The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-09-09
WHOLE NO. 1862.
HOUSEKEEPING PESTS.

| Complaints are made from various sec
tons of a band of baking powder tramps
whose tricks upon unsuspecting house.
| keepers seem to partake very much of the
nature Of confidence operations. The
| baud is composed of women, although
employed and directed by an agent Of
| tie ctiar sex, and their methods of pro-
celgre, as explained by several ladies
Wao nave been victimized, is as follows
| Obtaining access to the kitchen, they M
| troduce the subject of baking powders.
inQuiring the kind used in the family.
| Being shown tue 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 lamp or gas jet, or in mixing
the baking powder with water both hot
for ANYTHING the heat will, of course,
expel 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 matter of fact, baking
powder that would give off no gas when
subjected to heat would be without
leavening powder and valueless. They
viii also mix the baking powder given
| thera 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 addition OF flour,
gum or albumen. 1t is sure evidence of
adulteration. OF course the object of
these fraudulent tricks is to destroy con-
tidence in all other kinds of baking
powder, and 10 sell the particular brand
for which the women are travelling.
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 III this way. but in cooking where
It's 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 tho baking powder
| given for testing; or by heating it to
drive off its leyenIng gases, and so
! weaken it that when used ii will fail to
work. st the next baking there is heavy
food, Of course, and the "tramp" pro-
bably 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 viii, in this way, destroy from
fifty to seventy five pounds of baking
powder Gay.
4 second method of spelling for use
the baking powder ii kitchen where
they are not permitted to experiment
with it, is by dexterously throwing i'll the
can a small quantity of salt, soda or
powdered lime. Again, should there
chance to be no baking powder i'll the
house, the operators will produce, of the
kind used by the family, a sample that has
| been purposely aduterated or ''aoctored'
to make such an exhibit as they desire
under the so called test.
The only way to protect cur food from
being contaminated by tramps Of this
hiHu II ~ tIsIn "t1 .--I''s,rfJ - L., -:-L- -.
attempt TO tamper with it tuucermoniously
from the door, and to use those articles,
only, which experience has proved salts
factory, or the official tosts have estab-
lished as pI.e and wholesome.