The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-09
WE MAKE MAGARONI.
DOUBTFUL IF THE BEST Paste
COMES FROM ITALY.
Because 1t Is Machine Work = The
Americans Like to See the Foreign
Labels, However, So the Manufacturers
Are Obliged to Humbug Them.

Macaroni, spaghetti and vermicelli, |
80 closely associated with Italy in the
minds of the public, are made almost
the world over. So universal has the |
manufacture of the pastes become
that it is extremely doubtful if the
best article in that line is the Italian
product, says the Milwaukee Sentinel.
There are several reasons for this.
One is that the manufacture of the
italian macaroni is still carried on in
a primitive way, a large part Of the
process being by hand, and hand
work as compared to machine work
in food preparation does not have the
advantage of cleanliness. The Ameri-
can macaroni has the advantage of
improved machinery; it has also the
advantage Of being used sooner after
manufacture than the imported kind,
and mararoni is best when fresh.
Macaront that has been shipped about
the globe, stored in doubtful storage
places and kept in stock for some time
is quite sure to have deteriorated.
Moreover, it is often infested with
WeeYils 40 that in order to be sure
that ali such insects have been re-
moved the macaroni has to be broken
into very small pieces. In spite of the
probable superiority of the American
product there is sentiment about the
actual foreign article that does not
seem 10 wear away, and as a result the
American manufacturers are simply
forced to put their goods up in pack
ages counterfeiting the style and word
ing ON the imported brands. The man
ufaCturers would much prefer to put
out their goods in honest labels, but it
becomes a question of bowling to the
demands of the trade or going out of
business. They hate the deception be-
cause they feel that their goods are
even better than those imported, and if
the public would let them they would
be very glad to put their own names on
the wrappers and make their names a
guarantee of pure goods and cleanly
manufacture. The sentiment in favor
of anything made in some older coun-
try does not wear off, however, and so
the housewife who buys a package of
macaToni at her grocer's, guaranteed
to be of Italian make, in nine cases
out of ten brings into her home a
sample OF Milwaukee made paste.
There is another curious thing about
nacaroni 1t makes no difference
whether a person buys the domestic
product OF the foreign, he is quite sure
to get an article made from American
-four. On this point the American
manufacturers complain bitterly, for
they say they are the victims of freight
discrimination. Macaroni made in this
country has to pay freight to the
amount of rs cents hundred pounds
so that it is actually possible for the
European makers of macaroni to make
it of our American -four and then send
the product to this country and under
SELL the American product in the New
York market, on account of the CHEAP
rate on wheat to Europe. When 1t gets
to the consumer, however, the price il
always raised TO few cents more thar
the domestic article, because the people
are willing to pay the extra amount fol
a foreign-made food. A boat that re
Gently arrived in New York had OF
board 80, 5000 cases Of macaroni, 1900
of which were for one importing house
Milwaukee has one macaroni factory
which is situated in 18th street. tt
output is large and goes all over tn,
country, although it is but one of SOM
200 such factories located in the variOu
cities of this country. 1t is fitted witt
modern machinery and for this reasol
has only to hire dozen men and boy
to turn out a large amount daily. Eacl
macaroui manufacturer makes certain
improvements on the machinery tina
is common to all factories by whicl
he is enabled to improve his manufac
ture and for this reason strangers ar
not allowed in the rooms where tn
work is carried on. The general meth
DDS of manufacture are not secrets
however. Macaroni is made from har
wheat, that being richer in gluten an
other heterogeneous compounds than til
soft wheat. The paste that is mad
from the proper part of the wheat
heated with hot water to the pTope
consistency and then put in cylinder
from which it is forced through sma
openings of the shape required to max
either macaroni, vermicelli or spas
hetti. In the case of the holes fl
forming the macaroni mandFil
conferred in them from the inside, S
that when the piston at the other en-
of the cylinder begins to push the mas
of dough toward the end having til