to R. Ogden Doremus
for analysis. The result of the analysis
was favorable, and joint stock "oleo.
margarine company with capital Of
$500, 900 was formed.
The first thing that led to suspicion
in the soundness of this new venture
was the discovery by the Chevalier's
lawyer that the process had already
been patented in France, and that Paraf,