The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-26
IT LOOKS LIKE COFFEE.
But Proves to be Only q Wicked Im-
misunderstanding Else Interesting.

But Proves to be Only q Wicked Im-
misunderstanding Else Interesting.
"That is not Coffee" said the reporter.
"Who said it wasf" replied the jolly,
rosy checked grocer. care there any
marks on it to indicate that it is coffeef"
"No, not particularly; but it certainly
looks like coffee and tastes entirely differ
ent."
"Ah, you have hit the nail on the
head, =" continued the grocer with q smile.
"It would not do to let every one know
It, as it might shake peoples confidence
In their grocery store. That bag, few
beans from which you have just tasted,
contains an imitation of coffee. It 10
nothing more than flour, and poor -four
at that, which has been shaped like the
coffee bean and baked brown. If you will
take genuine coffee bean in your hand
and put it alongside the imitation, you
can see that there is difference in the
color. The shape is also different, but
this is nothing, as the various kinds Of
coffee vary in shape and size The flavor
of course, Is not there, but the way the
imitation Is sold does not require its pres
ence. The grocer is not foolish man.
He does not sell these flour beans for
coffee. This would give the business
away. But when trade is dull and the
grocer must have something to occupy his
mind, it is pleasant recreation for him
to mix a quantity of the -four beans with
the genuine coffee. Then it cannot be
easily detected. Only just enough of
the favorless bean is used to make little
profit. This is not quite one half
When the honest housewife who buys
whole coffee so as to get it pure, grinds
VIII ha rdp OF 10
from the mill, her eyes snap and she
laughs at the people who are foolish
enough to buy the coffee which is ground
at the store, and can be easily adul-
terated. The taste of this compound is
not unpleasant and it will not injure any
one. Even the baby can take it with i'm
punity. II the coffee were drank plain its
weakness would be noticeable, but being
usually taken with milk and sugar the
fraud is not detected. Years ago all the
coffee was ground in the grocery, but
adulteration was carried on so extensively
that the practice was established OF buy
ing the whole bean. This led some in
ventive Yankee humanitarian, who be-
heved that too much coffee is bad for the
nerves, to bring out the flour bean.
"Here is something else interesting.
See these beautiful samples of cloves and
p6ppeTS. "Cll, uOt GA
actly They are home made to suit the
trade. They look good, but there is but
little flavor to them. Some one thought
it was shame to waste the beautiful and
nourishing cocoanut shell, and conceived
the idea of heating it and then grindingit
to fine powder. This when artistically
mixed with various kinds of oils makes
good spice for pies and other good things.
1t is growing industry and well patron
lied Some Of this powdered shell, after
being favored and made into a stiff
paste, is passed through moulds into the
shape of peppers and cloves. These,
when mixed with a quantity of the genu-
ine article, give about all the flavor that
1t is safe for a person to take, and the
grocer does not lose anything, but goes
on paying his pew rent and building rows
of houses, the same as if there were q lit
tie cream in the cheese, a small quantity
of sugar in the glucose, and a faint of
butter in the oleomargarine. New
York Tribune Interview