The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-06
COFFEE MADE OF FLOUR.
IT ,s MANUFACTURED EXTENSIVE
Ly IN PHILADELPHIA.
m. n Base imposition, but When Cen
nine Coffee Is Mixed with IL the Re-
-, "a, lie sold ut n Very Low Price.
r,ors. Penalty for the manufactures.

There Is n fehhi'N W' 49,
IL philadelphia gaining reputation as
,bo leading city of America In the manu-
facture OF bogus coifeeY
Telcorams and other information recent
L. recelved seem 10 indicate that the city
has Gained that notoriety. Chicago and
New York papers have been printing state
,nents which have named Philadelphia as
the place where large quantities of coffee
beans" are manufactured. The following
is n telegram recently received from In
dianapolis
.The citizens and board Of health are
much exercised over "A coffee fraud I'M
earthcd here and traced to wholesale
dealer. who says be got IL from an agent ON
Chestnut street, Philadelphia. The whole
Gale dealer showed this letter from the
agent:
"Dear Sir-I send you by this mail a
sample of imitation coffee. This is man
ufacturel bean, and is composed of Hour.
You can easily mix 10 per cent. of this sub
stitute in with genuine coffee that ranges
in price from 20 TO 22l5 cents, and it viii
i,,nrove the flavor of the same II granu-
lates the same MS coffee. If you deal with
ms IT, will be in the most complete conf
dcnce. This IS. S" coffee superior sub
stitute) is packed in barrels; weight about
100 pounds to the barrel. BY the use OF
our bean You can increase your profits TO
1lIcents per pound and improve the flavor.
Try sample barrel; price, ~ cents per
mound. Net, ten days No attention paid
10 postal cards"
In red ink was written: "Send shipping
directions. / would not show samples
even to employees.
LITTLE DETECTIVE WORK.
Having learned from leading coffee and
snice dealer Of this city that a coffee bean
mandatory of considerable size was in
oneration somewhere in North Philadel
mia. reporter started out disguised az a
dealer from the northwest, where he sold
coffee to the poorest class OF Swedes and
Norwegians. lie soon learned from other
dealers that four or FIVE tons Of coffee
beans were being made each week in Phila
delphia. Three or four different firms and
one coffee rooster referred the "dealer from
the northwest" to Wexelberger q Sauer
coffee roasters, within a stones throw Of
Stetson's hat factory. The informing cot
fee master said that he was positive that
the manufacturer of the coffee bean lived
not far from Tenth and Jefferson streets
"but." said the rooster, ''go to Mr. WeXel
berger. of Wexelberger & Sauer. He roast'
the bean, and will sell you all you want
He can tell you who the manufacturer is
and where his mill is. But you won't like
the stuff. because it is as hard as a brick
especially after it is roasted"
The mort hwestern dealer approached Mr.
Wexelberger in his little front office on'
forenoon. Conversation soon got down e
business. and Mr.. Wexelberger went
through all his grades of coffee TO The
cheapest. Then there was a little lul
while the northwestern dealer struggled
with his principles. But he finally salt
that his Swede and Norwegian customers
were "A densely ignorant class Of people
and very poor. They would pay only 81
much for coffee. Mr.. Wexelberger smiled
and reaching under newspaper or sOm'
such covering drew forth samples of The
coffee bean, roasted and unrOasted. H'
did not misrepresent the goods, but smiled
again in a mild German way as he said: g.
guess that's what you want"
\ FIRST RATE IMITATION.
"Well, what's that"
IAN imitation, and n good one. Dom
YOU think sos You can mix it with AM
grade of coffee Perfectly harmless. IT.
made of a -four paste"
The customer was delighted, and asked
if he could be put in communication
with the manufacturer He learned tina
he could not for some vague rea
sons. But Mr. Wexelberger offered {,
act as middleman, and procure for TIM
northwestern man any quantity at l.
cents per pound, or perhaps less if a larg
quantity were bought. After another ear
! nest effort 10 get the address of the manu-
| facturer the dealer took some samples o.
| the roasted and unrOasted bean and left
saying he'would probably order about 30
pounds rs soon as he heard from his part
ner.
The coffee rooster who referred the deal
er to NJ. Wexclberger thought a certain
bread crumb adulteration, to be solC
ground, was much better than the bean
and ofIered to put the dealer in communi
cation with the Boston agent for the stun
WHAT TIE LAW CAN IMPLICIT.
If the enterprising manufacturer who
making at least $1,000 a year by inducing
retail tea and coffee dealers and others Il
cheat his customers with his bean" wer
brought to the bar Of justice he could b
punished severely DR. Benjamin Lee, sec
rotary of the state board OF health, think
the following section of the act passed il
1860 to punish the adulteration OF food j
| the only law which enables the state t
punish the manufacturer Of bogus coffee:
III any person should sell or expose fo
sale the flesh of any diseased animals
or any other unwholesome flesh, or shall
sell or expose for sale unwholesome bread
drink or liquor, knowing his goods to b.
unyvholesome; or shall adulterate for pur
poses Of sale or sell any flour, meal or othe
article Of food, knowing the same TO b
adulterated, such person convicted shall
De sentenced to pay fine not exceeding
800, or undergo an imprisonment not ex
ceeding six months or both or either, a
the discretion of the court. '-Philadel
phia Record.