The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-09-30
Housekeeping Pests.

Complaints are made from various
sections OF a band OF baking powder
tramps whose tricks upon unsns.
pecting honsck-rpers seem to par.
take very much Of the nature ol
confidence operations. The band
ie composed Of women, although
employed and directed by an agen,
II the other sex. and their methods
OF procedure, rs explained by - yer.
al ladirs who have been vieti nizeI.
- as fellows: Oh'ai,.iny access 1.-THE
kitchen, they Introduce the subj ct
Of baking powders. inqniring the
kind used in tire 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 "A hot
stove or over il lamp or gas JET, or
mixing the baking powder with
water both hot ami cold. If the
baking powder is good for anything
the heat will, 81 course, expell the
gas. which, being ammonicai or car
bOnic, Is apparent to the sense Of
smell. The claim is then made that
this oder Indicates something detri
mental, although, as a matter Ct
fact. baking powder that would
give off no gas when subject TO heat
would be- without leavening power
and vuluelcss. They will also mix the
baking powder given them with
water. 1fpure it effervesces quickly
The baking powder they peddle
being similarly mixed foams ny
slowly like yeast, standing, perhaps.
over the top OF the glass. This
they claim as evidence OF superiority
whereas 1t is the exhibition OF a
trick only, their baking powder
having been specially prepared to
make this test Ivy the addition OF
fonr, gum or albumen. It l.; sure
evidence OF adulterafion. or course
tn. object OF these fraudulent tricks
- to destroy confidence in all other
kinds Of baking powder. and to sell
the particular brand for which tn.
women are travelling.
We're this the whole Of the opera
fion. housekecpers wouli not often
be deceived. every in tellig. ut per-
son knows that baking powder is MOI
made 10 bs used in this way, HIT In
where its action Is entirely different
from that produced by dry heat OF
by mixture with water alone. Tn.
chief object OF this jugglery is to
DESTROY the baking powder given
for tes ting or by heating it to drive
of It's cav mi, 6 9ast 8, and so weaken
it that wnen used it will fail to w~rk
At the next baking there is heavy
food. Of course, and the tramp
probably 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 seventy
five pounds OF baking powder day
4 second method OF spelling fop
use the baking powder in a kitchen
where they are not permitted 10
experiment with it. is by aexterou<
" throwing In can a small quaint
ty Of salt, soda or powdered linn,
Agar should there chance TO BIZ n
baking powder in the honse, IL.
peratois will produce, OF the kind
used by the family, sample thu
las heen pnrposelv admlterat-d O,
'docfo, cd" to make such an exibt
rs they desire under the SO calle,
test.
The only way to protect our food
from being contaminated by tramp~
.: this kind is to turn all persons
who wish or attempt to tamper
with it unceremoniously from the
door, and to nse those articles, only.
which experience has proved salts
factory, or the Official tests have es-
tablished rs pure and wholesome.