The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-04-21
DuncOmDe, SCearnS &c Co.
DON ( forget to
e. E ST "A. z. - W.. a, r..
Dstsaconebe,
Ste0a.ns
D. Co.,,
And the q. s. Consul
at Eiogo, and the
Hiogo News say
about Adu1terated
Japan Teas:

General StaheI, U. ). Consul, as Hi
ogo, Japan, in his latest report says:
:" avail myself Of this occasion 20
call the attention of the Department,
and OF American consumers of tea, 10
the fact that most of the teas shipped
from Japan to the United States are
now artificially colored. Formerly, this
was not the case, In the early years
of the trade, say 1888 10 1863, tho
manipulation Of japan teas by the eS-
porter was confined to n simple reiirlDe,
which was necessary III order 70 cure
The leaf sufficiently to enable it 10 IN
dure transport through the tropics and
to retain its qualities while IN store.
The leaf was improved 10y this process
and Japan tens were then shipped IN
their natural condition aud honestly
called UDcolored.' About 1870, how.
ever, consumers (:) began to call for a
higher color than any natural process
would furnish, aud although this de-
mand was long resisted by the shippers
in Japan, and at some loss To them
selves, yet ultimately it prevailed aud,
| for some years past, artificial coiOring
has been the rule, so that Japan teas,
which are naturally of a hlackish COR
brownsh) green color, are now made
to resemble the blush gray or gruyish
blue teas shipped from China as green
teas The materials used To produce
these shades are not very perniclons ~,
being nothing worse, as general rule,
than indigo and gypsum, but they GER
tainly add nothing to the value of tea
leaves for drinking purposes. There is,
therefore, nothing to be said in favor Of
the practice, except that dealers IN
America prefer teas of that description.
Their doing so is probably explained by
the fact that in teas so col0red coarse
leaves may pass without detection, and
this is no doubt the cause OF the grad
ual deterioration Of the quality Of the
Japan teas exported TO America during
recent years. The adulteration will
probably continue as long as consumers
in America buy teas only according 70
the appearance Of the leaf, regardless
of It's drawing qualities and as long as
the simple secret of making the infus-
ion isso little understood In our comtIy."
Quoting the above report of General
Stahel, the Hiogo News of July 2otb,
1881, say:
&" We are glad TO be able to quote an
authoritative opinion On the purity Of
teas prepared in Kobe, given by a dis
interested person possessing every means
of ascertaiuiDg the exact. facts. It is
evident that shippers have no object in
doctoring up tea, beyond obedience to
The iusistonce Of customers 1t the other
side Of the Pacific But there Is doe.
torug and doctoring. Anal sis Of eleven
samples of Japan teas, made last year
in San Francisco, showed that four con.
tanned Prussian blue Zero cyanide 0f
from, ii7e plumbago (black.Ioad), and
the remaining two simply indigo and
gypsum. This bears out Gen. Stahel's
remark on the adulterants used here
Kobe, supposing that the two, out of
eleven, comparatively innocuous samples
were from teas produced in this district.
At all events, American l!) consumers
are alone to blame for any odnlixtures,
the result OF their demands for teas of
a particular and unnatural color, and
they also have tue satisfaction of know.
ing that the remedy lies entirely in their
own hands
COMMENTS. Having dealt largely IN
natural leaf Japan teas for the past
three years, and also having been iamil.
lar with this class Of teas since their H.
PRODUCTION into this country, we desire
TO state our belief that General Stabel,
in the foregoing, has made as fair re-
port as was consistent with his duty to
the commercial interests of the country
he represents. But he crrs in placing
the responsibility of adulterating japan
teas upon consumers, for neither coD-
sumcrs nor retailers we're in fault Con-
sumers never called for colored Japan
teas. neither did retailers ask for them,
but both parties were imposed upon ty
shippers, importers, jobbers, and their
salesmen, by the gradual and, al first,
almost impcrceptible change TO colored
teas, which, however, increased until IN
some instances whole families were made
sick with the poison contained IN the So
called Dust, or Sif'ings' from such teSs.
Whether this is serious matter or not,
Japon tea drinkers must decide; We
think IT IL. and shall entirely exclude
the colorcd imposition from our bus'-
necs, and, therefore, press il upon your
attention.
rSiltings froIu uncolored teas are pnte-
wholesome. and economical
| n,