Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-03-12
Housokeepinr Pesfs.

Complaints are made from various sec
tlons O 2 band of baking powder tramps
whose TICKS upon unsuspecting house
keepers seem to partake very much of
the nature Of confidence operations. The
band IS composed of women, although
employed by an agent of the other sex,
and their methods of procedure. as ex-
plalaeo Dy several ladies who have been
victimlzed, is as follows: Obtaining &C
cess to the kitchen, they introduce the
subject of baking powders. inquiring
the kind used by the 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 hot stove over a
lamp OF gas jet. or in mixing the baking
powder with water both hot and cold.
If the baking powder is good for any
thing. the heat will of course, expel the
gas, which, being amoniacal or carbonic,
is apparent to the sense of smell. The
claim is then made that this odo= indi-
Gates something detrimental, although.
as matter of fact, a baking powder that
would give off no gas when subjected
to heat would be without leavening
powe: aud yaluless. They will also
mix the baking powder given them
with water: If pure it effervesces
quickly, The baking powder they
peddle being similarly mixed, foams
up slowly like yeas, standing, perhaps,
over the top of tho 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 by the addi-
ton of -four. gum or albumen It is sure
evidence of adulteration. Of course. the
object OF these fraudulent tricks is to dis
troy 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 de
celved. 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 by mixture with
| water alone. The chief object Of this
jugglery is to destroy the baking powder
given for testing; Or by heating it to
| drive OF its leavening gases, and so
| wea ken it that when used it will fail to
| work. At the next baking there is heavy
food, OF course, and the tramp prob
| ably gets the credit OF having told the
| housekeeper 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.
A second method of spelling for use
| the baking powder in kitchen where
they are not allowed to experiment with
it, IS by dexterously throwing in the can
small quantity of salt, soda or powdered
lime. Again, should there chance to be
no baking powder in the house. the oper.
ators will produce. of the kind used by
family, a sample that has been purposely
adulterated or ''doctored" to make such
an exhibit as they desire under the so
called test.
The only way to protect our food
from being contaminated from ;ramps Of
this kind is to turn all persons who wist
or attempt to tamper with it unceremo
niously from the door, and to use those
articles only which experience has proved
| satisfactory or the official tests have es
tablished as pure and wholesome.