The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-23
Acrated Waters.

mented with the familiar fountain
spouting forth various liquids with for
eign names. People drink the spark
ling liquids and then go home and hold
their hands across their abdomens and
sigh to think of the saecharine poison
they have swallowed and wonder if a
stomaeh-pump would relieve the in
ward contest that seems to be going on.
The business transacted in aerated
drinks in Chicago has grown to aston
ishing proportions within the past few
years, and it is estimated that there is
at present at least 50, 900, 900 invested in
the manufacture of these popular bev-
erages. One large firm on the South
Side has half a million invested and
does an annual business amounting to
as much as the capital invested. It is
estimated taat during the summer sea-
son the sales of aerated waters amount
to st least 5000 per day, and that dur
ing the yetr at least S2,000,000 worth
of the sparkling fluid finds its way down
the throas of Chicago people. 1t is
well known that the active agent in the
production of these drinks is earbonic
acid gas, quick and fatal poison when
brought in contact with the lungs. 1t
is this gas which is known to golfers as
the terrible fire-damp. 1t exists in all
mines of great depth, but, being heavier
THAI the atmosphere, it is spread along
the bottom of mines infected with it in
body, fatal to all living things. In
Italy there's a grotto in one of the pict-
uresque caves near Naples where this
gas forms layer along the floor for
several feet, and dogs and other ami
mails entering this grotto instantly per-
ish. This is the gas liberated in the
rotten, seething masses of corruption to
be found in various parts of the city,
and to thoroughly appreciate the gust
atory delights of soda, ginger ale, and
any of the mineral waters one needs only
to get Whit of some putrid animal or
stand over an open sewer and lnhale
the rising odors, for what he smells is
one and the same thing that he pours
into his stomach, with an addition of
water, usually unfiltered, and sugges-
ton of flavor, which in nine cases out
of ten is an imitation, with the chances
in favor of its being poisonous.
The three elements which make up
all aerated waters are water, gas and a
flavor. Soda water, as it is usually
made, never contains an iota of soda.
All the soda drank in Chicago is manu-
featured by simply forcing carbolic acid
gas into water. In the very large ma
jority of cases this gas is made by run
ming vitriol from generator into res
ervoir containing marble-dust. The two
ingredients unite and two new products
are formed -earbonic acid gas and
gypsum. The carbonic acid gas is then
passed through half dozen reservoirs
filled with water for the purpose OF
washing it free of poisonous properties,
which are liable to remain in the gas.
After having been washed until it is
theoretically pure, the gas is then ready
TO be conducted into various reservoirs
filed with water, and soda, ginger ale,
Vichy, Kssingen. ETC., are made at the
same time in the same reservoir. Oh
course the soda has to be favored and
labeled. The most important feature
in the manufacture of these drinks is
the fiayoring and the labelling. Vichy
and the various mineral waters, how
ever, do not need to be favored much
as the gas destroys the taste of the water
to gfsat extent, and none but an ex.
pert can tell acroted Lake Michigan
water, in which certain salts have beer
dissolved, from the genuine Bethesda
congress, or seller. 1t is even init
mated that the Chicago River water il
preferred by some dealers, as it i!
thicker than lake water and require.
less coloring and fiavoring to suit tn,
taste of the jolly indulgers in the bow
that foams and sparkles but does no
intoxicate.
Some of the Chicago dealers, how
ever, allege that they use soda in tn,
production of the gas with which tn,
water is to be aerated. Their process il
to mix water and bi-carbonate of sod:
in certain proportions in reservoir
into which sulphuric acid is passed
The result is carbonic acid gas and sui
phate of soda. The gas is then con
Quoted in pipes, as in the process notet
before. toreServoirs of water, which arr
aerated and favored according as soda
ale or mineral water is desired.
The cheap dealer gets his work in Oh
aerated waters principally in the flavor
ing. The various flavors, such as pine
apple,.iemon, vanilla, chocolate, rasp
berry, blackberry, etc., are duplicate,
by compounds familiar to the chemist
art, which, while possessing none o
the properties of the article counter
feited, resemble it in taste so nearl,
that when diluted with carbonatet
water the most delicate taste is de
ceived. Raspberry is often counter
feited by compound of sugar, water
and poisonous ether. Vanilla is ;
rarity, and its place is usually supple,
by an extract of the tonka bean. Black
berry is produced by uniting Orlean
sugar, water, and concentrated ex
tract of boot-heel, or other odorou
substance. In fact, no department O
the science of chemistry has been S,
prolific of practical results as recen
discoveries In the art of counterfeitin.
vegetable favors. The usual method
is to unite some mineral extract will
an ether, and the whole is thickene,
with poor and dirty quality of sugar
Mead, a new drink manufactured from
glucose and water, has attracted som,
attention, but it does not appear tina
this drink, whose flavoring is of a
questionable n uuaIifxy DC fhof - 49, :,