The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-28

Samples Are Taken From Each In
voice and Brewed at the Same
Time That a Sample OF the Gov
eminent Tea IL Brewed-Ghe Two
Are Then Compared, end This
Constitutes the Examination.
Tea examination, not inspection as the
government official took pains to explain.
is an accomplished fact in St. Paul. A
D. Steven. the government expert, has
established headquarters in the Thurston
bonded warehouse on the upper .levee and
is prepared to receive, examine and pass
upon all teas invoiced to the port of ST
Paul. Though but little has been ex-
amined up to date, the first shipments
are arriving In this country from China
and Japan and in a few weeks the Of
flee will be busy place.
Mr. Steven was visited yesterday and
asked for little information regarding
the process through which teas have to
go before being put upon the market.
He was found In rear room at TIE
warehouse, carefully boring holes in tea
cases with an augur ard removing sam
pies which he placed in numbered paste
board boxes holding about three ounces.
He explained that though samples were
taken from the different cases of each
invoice, not every case sent through the
government examiners hands was in
spected.
Tea comes to st. Paul, or will come
when the shipments begin" said he, sin
cases such as you see. These come di-
rect from Japan and China. After an in
voice Is received here, l make an exami-
nation. 1 should state that an invoice
usually contains several different brands
of the tea leaves and that in making the
examination the government examiner
usually takes from each different case a
three-ounce sample such as you see.
1--WE select a case at random and bore
a hole in the side. through which the
sample is distracted. After a number Of
samples have been collected, the exarui-
nation takes place. If you viii come up
stairs. 1 will show you what happens
then"
In a room on the third floor was a gas
stove with an ordinary tea kettle and q
table, upon which there were several
6ozen china CUPS Or the wall was
rack which contained a large number OF
small cases of tea, labeled government
standard" Open upon the table was
lead package containing about d pound
of fragrant tea leaves
This package" said Mr.. Steven, 'con-
tains tea which is selected by Il board
of seven. chosen by the secretary Of the
treasury, and is known the government
standard for this particular kind of tea.
which, as you see, is Ping Suey. The
board passes upon different teas and Sc
lects distinct grades which are issued
from ths treasury department as stan
dard. The packages on the rack there
are all government teas. When I make
an examination of teas, 1 take the gov
eminent standard tea of the kind which
am about to examine and brew a cup
of the standard and cup Of the tea
which is to be examined. Then I com
pare the two for drinking qualities, flavor
and loaf When the leaves are taken
from the cups. they are soft and unroll
easily, In this way the presence of adul-
terants is discovered. In case the sam
pie is equal In all points to the govern
ment standard, the tea is passed.. If 1T
is inferior. the shipment is not passed,
ard that's the whole operation of tea
examination.
81 have received mail samples of tea
shipments which have recently come in
from Japan and China. but the first in
voices have not yet arrived. Little or
no tea has yet been received and 1t win
be impossible to ten how much win be
examined in ST. Paul until tho end OF
the season, when statistics can be made
up. I anticipate busy season $ work.
Tea shipments are usually received In the
early summer and fall.