Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-21
ARE THEY ARTIFICIAL EGGS.
what an Inv entor says He can do-To
supply the Market 1T Half a Cent
Apiece Paterson Dealers Alarmed.

what an Inventor SSys He can do-To
supply the Market vt Half a Cent
Apiece Paterson Dealers Alarmed.
From the Netn York Tribune.
In the back room OF a Broadway Office a
curious invention was exhibited yester-
day to several provision dealers and mer-
chants. The invention consisted Of
number Of artificial eggs, which resent
bled the real article so exactly that none
but an expert could distinguish them.
The shells were made Of 3 clear, tran
sparent compOsition. and the shape was
perfectly modelled The portion sur
rounding the yoi6 was made Of aloumen,
and the vOik itself of ground carrot aud
saffron Three OF these artificial eggs
were placed on a platter by the exhibitor
with half dozen real ones, and the men
present were told TO select the bogus ones
from the collection. The first expert eX-
posed MS ignorance by picking out three
real eggs aud declaring them to be arti-
Mcial. The second, with a little better
luck. owing partly to mis- avoiding the
three selected by his unfortunate pre-
UecessOr, managed to pick out two Of the
real eggs and one of the artificial ones.
Thus with varying results each Of the six
men tried his skill in determining the diff
ference between theeggs BY their appear
anoe. When each had had trial, and
failed tle exhibitor said:
"Noyv, gentlemen, you can test them in
another way" A fry.ng-pan was then
placed on the stove, and in a few minutes
J began to simmer. Two of the artificial
eggs were picked up, their shells broken
and the contents dropped into the hot pan
where they soon began to simmer and
fputter. A little salt and pepper, brisk
z SO minutes stirring with fork, and as
fine dish OF scrambled eggs as could be
prepared at a restaurant was placed be-
fore the expectant guests.
Help yourselves, gentlemen. They
are as good as the real article. Moth
lng poisonous or dIsagreeable about
1hem.'
This invitation was complied with at
once, and the several verdicts were:
Delicious" Better than the real arti-
Gle" what are they made of|' "They
are not artificial, but fresh eggs from the
country"
Well, gentlemen" smiHngly respond
the exhibitor, whether real or artl-
fetal. ] can make any quantity OF those
eggs at a cost Of about MALT cent apiece,
while you cannot buy their equal for less
than . or 8 cents. You have Just had proof
that you cannot tell themfrom the real ar
1lcle BY their appearance or by their taste
when scrambled. In an omelette there is
equal no perceptible difference, but when
boiled The imposition is much more easily
detected. But even then nine people out
often would be deceived, as the only
difference lies liz the fact that the yolk
sand surrounding white portion VIII not
harden separately as they do in the real
RE. TIE flavor isabout the same, which
after all should be the main considera-
sion. It is my intention to put these arti-
Icial eggs on the market soon, and my
object in inviting you here to-day was to
Fatr INN elHr
3 think l have done it. GoOd-day, gentle
men"
There is some stir ia Paterson over a
theory entertained by some provision
dealers that somebody has been imposing
Gu them with artificial eggs. Garret
Onderdonk, a farmer from ROckland
county, y. Y, came into Paterson on
Saturday with lot Of eggs which he sold
10 various dealers. George w. Saunders,
a grocer, bought some, asd found. as he
alles es, that they were not genuine, as
they had been represented to be. Saund-
crs went before the Recorder and made
complaint against Onderdonk, alleging
that the eggs were sold as fresh country
eggs Whereas they were what are known
In lhs trade as ''pickled eggs" and that
hereby a law Of the State of New
Jersey against the sale of aduterated
food products was violated, the eggs haY-
log been treated by some peculiar process
so as to look like a recent barnyard pro-
duct. OnderdOnk was arrested and
pleaded guilty and Recorder Greaves
lined him $50, which OnderdOnk paid and
ielt the city. He has not returned since,
Yesterday Adrian X. Van HOuteu, pro-
duce dealer, and himself farmer OF large
experience, developed new and surpris-
sing theory in regard to the eggs, Of which
he had bought a quantity from Onder-
donk. MIR. Van Houten's customers had
complained that the eggs would not cook,
Rnd he broke some of them. and investi-
gated them. He said he was convinced
that they were artificial eggs, the shells 4
being made Of a combination OF lime and
plaster Of Paris and the interior OF a
chemical mixture. Mr.. Van Houten says
there is factory in Newark where these
innings are made. Several provisional
callers agreed with Mr.. Van HOuten, but
others said the eggs were genuine.
The resemblance to real eggs, if the
eggs are artificial, is close. The white
and yolk are we'll defined and the men,
brane between the white and the shell is
all there. The yolk, however, has a
peculiar gummy consistency and the film
between the white and yolk was lacking
10 the eggs that were broken. Some eX-
perts said that they were "limed eggs
and that some unslaeked lime had ac-
nideRtally got into the packing, and be-
coming heated by moisture had caused
changes IN the interior OF the eggs. The
appearance of the shell seems TO be that
OF lined eggs. Mr.. Van Houten sent some
Of the eggs to the New York Butter, Egg
and Cheese Exchange for examination by
experts, and DR.. William X. Newton, the
Health Inspector, OF Paterson, took some
for analysis. DR.. Newton has not CON-
pleted bis investigations. bat was report
ed TO have expressed an opinion that the