The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-25
Oleomargarine.

The vast host of admirers of genuine
butter-good, old country butter, which,
Mahometan tradition says. was one of
the fruits upon the Tree of Life in the
Garden of Eden-will have cause for
rejoicing in the closing of one of the
four oleomargarine factories in Phila-
delphia, and the largest and oldest fac
tory of them all. The remaining facto-
ries are small concerns that have not in
the aggregate the capacity of the one
whose operations have been thus indeti-
nitely suspended.
The ostensible cause of the shutdown
was scarcity Of beef fat In reality,
though, fixed Discrimination upon the
part of Philadelphians to eat the So
called substitute for butter seems to have
been ut the bottom of the trouble.
This, it is urged, was not surprising in
view of the fact that in no other section
of the country. or in the world. for that
matter, is really good butter fresh. fra
grant. rich, well churned-so abundant
and so cheap. Within radius OF thirty
miles of the city there are over 5000
farmers and dairymrn whose chief
source of revenue is bu:ter-makIng. and
their churning is acknowledged to be
une lualed. With oieomargar ne ut
twenty-five or thirly-fve cents per
pound. and the genuine arti lie at thirty
five to forty cents per pound, the labor
ing classes, for whom especially was the
beef fat butter designed, steadily and
unanimously reused to use it. From
the beginning, the factory was driven
To FOREIGN markets. and the scarcity of
fat was but one item among the many
causes which led to its closing up.
1t was established in 1877 by party
of New York capitalists, who bought
the right of making it il the United
States from Mali. the Frenchman, who
was the original patcntee OF the prep
arat!on. Imagining that thev possessed
a monopoly, the company built large
works and went to great expense in
eruipping the plant. 1t is reliably
stated that over Sl5O. 900 was expended
in the purchase of machinery alone.
The oleomargarine was made upon an
improved plan. The only fats used
We're what is called the caul a. d entrail
fats. The fat was first wa he'd clean.
and then ground. after the manner of
usage, in huge knives constructed es-
pecially for that purpose. After beng
ground up to the Consistency of mince
meat, the fat was melted at a low tenn
perature. The oil was then extracted
by means of hydraulic presses. This
oil was pressed, finally, through heavy
cloths and then churned. With the oil,
when churned, there was mixci a out
an equal quaint ty of cream. The cleo
marc arine was packed for market in
large tubs. sometimes n ordinary prints,
but mo tly in bulk. 1t was exported to
Europe, the West Ind es. Mexico. and
vast quantities were sent through the
Southern States. where it gained favor
be ause it would not b come rancid. 4
very small quantity was sold TO retail
dealers in this city.
The average cost of the cat in the
crrde was eight cents per pound. The
entire cost of manufacture. including
the churning. added but. five cents per
pound to this figure, and at eighteen
cents the product was sold at large
profit. A pound of fat was made to
yield thirty per cent. of oil. The res :
due was cow rtei in'o stearine and
tallow. Although the capacity of the
fac DRY was 300.UOQ pounds per week.
from thirty to forty hands b, ing en-
ployed. the actual production averaged
only %, 900 pundS.-Riddelphia Press.