Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-23
ABOUT SWEETS.

Progress of Their Manufacture in
This Country-VariOus DeIIcacies
that Delight the PaIates of Youth
Vegetable COIors Taking the Place
ofPoisOnOus Ones.
The last thing a child inquiries into
is how the sugar plum it snaps up
with some avidity is made. Yet the
manufacture of these delicacies-I
had almost said necessaries- the
nursery is thing worth witnessing.
A marvellous change has come across
the public opinion respecting sugar
and sweets of all kinds. They used
to be denounced by tender mothers
as trash, and, possibly because they
were SO denounced. they tasted all the
sweeter to the little ones. In moder-
alton there is nothing more whole
some than sugar; and it is, withal,
nourishing and warming because of
the large amount of carbon contained
in it. Formerly all the higher class
| came from France and Germany,
where for ages they have been famous
for their delicacies. But since the ln>
PRODUCTION of steam into their fabri~
cation 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 well as the palate, even in the
cheapest items. Think of the 1-cent
sweets done up in a ruby-colored
gelatine packet. There was color, it
| is true, in solne of the more sho WV
sweets Of old, but it was metallic color
containing the most virulent poison.
An analysis of this painted confec>
tionery, published in a medical jour-
nal some years ago, exposed the wis
famous manner in which this vividly
colored sweetmeat was made attract
i've to the children by poisonous paint.
The brighter the hue the more dead
| ly the sweet. The brilliant green for
instance, with which the toy confec-
tionery was adorned, contained arsen-
ic of copper, as it will be seen present
~. One can quite understand the
bad name sweets acquired when thus
made up. There was vermilion in
the reds, of course, and the gamboge
and chroHate of lead in the yellows.
No doubt many young children were
absolutely killed by plent1fully par
taking of these artlsticaIly poisoned
comfts. The analysis Of that medi-
cal 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.
Formerly the making of bonbons
was a tedious affair, and the chief
manufacturers were in the habit of
beginning the preparations for the
great consumption on Christmas and
New Years as early as the month Of
August. Now, however, when the pro-
cess is far more delicate and complex,
and the demand has more than doubl-
ed, they commence preparing only
some few weeks in advance. One
grand reason for this is because bon>
bons belong to the category of perish~
able merchandise. If one were only
to forget to eat them for a sufficient
length Of time they would devour
themselves. To preserve them they
have to be shut up in alright cases
with a layer Of chloride of calcium,
which absorbs all moisture at one end,
and by this means they may be kept
for several years,
A large New York establishment,
which ordinarily employs some ninety
persons, about the commencement of
December requires the services OF al
most double that number, the major
ity of whom are engaged in making
bonbons by the million until the turn
of the new year. The entire under
ground portion Of the premises is de-
voted to the manufacture Of sweet~
meats. On descending the stone stair
case one finds ones self in sitting
atmosphere, too heavily laden with
the aroma of vanilla and other essen
ces. Around are scores of worknen,
their faces lighted up by the red glare
of numerous furnaces, buslIy engaged
IL plunging particular fruits into
large caldrons filled with boiling
syrups. More in the shade are other
stalwart-looking men, their counten-
ances made pallid by the intensely
heated atmosphere, 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 Instead of sweet~
meat factory, among workmen maxi
| ing bonbons for women and children
to crush. On all, sides are piles of
sugar barrels, gallons of liquors,
sirups, and essences-kirsch, wine,