The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-07
DEVELOPING A GREAT TRADE
indianapolis Takes the Lead as the Cof-
fee-Roasting Center of the Country.
Shipment of Over Five Million Pounds This
Year. and Facilities To BE lncreaseGsfOr
Doubling the Business in 1887.

Within dozen years Indianapolis has devel-
oped great business which thus far has never
received the notice in statistics that it deserves
Il is the business of coffee roasting During the
war when coffees were very high many suosti-
tutea for that delicious berry, or bean" az the
trade insist upon calling it, were devised. Ihese
Of course, were ground after roasting, as the
coffee berry itself cannot be initiated. Many
mixtures were brought out in these false coffees.
chief among which were rye, chicory. peas and
beans After the war closed the price of coffee
came down, and soon all the limitations were
shelved People for the most part refused to
buy any ground coffees at all on account OF adul-
terations until now there is so little demand for
shem that few retailers deal in them at all.
1t used to be that the good housewife roasted
her coffee, not trusting the delicate aromatic
berry to the unskilful hands of Gretchen or
Bridget. and even with her superior care and
vision there were frequent mishaps in the
roasting. Then Eastern houses began to
roast on large scale and send
the berry over the country. There is
Q great difference even among professional
roasters as to the way in which the work is done
as we'll as in the quality of the product Latterly
some wonderful improvements have been made
In machinery By which coffees cleaned both
before and after roasting. The uninitiated
would be astonished to see the great variety of
trash that Is found in coffee, chiefly stones, nails
humps of earth and pieces of wood. but almost
anything is liable to be among the prizes. II
only by the use of this machinery that the best
coffees can be produced tor the least money.
Almost any day the passerby on Sonth Merid-
Ian street. or .hereabouts, may inhale most
nInr of cteHo nffo "a ftod
about fresh from the fire. Indianapolis has six
coffee-roasting establishments, which during the
year 1886 will roast over Ave million pounds
of coffee. These houses arc the Schnull & Krag
Coffee Co, A. 3: Gates & Co., McCune. Schmid-
lapp g. Co., Fl. Fl. Lee. Syfers. Mcbride & Co.
and Keller & Co. During the year
1887, by reason Of increased facilities
for handling, this amount will be
doubled it being estimated that the output will
reach ten million pounds. which will bring to
aon and half of dollars. The field is large
one, and constantly extending Dealers here
now sell as Ear east rs Ohio and West Virginia,
and to the West shipments are made to the Pa
ci6c coast. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Nebraska, Kansas. Missouri, Kentucky. Tennes
see aud other Western and Southern States are
large buyers here The consumption of coffee
Is greatest in the West, which makes IndiaLapo-
lis an admirable distributing point.
The coffee blender' has come to bea necessary
person In this trade. He is to coffee what the
Eea-taster is to the tea trade. In roasting cof
fees it was discovered that improvements could
pc made by the judicious mixing or blending of
pariously favored coffees and it came to be seen
that it required nice skill and q fine
sense Of smell as well as of taste
70 blend together four, five or six coffees to pro-
duce one of superlatively fine quality. Then
ths professional cofee-blender came, and he has
come to stay. He spends his time in making
1eeoetions of the fragrant berry and drinking
gnd slipping them in all manner of ways sugared
ADD sugarless creamed and creamless, with the
without
indianapolis is destined to be the hub, the
Aead-cepter of embarrassing in the United
States the greatest coffee drinking nation on the
earth. She has the start and the facilities
which have receatly been introduced are not to
be found elsewhere.