Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-19


50 situated a. 10 make il 4 success.
HOWARD GLYNp0N.
fsE a-k'E.Es. .sssa sss.Fss&E.'' AND $50
k'Els~EEs sT'E.D s:tfEs.H."
The District Chemist ana sEi~ imaiy-
sea. etc.
To the Editor IF THE EvESTHG STAR:
The results obtained 10y Prof De SChmedt in
his recent analyses of butter. '-buttcrine" and
"sophisticated butter" Cwhatcyer that Isl. as
published from time to time in the daily news
papers have been so erroneous. contradictory
and unjust to majority Of our merchants,
making them appear. TO those unacquaiHted
with the facts. that only chosen few dealers
sell pure butter. while the balance, who sell,
idcntically, the same class of butter are. "a one
writer has said, ''Damnable Frauds-that We
beg the privilege OF analyZing few of his sam
pies, which, We think. will show his utter inabil
ity to arrive at the same conclusion twice. or 10
even tell the genuine from the sophisticated"
The first published results of the professors
analyses appeared In your issue of the eth ult.,
among them sample No. g. pronounced butter
mixed with lard" We have since received
written affidavit from the packer and shipper of
the well known brand of butter from which said
sample was taken. signed and sworn To before a
notary, that the same il absolutely pure una
dulterated butter, Ii is colored. as is the case
with ali the finest creamery butter made in the
winter. ard much OF il that is made In the
cheese. both in winter and summer.
The cOloring il not considered adulteratiOn.
In the professors more recent analyses he has
pronounced a ''bEtterne' samples of fine New
York dairy butter whicn We're beyond doubt
absolutely P.O-e butter.
4 few days since a LoudOun county. Va.
farmer, who is above suspicion. sent to com
mission mouse OH this street q small package of
his own make OF choice butter. sample from
said package. sent 10y the retailer to the District
chemist. called ShutTcrine-" Again. lady
residing in Maryland sent II few pounds Of her
own make to the same commission house. who
sold them 10 a grocer. The grocer being called
on by the health Office for samples gave two
from the same package. one was pronounced
pure butter and the other "butterine' by the
eminent professor, Ten tubs of presumed fine
creamery butter We're purchased by "A retailer. at
cost Of forty cents per pound. from a pure
butter house in this cry. The ''pOariZed light
of the professors microscope made a sample;rom
the same "bItterinc." At the same time
(pr"bably with more ii-ht") a sample from
ldentical!y the same goods was made pure but
ter for one of the Few honest dealers" 4 sec
ond sample of the ten tubs from the first dealer
subsequently sent to the professor. strange TO
say, had turned to pure butter 'buttcrine'
at one time, and pure butter at another.
And still again: A prominent wholesale grocery
firm of this city submitted sample of New York
dairy butter, with the chronic result, but
terine." sample from the same tub sent to
the Agricultural department was pronounced
absolutely pure butter" And yet another
sample" A street yender of "butterine" sold
a roll as ''fresh country butter to a house
keeper, who. being suspicious of Its purity, sent
a sample to the health office. where, 10 and be-
hold, it was called pure butter"
The street vender now goes armed with a
clipping from this wonderful decision. An ex-
ample of the eccentricities of the professors
microscope stands on the record Of one of our
justices courts. The facts are these: In the
fall of 1882 we sold a customer a tub of butter
made the previous June. few days after he
came to us and asserted it to be OleOmaTgarine.
We knew the reliable source from which the
tub came. and believed il to be nothing but
pure unadulterated butter though old in flavor.
However, he took sample to the health office,
and few days after returned to our store
armed with certificate from Prof DeSchmedt
prOnouncng the sample oleomargarne. On
this opinion our customer refused to paw for
the tub i'm question. and also for other bills due
us. We finally seed for the recovery of the full
amount. Our customer summoned Prof. DeS.
and also produced in court the unsold portion
of the identical tub of butter from which he
testified he had taken the sample to the health
office. with the result as stated. The venerable
professor was finally called to the stand and
asked to examine with the microscope and test
with acid a sample from the tub. He did So
and, to the discontinue of the defendant and
his counsel. pronounced it pure butter" In
this. his second analysis. so reversing his first,
he was upheld and confirmed by Prof. TAYLOR OF
the Agricultural department.
We confess our inability to why the micro
scope of the District chemist should make butter
at one store and 'butterne" at another from the
samples of dentically the same stock, and how
it can make both butter and ''butterine" out of
the samples of the same goods at the same
time, obtained from the same party; or oleo- |
margarine at one time and pure butter at an |
other from the samples OF the same, or why his
microscope makes ''butterine of a sample that |
is made pure butter at the Agricultural depart |
ment!
We do not doubt that large quantities OF im- !
tation butter are sold, mostly. however. from I
door to door under the guise of fresh country /
roll butter"
None deplore this more than we do and none |
will hail with more JOY a law to prevent its man |
ufacture.
While we reluctantly yielded to keeping 'but- |
terine" to meet the constantly growing demand |
for it. we have never sold an ounce of it for |
butter. Yours truly.
SPICER, COMPTON & Co.