Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-23
Perfumes In Pomade,

"Nfore perfumes and essential OF
come to this market from across the b
pond than the Custom-house poop,
have any idea of. 1t is for this reaso
that really good perfumes and essence
can often be bought very low"
The speaker was a gentleman cor
nected with a large general importin
house of this city.
care they Struggled imp" asked
Sun reporter.
"Oh. no. They pass through tn
Custom-house, but in what might II
called a quiet way. They are there, ,ut
are not seen, and when they are kp,wn
to be present nothing can be zone.
Uncle sam has to bear it."
You don't mean to say that know
ing that perfume is passing through
their hands, the Custom-hou5 officials
do not enforce the payrent of the
proper dutiesP"
"That is exactly whq I do mean.
You know, nigh duties lie imposed on
all pcrfum'ry which is imported here
from outside countries and to get per-
fume in Tree is a m.tter of some i'm
poltdllCc' 4IlCIC VIZ dtSO out1Ce Ou
pomade nd similar compounds which
run in uder the head of scented greases.
This grase is appraised in bulk, re-
gardles of the amount of extract OF
perfume used to scent it. 1t is often
more erongly scented than is necessary
for itsuse as pomade."
"What has that to do with evading
duties On Derfrme?n
Everything. Beef-marrow strongly
satahted with perfumes is imported as
scored grease, and is so appraised.
Latd the surplus perfume is extracted
and fhe grease is sold as pomade.
Somtimes, when the marrow is much
refinf, it is put up in neat bottles, but
genellly it is disposed of by the pound
to babers and head dressers."
"Hw is the perfume separated from
the gAase?"
"Vfy readily. Deodorized alcohol
is poJed on the grease, and a gentle
heat applied. The perfume leaves
the CHASE and goes over to the alcohol,
whicHs poured off. 1t is then a very
easy latter to dilute or concentrate the
perfule. One of the best methods of
obtaining perfumes is by the use of
greass The processi is called maceration.
The hst fat employed is marrow, which
IS mesed in a water bath and strained.
WhilGt is still warm the flowers are
throw in and left to digest for several
hours They are then taken out and
fresh ones are placed in the grease.
This ! continued for several days. The
greas and perfume + then separated
oy th| use of alcohol. Beef marrow is
not TIP only substance used in extract
ing tle odors from the flowers. Inodor-
Gus OILS are also used, especially refined
oil, Which is more extensively employed
in thu south of Europe. The process
used pr delicate plants, such as jasmine,
tubeDse and cassia, which will not al
low tie use of heat, is on the principle
OF absorption. A layer of purified lard
and sch mixture is spread on the glass
bottom of a square wooden box, and
uponthis freshly gathered flowers are
spread every morning as long as the
aoWf is in bloom. The boxes are kept
shut, and the grease soon acquires a
very strong odor. In saturating
oil,N instead of glass bottoms to
the \ boxes wire ones are used,
upon which cloths soaked in oil are laid,
and the boxes or frames are piled upon
each other to keep them close. After
the oil-soaked cloths are sufficiently
charged with the perfume they are
placed in a press and the oil is squeezed
els. there not some way by which
this method of bringing in perfumes
through the Custom-house may be
stoppel?"
II think not. A jar of scented grease,
with two ounces of perfume mixed
through it has about the same smell as
if there were three ounces. Then a
standard to determine how much per-
fume scented grease should contain
would have to be made. The difficulties
would rot end there. Chemical tests
would have to be used to see if the
grease was scented according to the
standard, and every pot of pomade and
bottle Of hair oil would have to be
opened before passing from the Custom
house. No; it is next to impossible to
remedy the matter."-M Y. SIM.