The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-24
a WARNING TO TRAVELLERS.
Something About AduIterated Mo-
lasSes.

The New England Grocer publishes the
following article:
at is the duty of one connected with this
paper to visit the city of Portland frequently
for the purpose of gathering any information
that may be timely and appropriate to the
grocerS who do not often visit that city. we
have seen upon the steamboat wharVeS, the
vacant lots of land and in warehouses, hogs
heads of molasses stored in every available
place where use of land Qn the wholesale
part of the city could be secured. We have
observed that much of this was ',so-called
nolasses, and from prices that we have 0een
told was asked for it, we have known 1t must
be adulterated. Every two weeks, as we
have seen these stocks change and tresh lots
received, we have been aggravated 10 know
that this immense amount OF goods came
from New York. Many who know state that
New York sends more of the ,sO-ealled mo-
lasses to Maine than is received from all
other sources.
An attache of the New England Grocer
was sitting at the breakfast table at the Fal-
mouth Hotel, Portland, last Wednesday
morning and had Just laid aside his morning
paper. when a fine looking gentleman was
shown to a seat at his side. AS the stranger
laid aside his paper the Grocer man asked
him from what section he had come, ana Iid was
told that New York was his nome; came
to Portland by steamer on Monday, ana,
finding gala day, had run over TO Boston
for day to see the trade; just got In this
morning."
The New England Grocer representative
said: "They have had quite an excitement
in Boston over the molasses question"
EYES," was the reply, there has been
much said there, and they had much reason.
In the first place Messrs. III. w. Spur d Go;
made great mistake in putting on the head
of their molasses hogsheads large placard
Warranting the molasseS strictly pure when
they had not analyzed the samples. He
took the risk, and it will prove a little bad
for him, until the trade, that have been lit
tie frightened by the press, shall come to
fully understand that mountain has been
created out of mole hole. Bitter competl-
ton and unfriendly jealousy is at the bottom
of the whole thing. And to fan this flame,
and, if possible, to make capital out Of it,
there is second-rate trade paper, the New
England Grocer, that has had its petty
schemes to carry out, and they have been
making a bugbear out of it, claiming that in
the adulteration there is poison. Now, do
not look very sickly do IL My looks do not
indicate that / am poisoned, do they? The
quantity of salts of tin put in a hogshead OF
molasses is so distributed that it is not pols-
onous. | have used it in our goods, and
have ate salts of tin for the past twelve
years."
At this point we asked what house he rep
and was answered Ocherhausen d
Co., New York. We were afterwards told
that this social and talkatiye gentleman's |
name is Mr. III. III.
Thus did the representative of New York |
sugar house admit and even boast of putting |
salts of tin in molasseS. But he didn't know
he was giving away trade secrets to the rep
resentative of that ''secOnd-rate paper
which favors pure goods. He was "hoist by
his own petard."