Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-01-11

er of patents doubted his constitution
al right to issue patent for the imita-
tion of butter. He recalled the fact
that, among other things, the constltu-
tion was formed "for the general well
fare" and it was questioned whether
it would be for 1.-The general welfare" to
issue a patent for the manufacture of
an erticle of food of such universal use;
a patent under which dangerous and
unwholesome compounds might be
made by unscrupulous 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 the
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.
A Frenchman named Hippolyte Megc,
who was engaged in experiments for
the preservation of butter, so that it
would keep fresh during long sea voy
ages, was the original discoverer OF
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 a great sensation
at that time, as such thing as produc-
ing butter from anything but milk had
never before been heard of. But old Mege
took animal oil and the animal tissues
of a cows udder,and by a rather com
plicated chemical process produced an
article which 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
1t, 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
kets. 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. UE-
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, as well as in the butterines
The costly product of Meges was first
set aside in the markets by an article
patented in 1874 by man named John
Hobbs, who made an imitation but
ter by mixing with good butter GER
tain proportion of the oily part of suet
and milk.
A 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-half to
one-third. The article attracted much
attention, and 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, SO 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