Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-20
OIeomarqarine.

il is apt to bring up Visions OF all
kinds of food authorizations and IN
wholesome impurities. We are the
friends of the cow and the milklnaio
and the old fashion churn and the big,
neat creamery of modern times. When
oIeomargarine is mentioned some of us
are reminded of the verses which once
appeared in dairy paper closing
For we've had enough
of the yellow stuff
Known as olccmargarine;
It's the nastlcSt mess
OF naStineSS
That the world has ever seem"
And yet, despite our natural prejudice
and all the abuse that has been hurled
at it. oleomargarinc is in common ami
increasing use in all parts of the coun-
try. In use, We mean, not by people
who are deceived into thinking they
are using butter hut by those who
know what it is, appreciate its cheap
ness and find it answers all their
needs More than that; men Of science
make their anidavits that the better
grades of olcomargarine are not only
harmless. but are clean, pure and
wholesome We are not writing an ad-
vertiscment for any manufacturer of
olcomargarine, but we have just re-
ceivcd from tho census bureau in
Washington bulletin No 13S which
deals with oleomarSarine, and find that
it contains many Interesting state
ments and figures.
The bulletin shows that in 1900 there
were "a establishments manufacturing
oIeomargarine in the United States,
lust double the number reported in
1890. OF these, only three arc in New
England, those being at Providence
r. l. Nel..y all of the rest are in the
middle West in eight cases the indus
try being an adjunct to Strengthening
and packing meat. The capital en-
ploycd in the business was S3,O2S,646
and employment was given to about
1900 people. For the year ending at
the time the census fctuiiiS were iiidue'
these establishments made 0i,63S q t
pounds, or over 52,316 tons of oleo-
margarine. The value of this was
given as $12, 2S6.357, an average of IL
cents per pound. This amount repre-
sents the value at the factory, packed
and ready for shipment, and includes
the internal-revenue tax of cents
pound, which must be paid on with
drawal for sale. This government tax
and also the yearly tax of 5000 on man.
ufacturers, $3.50 on wholesale dealers
and s4S on retailers yields Uncle Sam
tidy sum, each year
A table showing the amount of oleo-
margarine shipped into each state for
the year preceding the census year dis
closes the interesting fact that II
pounds. Only Iowa, California, Wash
ington, Idaho, South Dakota, Della
ware. Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, Yer
mont and Nevada, in the order named,
consumed less oleomargarine than
Maine. During the year 4,lS2,536
pounds were exported to other coun-
tries.
OIcomargarine was first manufac
tured in France. In 1869 the French
war office, at the instance of Napoleon
Ill, who was DESTROYS of discovering a
- substitute for butter that would keep
longer and also increase the dietary of
the poor. offered a prize for the best
substitute for butter, which was won
by NJ. Mcgee INQUIRIES, a Partisan chem
list. After n esries of observations and
suaded that the butter fat contained i'm
milk was absorbed from the animal
tissues of the COW, and his attention
was then directed to the discovery Of
process that would separate from
beef fat the oil similar to that in
milk. The industry was early intro
duced into the United States, but
statistics of its manufacture prior to
1856 are unreliable. In that year Con-
grcss passed an act regulating its
manufacture and imposing a tax of .
cents a pound on the product. From
that date more exact information is
obtainable. In 1887 there were 81 BIZ
$50 pounds made, and the present re-
port shows a product of nearly five
times that amount.
The bulletin has numerous pictures
showing the interiors of oleomarcarine
factories and they are accompanied BY
interesting and instructive descriptions
OF the process of manufacturing the
various grades of the product. Practi-
caily all the oleomargarine manufac-
tured in the United States is made by
the simple process of churnfng a melt
ed mixture of oleo oil and neutral lard
with milk, cream, or melted butter to
give 1t the butter flavor. and colorina.
matter TO give it any desired shade o.,
yellow in SpmhlaOca 10 hut, o.