Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-12
OleOlmarRarine OF Butter :! From the New York Herald.

When Justice Wendell on Friday evening announced his intention of holding Thomas McGrath for the sale of unstampsd oleomar- garIne' he said he was influenced by the testi- mony that the complainant, MT. Churchill, was an expert, able to distinguish real from artificial butter, and from the statements of other witnesses he was led to believe that such could be readily done. Among the samples exposed for classification on the bar was one which all had pronounced genuine butter, and this the magistrate, by the evidence of his own senses, had indorsed. This, he learned after the proceedings were over, had been cut from tub of oleomargarine taken from the factory in West Forty-eighth street, and was with ths other specimens in a wagon in front of the court He ordered them into court, and, on tasting the contents of the tub which he had pronounced real butter, he summoned the manufacturer, who swore it was only fine grade of oleomargarine, and that it had been made in his factory and brought thence only an hour before. On this the magistrate gave orders to have McGrath's commitment cancelled. T must let this case stand ss it was, he said. 'sUnder the cir cumstances which have come to my knowledge think would be guilty of an injustice to hold the prisoner for trial So far as I can judge the article he sold may or may not be butter, and till chemical analysis establishes its real character will withhold my decision. As all were deceived in one specimen the senses, believe, are not fit critics of any,"
 How Slate Pencils arc Made.
 In making slate pencils broken slate is put into mortar run by steam and pounded into small particles Then 1t goss into a mill and runs into 'sbolting' machine, such as is used in Touring mills, where it is ''boIted, the fine, almost impalpabie, flour that results being taken to mixing tub, where small quantity of steatite flour similarly manufacturedis is added together with other material, the whole being made into stiff dough. This dough is kneaded thoroughly by passing it several times between iron rollers. Thence it is conveyed to table where it is made into charges or short cylin- ders, four or five inches thick, and containing 8 to 12 pounds each. Four of these are placed in strong iron chamber or "retort, :" with ehangcable nozzle 50 as to regulate the si1s of the pencil, and subjected to tre- mendous hydraulic pressure under which the composition is pushed through the nozzle in the shape Of long cord and pass over slop- ing table slit at right angles with the cords to give passage to knife which cuts them into lengths. They are then laid on boards to dry, and after few hours are removed to sheets of corrugated zinc, the corrugation serving to prevent the pencils from warping during the process of baking, to which they are next sub- jected in kiln, into which superheated steam Is introduced in pipes the temperature being regulated according to the requirements of the articls exposed to it's influence. From the kiln the articles go to the finishing and packing room, where the ends are thrust for second under rapidly revolving emery wheels, and withdrawn neatly and smoothly pointed. They are then packed in pasteboard boxes, each containing one hundred pencils, and these boxes are in turn packed for shipment in wooden boxes containing one hundred each, or ten thousand pencils in shipping box. Nearly all the work is done by boys and the cost therefore is light.