Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-06
Housekeeping Pests.

Housekeeping Pests.
Complaints are made from various
sections of band of baking powder
tramps whose tricks upon unsuspecting
housekeepers seem to partake very much
of the nature of confidence operations.
The band is composed of women, al
though employed and directed by an
agent of the other sex, and their methods
of procedure, as explained by several
ladies who have been victimized, is as
follows: Obtaining access to the kitchen,
they introduce the subject of baking
powders, inquiring the kind used in the
family. Being shown the can, perhaps
fresh, full one, they volunteer to test
it to ascertain its qualities. Their test
consists in placing the can on hot stove
or over a lamp or gas-jet, OF in mixing
the baking powder with water, both hot
and cold. If the baking powder is good
for anything the heat will, of course, ex-
pei the gas, which, being ammoniacal or
carbonic, is apparent to the sense of
smell The claim is then made that this
odor indicates something detrimental,
although, as a matter of fact, baking
powder that would give off no gas when
subjected to heat would be without
leavening power and valueless. They
will also mix the baking powder given
them with water If pure it effervesces
quickly. The baking powder they ped
die being similarly mixed foams up
slowly like yeast, standing, perhaps,
over the top of the glass. This they
claim as evidence of superiority, whereas
it is the exhibition of trick only, their
baking powder having been specially
prepared to make this test by the addi-
ton of flour, gum or albumen. 1t is
sure evidence of adulteration. OF course
the object of these fraudulent tricks is to
destroy confidence in all other kinds of
baking powder, and to sell the particular
brand for which the women are trav-
cling.
Were this the whole of the operation,
housekeepers would not often be de-
ceived. Every intelligent person knows
that baking powder is not made to be
used in this way, but in cooking, where
its action is entirely different from that
produced by dry heat or by mixture with
water alone. The chief object of this
jugglery is to destroy the baking powder
given for testing; or by heating it to
drive off its leavening gases, and so
weaken it that when used it will fail to
work At the next baking there is heavy
food, of course, and the tramp" prob
ably gets the credit Of having told the
housekeeper a valuable fact, instead of
having spoiled her baking powder, as
was actually the case The average
tramp will, in this way, destroy from
fifty to seyenty-iive pounds Of baking Il
day.
A second method Of spelling for use
the baking powder in 4 kitchen where
they ar2 not permitted to experiment
with it, IS By doHteroiisiy throwing in the
can small! quantity of salt, soda or
powdered limo. Again, should there
chance to be no baking powder in the
house, the operators will produce, of the
kind used by the family, sample that
has been parposely adulturated or doc
tored : 10 make such an exhibit as they
desire under the so-caled test.
The only way 70 protect our food from
being contaminated by tramps of this
kind is TO turn all persons who wish or
attempt to tampcr with it unceremoni-
/ ousl from the door, and to use those
articles, only, which experience has
proved satisfactory, or the official tests
have established as pure and wholesome.
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