Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-27
TRICKS OF THE TRADE.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
| Secrets ofthe Mysteries Revealed-InfOrmatiOn
for Consumers.
1t is perhaps not known to the
general reader, that some of the finest
scents and flavOrS are derived from
what is called impurities, decaying
and refuse matter of various kinds.
The investigations of census takers
reveal many transformations of mat
! ter, chemically and otherwise, not
dreamed of in natural philosophy.
The statistics show that manufac-
turing products in New York have
increased since the last enumeration
$75, 100000. Among the new and
strange industries discovered the fol-
lowing are named: 1t was found, for
instance, that some use was made of
old shoes, but exactly what use was
hard to find ont. Large numbers of
old shoes were sold by rag-pickers to
certain men, who disposed of them
at good price. 1t is known that bits
of old leather make the commercial
article known as prussian blue, but
only few firms manufacture it, and
the new call for old shoes was evidently
for some other purpose. In New
York city and Brooklyn about three
million pairs of old shoes are thrown
away every year. Formerly old shoes
were plentiful in the cutters Of GER
tain neighborhoods; now it appears
that they are sought as choice prizes
in the rag-pickers' line. BY dint Of
persevering inquiry it was discovered
purposes. First, all shoes not COM
pletely worn out are patched, creased,
and, after being otherwise regener-
ated, sold to men who deal in such
| wares. Some persons wear one shoe
much more than the other; these
dealers find mates for shoes whose
original mates are past hope. Secondly,
the shoes not worth patching up are
cut into pieces the good bits are used
for patching other shoes, and the
worthless bits-the soles and cracked
"uppers "--are converted INTO Jamaica
rum by a process known only to the
manufacturers. 1t is said that they
are boiled in pure spirits and allowed
to stand for a few weeks. the product
far surprising the Jamaica rum made
with essences. burnt sugar, and spir-
it's.
| A gentleman who doubted the truth
of this story stopped recently at low
grog- shop in the neighborhOod of the
factory spoken of, and inquired if they
had any rum from old shoes. mo"
/ cold hn 1>o, Vic : W. don # Enpn If
much now, the druggists who want 4
pure article, all sell it, and the price
has gone up But we have had it, and
we IAN get you some if you want it. ;"
How many old shoes 60 to gallon Of
rum could not be ascertained. 1t has
been noticed by some deputies that
while manufacturers are quite willing
to put a valuation upon their manu-
featured product, they hesitate about
stating the value of raw material and
even return the schedules with the
space for the value of raw material
left blank In one instance manu-
facturer of tomato catsup returned a
report giving the value of his manu-
featured product at $4,000, and the
value Of his raw material as nothing.
His explanation was as follows:
Every year in the canning season he
sends to all the wholesale houses
which make a business of canning
tomatoes clean tubs, with the under
standing that the women who trim and
peal shall throw the skins and paringS
into these tubs; every day the tubs
are removed, the stuff in them ground
up, fermented, favored, and sold as
tomato catsup to the extent Of SIC, 600.
Another singular and decidedly pernic-
cious business is the manufacturer of
cheap candies from white earth, or
terra alba, mixed with a little sugar,
and glucose. The deputy who inyes-
tigated the confectionery business re-
ports that IS per cent. Of some candies
is composed of these substances, and
such candies, notably gumdrOpS, con-
tains still less sugar. The effects of
the unfortunate children who buy
these candies is yet to be determined
by future autopsies.
What is called a fine brand of CASTLE
soap has been found to be composed
chiefly of this white earth and grease,
but the evil effects of such an impost-
ure are trihing compared to the
results of turning children's stomachs
into miniature pottery works. Among
the new industries which have sprung
into existence daring the last few
years in the system Of finishing in
this city Of foreign goods imported in
an unfinished condition. Foreign
articles composed of several parts
are now largely finished in this city,
the parts calling for hand labor being
imported, while those calling for
machine work are made here. In
this way heavy duties are saved,
although the articles are sold as i'm
ported goods.
The manufacture of spirituous and
adulterated articles is not confined to
New York alone, for we find by the
French journals that the question of
adulterated and manufactured wines is
greatly agitating the French wine
merchants, who have petitioned the
government to intercede in their
behalf by such legal enactments as
will effectually prohibit and prevent
the manufacture of artificial wines,
the petitioners asserting that not one
third of the wine used in Paris is