Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1886-09-02
Housekeeping Pests.

Com plants are made from various sec
tions 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
band is composed of women, although
employed and directed by an agent of the
other sex, and their methods of proceed
ure, as explained by several ladies who
have been victimized, is as follows: OBJ
tanning access to the kitchen, they in
troduce the subject of baking powders,
lnquiring the kind used IN the family.
Being shown the can, perhaps fresh,
full one, they volunteer to ''test" 1t to
ascertain its qualities. Their "test" con-
sists IN placing the can on hot stove or
over lamp or gas jet, or 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 ammonlacal or
carbonic, IS apparent to the sense OF
smell. The claim is then made that this
odor indicates something detrimental, al
though, as matter of fact, baking
powder that would give off no gas when
subjected to heat would be without leav-
eniag power and valueless. They will
also mix the baking powder given them
with water. If pure it eTervesces quick
ly. The baking powder they peddle be-
ing 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 a trick only, their baking powder hav-
ing been specially prepared to make this
test by the addition Of flour, gum or al
bumen. 1t is sure evidence of adulte1a-
ton. OF course the object of these frau
dulcnt tricks is to destroy confidence in
all other kinds of baking powder, and to
sell the particular brand for which the
women are travelling.
Were this the whole of the operation,
housekeepers would not often be deceiv-
ed. 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 mixture with water alone.
The chief object of this jugglery is to de
stroy the baking powder given for test
ing; or by heating i. to driye off Its leav-
ening gases, and so weaken it that when
used 1t will fail to work. At the next
baking there will be heavy food, of
course, ,and the "tramp'' probably gets the
credit of having told the housckeeper 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 a day.
Asecond method of spelling for use the
| baking powder In a kitchen where theJ
are not permitted to experiment with 1t
is by dexterously throwing in the can ,
small quantity of salt, soda or powdered
lime. Again, should there chance 10 b,
no baking powder in the house, the oper
ators will produce, of the kind used ir
| 1Ac iaAuiiy, SaLhple thaI las oeeH puI
posely adulterated or s'doctored'' to max,
such an exhibit as they desire under tn
so-called test.
The only way to protect our food from
being contaminated by tramps of thi
kind IS to turn all persons who wish O
attempt to tamper with 1t unceremoni
ously from the door, and to use tnos
articles, only, which experience ha
proved satisfactory, or the official test
have established as pure and whole
lsome.