Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-06

MAKING THE REAL STUFF.
er of patents doubted his constitution
al right to issue a patent for the imita-
ton Of butter. He recalled the fact
that, among other things, the constltu-
ton was formed ''for the general well
fare;" and it was questioned whether
it would be for the general welfare" to
issue a patent for the manufacture of
an article of food of such universal use,
a patent under which dangerous and
unwholesome compounds might be
made by INSCRIPTIONS persons. There
was at that time, of course, no oleo-
margarine law, and the commissioner
debated long before granting patent.
Since then there have been nearly a
thousand applications for patents, and
nearly a hundred have been granted.
Some of the ablest chemists in the land
are to-day engaged in experimenting
with the analysis of butter and TIE
manufacture of limitations. Each Of
them is struggling to discover some
compounds which will produce good
butter at less cost than the butterincs
how on the market.
Frenchman named Hippolyte Megc.
who was engaged in experiments for
the preservation Of butter, SO that il
would keep fresh during long sea voy-
ages, was the original discoverer OF
q process for making artificial butter:
and to him the first patent was granted.
lie had no intention of reaching the
result which he achieved. His discov-
cry. however, created great sensation
at that time, as such thing as produc-
ing butter from anything but milk had
never before been heard Of. Butold Mege
took animal oil and the animal tissues
Of a cows udder,and by a rather com
plicated chemical process produced an
articleWhich was pronounced to be but
ter, and fully as good as the article
made in the usual way. A man by the
name of Paroffe about the same time
made butter by a somewhat similar
process, and great deal of the butter
was used. 1t cost considerable to make
it, and, of course, it soon gave way in
the markets for butterines of later in
vention, which are produced for less
than half Of the cost of genuine butter.
There is now no oleomargarine Of the
original brand to be found in the mar
llets. The later inventions are not bet
ter. They could not be better, for
Mege's article was practically as good
and pure as any imitation could be.
Butter is one of the necessities OF
modern existence. 1t is called for by
the children of the poor, as well as by
the children of the rich. Of course,
only the dairy product is absolutely
pure butter. But the inventive spirit
of the age, aided by scientific skill, has
produced a butter substitute for the
very poor people of our cities. Ur-
doubtedly the coloring materials used
are not beneficial, and the lighter col
ored butterines are regarded as the
best. For that matter, though, color
ing matter is used in the higher grades
of butter, Is we'll as in the butterines.
The costly product of Meges was first
set aside in the markets by an article
patented in 1874 by a man named John
Hobbs, who made an imitation but
ter by mixing with good butter a GER
tain proportion of the oily part of sulet
and milk.
\ substance was produced which was
somewhat in the nature Of cottage
cheese, only on account of the butter
mixed with it, it was much richer The
proportion of butter was one-hilf to
one-third. The article attracted much
attention, and q great deal of opposi-
ton to its manufacture and sale was
manifested by chemists, health officers
and daily newspapers. Many columns
of editorial matter were written and
printed pro and con, 50 that the inventor
received thousands of dollars worth of
free advertising. Bills were introduced
in various state legislatures, restrict
ing or prohibiting the use or sale of
oleomargarine. But when the test cases
were brought before the courts it was
demonstrated that the materials used
were not in themselves injurious. and
that the inventor was secure in the pos
session of his patent. The manufacture
and sale continued and other inventions
followed, so that cheap butter" came
to be available for those who are unable
the churn.
One of the examiners at the patent
Office says that the principal feat
of all butterines is milk in some form.
This preparation Of milk is mixed with
butter, thus making a combination
which is cheaper than when pure but
ter is solely used. Very often extracts
of animal fats are used. but when prop
erly prepared are said to be entirely
unobjectionable from a hyg1enic stand
point. The fact of the matter is that
these prepared buffers are so much like
the genuine article in appearance that
it is difficult to distinguish the differ
ence, and | imagine that the majority
CT people who eat oleomargarine do so
under the impression that they are eat
ing butter made entirely from The milk
of the COW.
There is no harm done except when
the manufacture is dishonest, but in