The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-08-12
SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETS.
PROGRESS OF TREIR MANuFAC.
TURE IN THIS COUNTRY.
Deltcncies that Delight the PaIates
of YOuth-VegetabIe COIOrs TalK-
ing the Place of Poisonous Omess

is how the sugar.plum it snaps up with
some avidity is made. Yet the manu-
facture of these delicacies-I had almost
said necessaries-of the nursery IS thing
worth witnessing. Formerly all the
higher class came from France and Ger
many, where for ages they have been fa-
nous for their delicacies. But since the
introduction of steam into their fabrica-
tion these articles are now made on the
largest scale in this country, and are
vastly cheapened since the days when we
used to spend our last penny in taffy.
The rude style of old is also gone. The
eye must now be satisfied as we'll rs
the palate, even in the cheapest items.
Think of the one-cent sweets done
up in a ruby-colored gelatine packet
There was color, it is true, in some
of the more snowy sweets of old, but it
was metallic color, containing the most
virulent poison. An analysis of this paint
ed confectionery, published in a medical
journal some years ago, exposed the vii
lainous manner in which this vividly
colored sweetmeat was made attractive
to the children by poisonous paint. The
brighter the hue the more deadly the
sweet. The brilliant green, for instance,
with which the toy confectionery was
adorned, contained arsenic of copper.
One can quite understand the bad name
sweets acquired when thus made up.
There was vermiion in the reds, of
course, and gamboge and chromate of
lead in the yellows. No doubt many
young children were absolutely killed by
plentifully partaling Of these artistically
ho Of hot
medical paper has delivered us from this
cause of infantile trouble. Nothing but
harmless vegetable colors are now used,
which, if not so brilliant as metallic
ones, are quite safe.
A large New York establishment,
which ordinarily employs some ninety
persons, about the commencement of
December requires the services of almost
double that number, the majority of
whom are engaged in making bonbons
by the million until the turn of tthe new
year. The entire underground portion
of the premises is devoted to the manu-
facture of sweetmeats. On descending
the stone staircase one finds ones self in
a sitting atmosphere, too heavily laden
with the aroma of vanilla and other es-
sences. Around are scores of workmen.
their faces lighted up by the red glare of
numerous furnaces, busily engaged
in plunging particular fruits into
large caldrons filled with boiling syrups.
More in the shade are other stalwart-
looking men, their countenance made
pallid by the intensely heated atmo-
sphere, piling up almonds, ETC., on huge
copper vessels, and so constant is the
sound of metal that the visitor might
imagine himself in an armor smithy in
stead of q sweetmeat factory, among
workInen making bonbons for women
and children to crunch. On all sides
are piles of sugar barrels, gallons of
liquors, syrups and essences-kirsch,
wine, aniseed, maraschino, curacao, pine
apple, apricot, strawberry, cherry, van
lila, chocolate, coffee and tea-with sacks
of almonds and baskets of chestnuts,
pistachio nuts and filberts being emptied
into machines which bruise their husks,
tlay them and blanch them all ready to
receive their saccbarine coating.
Most bOnbohs are made by hand; only
those which are fiat on the bottom are
cast in molds. In the hand made bon
bons the sugar paste is rolled into shape
by the aid of an instrument formed of a
stout piece of wire, one end of which is
twisted and the other fixed into wood
en- handle. With this the paste is taken
out of the caldron and worked into the
desired form by rapid stroke of the
hand. For bonbons of a particular
form, such as those in imitation of fruits,
ETC., models are carved in wood. A GER
tain number of these, say from fifty to
sixty, are fixed on a narrow strip of
wood, and the confectiOner takes
molds of them in starch, con-
tanned in a series of large. shall
low drawers. AS soon as the molds
become dry they are filled with liquid
sugar, already colored and favored, after
which the drawer is put on one side for
twenty-four hours, when the bonbons
are ready for sale. The delicate sweets,
containing some essences, such as pine
apple, etc, are always cast in starch
molds. 1t puzzles older heads than those
of children to know how this drop of
delicious liquid gets into the center Of
the sweet. Like many other puZZhng
matters, it is very easily explained. The
tiavoring essence is mixed with the liquid
sugar, and when poured into the mold
the latter crystaliZes Immediately over
the former. These essences so nice to
the taste, are the most remarkable ex-
amples of the power of chemistry to
transform very repugnant materials into
delicacies. Fusel oil is the base of the
pear essence, and pineapple essence is OBJ
tanned by diluting ether with alcohol
The chemist in his laboratory, with great
cunning, manufactures scores of these
essences, which are supposed 10 be the
veritable product of delicate fruits. Some
of the pretty forms that are made to
take the fancy of the little ones are simply
punched out of fiat films of sugar rolled
some are cast, some are pressed into
shape when soft between engraved roll
ers. The drops and sweets that are quite
clear are boiled so long that the water
has eyaporated out of them. Such
sweets must be Immediately bottled up,
afs 81 D