The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-08
Is 1T BETTER THAN BUTTER!
Congressman Aiken Tells Us All About
Ole0margarinc.
WASHINGTON. y. c., March 20.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 20.
TO the Editor Of the Ne,cs and Courier:
Your editorial of the 26th just provokes
an article, not with disposition to strike
back, but to edify upon the manufacture
of oleomargarine.
The question Of the adulteration of
food is perhaps q legitimate one for Con-
gressional legislation, and through that
channel this article of oleomargarine has
been brought before two of the Congress
sional committees-manufacture and ag-
riculture. Wherever manufactured each
State. requires that every kit containing
it shall be plainly marked "Oleomarga-
rine" before being exposed for sale. But
no State can by law require the manu-
facturer thus to mark it when he ships
and offers it for sale in another State, and
hence Congressional interference is asked
to prevent its shipment across State lines
unless plainly branded.
But to its manufacture. Every one
who has seen the inside of beef knows
that in the region of the heart of fat
beef there is considerable quantity. of
fat, and that the "paunch" is enyeloped
in thin film, which is known as the
"caul" fat. From these two sources come
the material from which oleomargarine is
made, the simple process of which is rs
follows:
This fat is washed, first in lukewarm
water and theu in icy cold water to harden
it. Then being cut into small pieces it is
thrown into hopper resting over mann
moth sausage cutter, which receives it
rapidly, masticates it thoroughly and
discharges it into large caldroD, or Sc
ries of caldrons, that are kept at uni
form temperature of about 112 Fahren-
heit. This degree of heat melts the fat
and tallow, separates them from each
other and from the fibrine or other solid
matter contained in the caul. The fat is
/ the lightest and floats above the melted
tallow, and is drawn off by means of a
syphon into large troughs in an adjacent
room kept at a uniform temperature of
about 80 degrees, in which temperature
the liquid solidifes or becomes crystal
lied into substance resembling granu.
lated tallow.
In this room is large table covered
with frame of moulds about the length
and width and half the thickness of the
old-fashioned brick moulds. In each
mould is laid piece Of clean, heavy
cloth or duck, and the mould filled with
the granulated substance. Wrapped in
this cloth, making block about the size
of thin brick, each mould is laid upon
the follower of a press nearly until COW
cred; then sheet of galvanized tin is
laid over these, and another layer of
cloth.blocks, and then tin and so on al
ternating until the pile is about as high
as bale of cotton and thirds as long.
Steam is applied, and the pile of blocks
is subjected to a pressure of from 1900
to 1,700 pounds to the square inch. Each
little block is pressed to about half inch
in thickness, the residue being pure stea-
rine, which is packed in hogsheads and
sold chiefly to candle manufacturers
The pure oil is caught in gutter that
encircles the press, and carried off by
pipes to another portion of the building.
This oil is as translucent as the white Of
an egg, and perfectly tastelcss, smacking
neither of lard nor tallow.
In the room to which the oil is taken
stands churn, capable of holding 625
pounds of the mixture of 500 pounds of
this oil and 125 pounds of fresh milk.
The dasher is vertical with horizontal
paddles, and is whirled by steam. In
the churn is placed whatever of coloring
matter is needed to improve the color of
the mixture. The churn stands upon a
pedestal about three feet high, and has
near its bottom faucet After the mix
ture is churned for ten minutes, looking
identically like cask of egg custard, the
faucet is opened and a portion of the
mixture is flooded into a large box lined
with metal, and containing about two,
perhaps three, bushels of crushed ice.
AS the churn empties it, contents into
the box, couple Of stalwart men keep
the ice and mixture moving by stirring
them together with strong hat-tined forks,
and by the time the churn is empty the
box is full of CONCEALED substance ex-
actly like fresh yellow butter, and the
ice has been entirely absorbed.
This box on small wheels is rolled off
and emptied into horizontal trough,
through which runs an axle with fat
tened teeth projecting from it, and as the
axle revolves these teeth press or work
all the water out of the substance or
mixture; and from this trough it is taken
by hand tits first handling) and thrown
upon large table, backwards and forth,
upon which, by means of cog gearing,
runs heavy iron.aanged roller, which
works it that much more, and presses all
the water out upon the table, which be-
ing slightly inclined allows the water to
run off. At this working it is salted, and
handled by turning it around and around
80 as to present every possible atom of it
to the pressure of the roller, that it may
be deprived of all its water.
From this table it is thrown by hand
into fue leading to room below, where
it is packed into kegs, boxes and kits,
marked and shipped. When it is sent to
Charleston the euphonious name of OLE
omargarine is left off; your green grocers
and ripe.grocers buy it and sell it as but
ter, and your citizens eat it and enjoy it
as "gilt-edged Goshen"
I asked the president of the company
where was his best market. He replied,
'the Southern cities, especially New Or
leans"
After the committees had spent near
two hours examining this mandatory
and were talking of returning to Wash
ington from Baltimore, where the factory
described is located, the company insis-
ted we should dine with them. The in.
yitation was accepted, and as we sat down
to dinner the host announced that he had
by order of the company procured few
pounds of the best butter from the best
creamery in Delaware and as many
pounds of the oleomargarine and placed
them in cakes promiscuously upon the
table.
Within reach to my right upon the
table was a round cake of beautiful but
ter. On my left sat Northwestern
friend who comes from land better than
Goshen, and within his reach to the left
was a square cake of as beautiful, and
perhaps somewhat darker coored butter.
While dining we enjoyed butter from
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