Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-08-25
A SODA WATER FACTORY.
HOW THE GREAT SUMMER THIRST
QUGNCHER IS MADE.
Generating Carbo!ic Gas, the vital
Element in Soda Water, From
Marble Du The Fruit Syrups

Marble Dust The Fruit" Syrups
Thee was quite a long row of big
beliied, rious looking ct. .ecis. Ii
gene al appearance they resembled /;
battery of smooth, shining Armstl ons
brrech-loading guns. There was ,
! rum5 ing, II. mining noise in the air, ant
greit deal of hustle and activity. i
was n It on board of gigantic man of
war, however, but in the engine room Of
the largest soda water factory in th,
United states.
"ilOw is soda water made. repeated
MIR. NOsteen. the compounder and gen
eral superintendent of he main works Of
the hicago Consolidated Bol,ling Com
pany, otherwise the so Ia water trust OF
h cago. "Told IN Jew words, it's
something like this: Get up yOur gas in
a 'genera,Or,' convey it into purifiers,
then mix it with water and flavor it with
whatever flavor you want. That's ALL
But The explanation wouldn't be under
sto by the general public, Pm afraid.
SO I'll have to give some details. Car
bonic gas, the vital element in soda
water, is made in this mOrtar-like ma.
ShiuC, tIiC ScUc. dtOT.
SIN the round receptacle is the marble
dust, and the vitriol drips on it and
generates the gas. The gas, however,
not being pure carbonic acid, it has to
pass through various purifiers being
conveyed there in block tin tubes. In
the purifiers is water, which gradually
absorbs all the foreign compOnents of
the gas. When finally pure the gas is
pumped into vessels holding water.
To bring about a thorough mixture of
the water and gas the water is constantly
agitated by steam power. The syrup is
conducted to the bottling machine in
separate pipes, aud then by means of a
pump is put into the bottle, and the latter,
if small, is closed with patent stopper
if Of quart size it is tightly closed with
an ordinary cork, wir Il, tin fOiled and
labeled. One OF the principal things
in making good, whole.ome soda water
is the water. Ordinary lake water won t
do. 1t must he thoroughly cleansed
first. That is accompl shed in tanks.
We ha in this establishment, for in E
stance, a number of such tanks, from six
to ten feet high, and holding altogether
5000 gallons. There is perforated metal
bottom to it, through which the water
filters. Above are alternate layers of
coarse gra ell and sifted charc ,al. Every
impur ty in the water is absorbed in
this way, and the water is chemically
pure upon finishing its roundabout jour
ney through these liltering tanks. The
thing next in importance is the correct
compounding of the syruns. Everybody
knows their names, and new names are
invented every season and certain novel
syrups always achieve grelt run for a
season or twO-lemon, raspberry. and
strawberry-are and remain the f,vor-
ties. There are no fruit uices in these
syrups, but certain extracts, prepared
chemically, take the place of them. 1t
wOu'd be an impossib:lity, with the low
price Of soda water. to furnish genuine
fruit juice. Mead is made of sugar,
honey, carbonated water and various
ilavors. B rch beer is made both fer
mented and carbOnated. Champa gne
IN is compounded out of variety of
ilavors. Root beeI and sarsaparilla and
spruce beer, and ginger ale are all made
in thi, way. Mineral waters are male
after an analysis of various waters, TAX.
ing the component part, OF chemicals
and carbonating the whole.
Now, what | have said so far refers
only 10 bot led waters. When we come
to fountain soda water the case is some
what di..erent. Fountains are kept in
drug stores. restaurants, confec,loneries,
ETC., and hold as a rule from six to ten
gallons each. In price they vary from
$40 to $1,000 each and over. Many big
drug stores make their own soda water
and their own syrups, Of course, and
own their own fountains as well. But
the bulk of the fountains are furnished
by concern that makes the manufacture
of fountain soda and the renting out of
fountains ~ the season its exclusive
business. Now, then, ea h fountain is
filled with water and the gas is conveyed
into it by means of pipes, and then the
fountain is placed on a rocker and its
contents rocked as if it were q cradle
only longer. Then the gas becomes
thoro lghly mixed with the wa'er. As
the contents of the fountain arc used up
another one takes its place. There are
about twenty syrups used mostly for
fountain soda. And each syrup. despite
the contrary assertion of the funny para
graphers, is in a receptacle of its own
and conveyed into the soda by separate
pipe. OF course, there is no pineapple
in pineapple soda, no more than there
is of strawberry or raspberry or banana
But the juice which takes its place tastes
just as nice and is just as harmless. In
chocolate and cocoa and coffee there is
the genuine thing, however, and in lemon
syrup there is some lemon oil, and in
vanilla some extract of vanilla. So that s
fair enough. - Chicago Hra,d.