National Republican., 1879-07-29
GREEN COFFEE.
A Novel but Iufamous Method for Improv-
Ing Its Appearnnce.

Ing Its Appearance.
To The Editor Of he National Republican!
SIR Coffee has become an article Of almost
universal consumption, and is no longer regard.
ed as luxury but necessity, and is esteemed
by all who use 1t rs being as wholesome as 1t
is delicious when properly made and wholly
free from adultoration. Humanity has surely
suffered quito enough already in the uso of the
delotorous compounds sold as ground coffee,
but resembling the genuine article in appear
ahce only; and yet it appears that neither the
excessive and iniquitous gains arising from tho
! sale of commodity the chief ingredients of
which are of quality of peas more flcshy
than fresh, and an article of damaged coiieeso
utterly worthless that uought save the dis.
guisc put upon 1t by the ground-cofiee manu-.
facturcr could give it value, nor the unsavory
flavor aud health destroying effects of these
cheap but vile compounds have satisfied the
cupidity Of some or served to remove
the stupidity Of others. Nevertheless
we have learned with grief and astonishment
that some have been found so devoid of con-
science as to place in market painted coffee
and painted, too, by ingredients the most
poisonous. Language is inadequate to express
the cnormity of tho wrong. That respectable
merchants should lend their aid in the pcrpc.
traton of IL Is painful reflection on the rccti-
! tude Of II class hitherto noted for their intelli-
gcnce, integrity, and high sense of honor.
However this may be, it is nevertheless
lamcntablo fact that the ncfuiou5 work Of
painting coffee with chrome green goes on
aud with the merchant there must rest fear
| full responsibility, for IL Is sei-evident propo-
! sition that when the merchant ceases to sell
an article that will surely injure, and perhaps
destroy, the lives of his fellows, tho occupL-
| ton of the coffee painter will be gone.
But our faith in the honor and integrity Of
the merchants tells us that they, like our
selves, have been profoundly ignorant of the
| true character of the compound which has been
used for the purpose OF enhancing the value of
| an inferior article Of green coffee. They have
simply failed to satisfy themselves of the true
| character Of the preparation which makes
very inferior article to assume the appearance,
but not tho quality, of very superior one.
For tho past six months every person conver
| SAINT with the coffee trade has been aware of
the fact that tho importation Of the lowest
grades of Rio coffee was unprecedoutly large.
This was n matter of no little surprise, in view
| OF the fact that the price of good article was
| proportOnately lower than at any time during
| the past eighteen years. But this surprise was
very much heightened when it was definitely
asccrtainod that there was corrcspondingly
| large increase in tho demand by the retail
trade for these inferior grades ofgreen Rio coffee
| In looking around for cause we were not long
| in discovering that strange manipulation of
the article was going on, and further investi
| CATION reveals the fact that the demand for
| the manipulated article is so large that the
| wheels of one establishment never cease, day
| or night, to run.
| Not curiosity alone, but a suspicion that the
| ingredients used in painting green cofiees
were not so harmless as represented, led us to
| send party engaged in the business ten
| pounds of coffee, in order that he might show
us proof OF what he could do in the way of
preparing coffee so as to deceive the unsuspect-
ing public. His skill in this direction at once
| convinced us that it was our bounden duty to
place the ten pounds so prepared in the hands
of an able chemist for analysis, which we did.
To his report we invite the earnest and
thoughtful attention, not only of every one
who drinks coffee, but OF all who feel that in
the better sense they are their brothers
| keepers
NEW YORK, July /, 1870
| MtssrS. Arbucllc Brothers:
| GENTLEMEN: / have made an analysis of q sample
of coffee received from you June 10, 1879, with the
| following results find present lead, chromium
| and iron, in the form OF chromatc of lead and
| Prussian blue-these two compounds forming
| when mixed. theso-callcd chrome green" | re-
port therefore, that this sample OF coffee is coorcd
with chrome green"
CHAs. NJ. STILLWELL, A. NJ.
| Is II not high time that we had law not
| alone to prevent the adulteration of what VIC
eat, but still more to prevent the poisoning OF
that which we drink Respectfully submitting
this to the consideration of the public, we are
| trulv ynura ARRI1rE TE nPOS