The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-29
Making Eggs "without Hens.s

do you mean TO say that you m de that
egg without the assistance of hen ?" asked
the reporter Of Connecticut egg manu-.
facturer.
"Yes," he REPLIED land If you wish
will show you something of the process
Come"
He led me through room IN which
there were stored boxes upon boxes of
eggs, and into another large cool room in
the rear. Several strengthening wooden
machines, totally unlike anything | had
ever seen, stood in different parts of the
room. SIX or seven men were operating
the machinery. which moved nolselessly
and with great rapidity. followed my
conductor to one end of the apartment,
where there were three large tanks or watts.
One was filed with II yellow compound,
the second with starcby mixture, and the
other was covered.
Pointing to these the proprietor said
These contain the yclk mixture and the
white of an egg We empty the watts every
day, SO you can Judge of the business al
ready. Let me show you one of the ma.
chimes. You see they are divided into diff
ferent boxes or receptacles. The first and
second are the yelk and white; tic next Is
| WuoI W. tSi III thC Shlh ihhShihVi obh thio
the last one, is the shelter, with drying
trays. This process is the result of many
years of experiment and expense. | first
conceived the idea after making chemical
analysis of an egg. Alter a long time
succeeded in making good imitation OF
an egg. | then turned my attention to
making the machinery, and the result you
see for yourself. or course 1t would not be
policy for me to explain all the mechan-
ism. but I'll give you an idea Of the pro.
cess. Into the first machine Is put The
yelk mixture"
What is that" asked.
"Well, it's a mixture OF Indian meal
corn-starch and several other Ingredients
1t is poured into the opening In thick,
mushy state, and Is formed by the machine
into ball and frozen. In this condition
it passes into the other box, where 1t is sur.
rounded by the white, which is chemical
y the same as in the real egg. This Is al
so frozen, and by peculiar rotary motion
of the machine on oval shape is impaired
to it, and 1t passes into the next receptacle,
where II receives the thin timy skin. AT
ter this it has only to go into the shelter.
1t gets its last coat In the shape OF plaster
of Paris shell, tri1ie thicker than the
genuine article. Then 1t goes out on the
|drylng-trays, where the shell drys at once,
and the inside thaws out gradually. 1t be-
comes to all appearances, real egg"
How many eggs can yol turn out in "a
lday?"
"Well, as we are running now, we turn
out % thousand or so every hour"
MANY orders?'
"Why, yes. We cannot fill one-half OF
orr orders. All we can make now are
taken by two wholesale grocers alone we
charge e2 12s Per 1000 tor them, and they
retail at all prices from sixpence to one
and threepence per dozen. We sell only
to the wholesale houses. They are per-
fcctly harmless and as substantial ana
wholesome as real egg. The reason we
make the machinery OF wood Is because we
found that the presence OF metal OF any
kind spoiled the flavor and prevented the
cooking Of the eggs"
Can they be boiled?"
"Oh, yes"; and he called one of the men.
Here, jim, boil this gentleman an egg"
Can they be dctected?' | inquired
while the bogus egg was being boiled.
81 hardly think that anybody would be
likely to observe any difference unless he
happened to be well posted, az they look
and taste like the real thing. We can by
u little ilavoring, make them taste like
goose or duck eggs, OF course altering the
SIZE. They will keep for years. That one
you have just eaten was nearly year old
They will never spoil nor become rotten,
and being harder and thicker in their
shells they will stand shipping better than
real eggs We calculate that in few
wears we Will run the hens Of the country
clean out o! the business"