Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-30
HE DEALS In DOORS
Something About the Way Per-
fumes Are Made
LOUD SMELLS The BEST SELLS
The Process Of Extracting the Delicious
Fragrance Of Sweet-Seent-c Flowers.
Chance sos Industry.

Charles z. Foots Of Jackson makes
smells and sells perfumes He was at
The Morton yesterday and gave re-
porter for fffE HERALD some informs
ton on the smell making industry IN
50 far as be knows il. Fifteen years
ago the business of making perfumes
was unknown in tina country. The
perfumes were all imported from En-
rope and Turkey. and the Lubins Of
Paris did most of the business. Now
bat little OF the finished product is im-
ported, and there are scores or large
American houses, some or them doing
3 good foreign business. We still I'M
port the pomade or essential ole from
watch pcrfumefy is made. The most
OF this IS prepared AZ Grasse, small
town IN southern France, IN what Is
known AS the Alps Maretlme country.
Thousands of women and children
in the surrounding region make liv-
ing by gathering the roses and other
tiowers that give the essential oils.
These flowers are taken to the
factories in Grasse and placed in inl-
mense air-tight metallic casks sur.
rounded by steam pipes. Into these
casks are first placed many pounds OF
lard, which has been stitfened by the
addition of tuet, thoroughly refined
and free from blood and meat. This
mixture readily absorbs the odors OF
the flowers, and after both have been
steamed for some time the mass OF
pulp is WASHED and the flowers racked
otf.
Chance for q Profitable Industry.
alt IS necessary to use only q few
flowers, but an almost endless variety
make up the pomadee. The product
is then shipped TO US IN air tight ves-
sells and is washed in cologne spirits,
which is a fine grade of deodorized al.
coBol. This dissolves the essential oils,
and after the addition OF musk or am
bergris and final refining the perfume
Is ready for the market. l do not
understand why the growing Of flowers
and their preparation for the perfumer
has never been taken up in this country.
IL could certainly be made profitable
industry IN the southern states. The
only approach to any such industry ls
III Florida, where small amount OF
orange oil is made. The greatest item
VI cApc uoc ia Iit DucluCso 10 tic ioDOI
OF the flower pickers, and this is cheap
ia Europe where women and children
are forced to supplement the scanty
earnings of the heads of families. Con-
stantlnople Is another point where the
business has reached great proportions.
THAT city is headquarters for the
famous otter of roses which is 80 much
used by perfumers. That article comea
to us in rough, hand made TIN cans
covered with coarse felt. Each can
holds twenty ounces and costs 800 a
can. The duty on the essential oil.
cuts quixe figure in the cost of per.
| fumes, as it averages 80 per cent.
There is heavy duty on the oil OF
rose geranium, but none on rose oil
This is II phase Of the tariff which ]
don't understand"
"Do the names Of the perfumes sig.
Nifty onything?'
"Generally not. They are given with
view to catching the public eye, and
do not describe the perfume at all.
The demand for perfumes varies a
good deal, and find that. as rule
the loudest obtain the best SALE"