The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-10-11
HOW SOAP is MADE
When Ii Is Manufactured on a Large
Scale.
[Chicago Tribune Interview.

MI hen HI rs Manufactured on a Large
Scale.
LChicago Tribune Interview.
There is great competition among
soap manufacturers, as there is in tie
production of all staple articles, y re-
marked leading soap-maker recently
in conversation with a reporter, sand
there is consequently very little profit in
soap-making. There is, in fact, no money
in it unless the stuff is made in enormous
quantities 1t is, neyert heless, trade
that is gradually increasing Formerly
nearly every family, especially among
the farmers, made its own soap for gen
eral housekeeping purposes, but that is
no longer the case.
In the course of further conversation
the manufacturer said: ''Nearly every
practical soapmaker looks upon the de-
tails of soapmaking as secret. Here is
a published work on the subject, but, as
you see, it is locked, and no one has ac-
cess to it but its owner The real secret,
however, is the filling that is used in
order to make the soap heavy and thus
realize big profits Now, any filing is,
of course, an adulteration, and these
adulterations frequently consist, among
other things, of common starch, pow
dered alabaster, pulyerized lime, gyp-
sum, and pipe-clay The basis of first
class goods are refined tallow, or, more
properly speaking, stearine, vegetable
oils, caustic soda, and rosin, the residuuih
of the distillation of rough turpeniine.
The stearine and the oil, both of which
yI-nY ,lya off in
the proper quantities to make batch Of
soap, are then pumped into kettle capa-
bic of holding from $4,000 to 60, 600
pounds. Open steam is introduced by
means of pipe which leads to circu-
lar perforated ring at the bottom of the
kettle, and the contents are brought
to boiling point A fixed pro-
portion of certain degree of strength of
caustic lye, made from soda, which is
obtained from England and shipped in
air-tight sheet-iron drums, is then
added. This causes the fatty substances
to saponify, as it is technically called
that is, it eons erts them into soap.
Water is next added, after which a
quantity of salt is thrown into the ket-
tie, the effect of which is to separate the
water not absorbed by the soap from it.
The curds of soap float on the Top of the
kettle, while the excess Of water sinks to
the bottom and carries all impurities
with it, 4 certain percentage of resin,
according to the quality of the soap to
be made, is dissolved in large pan, and
added to the contents of the kettle, which
is again boiled up. Sufficient lye is now
used to form perfect soap. After this
is done more salt is used in order to
cleanse the resin thoroughly. The kettle
is now allowed to stand for two or three
days, at the end of which time the water
at the bottom is drawn off, and the soap
is then given what is called washing
change. This is done by adding water
and a little lye, and opening the mass
with salt The water is then run off and
Strengthening change is given to the
soap. This is done with a strong alkali,
and the boiling is continued for several
hours in order that the soap may become
thoroughly saturated. The excess of lye
settles to the bottom.
1.-The effect of all these changes is the
removal of whatever impurities may be
in the materials used. To make the soaI
perfectly neutral it is given Settling
change This is accomplished by run
ming in water sufficient to bring it into
a siruppy condition, when it has a semi
transparent appearance, looking more
like honey than anything else The SOAP
is now allowed to settle two or three
days, according to the weather. This
settling process answers two-fold pur
pose The soap being finished (the
| technical term the kettle is covered up
and the 'nigee, technical term for the
impurities, is allowed to settle or pre-
cipitaie at the bottom, while the SOAP
cools Off until the temperature falls t
100 Fahrenheit, when it is ready t.
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