The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-02-25
"A FRAUD OF THE
RANKEST KIND"
PROF. ELLIOTT,S OPINION OF
ESTEP'S BUTTER PROCESS
similar scheme Exposed by Agricul-
tural Department in S93, in Bull
ietfn No. 12-Ingred1ents Used are
injurious to Health.


Injurious to Health.
The following correspondence is
self-explanatory. The editor feels
that no apology should be necessary
for showing up the Estep fraud as
thoroughly as the ISLANDER has done.
Ii the letter of the dairy and food
commissioner, published last week,
left any lingering doubt in the mind
OF any reader as to the fraudulent
character of ''Estep's Improved But
ter and Cheese Maker" which seems
hardly probable, it should be effectu-
ally dispelled by Prof. Elliot's reply
@ the letter written to him by the
islanders Editor. Inventor" Es-
tep declared in the ISLANDER office
that neither Mr.. Mcdonald, the state
dairy and food commissioner, nor
Prof. Elliott had condemned his So
called process or would do so, though
he admitted that they would not
endorse it. That he has brazenly
misrepresented them with intent to
deceive and defraud is conclusivelv
shown by their prompt and explicit
responses to the ISLANDER s requests
for their opinions of Estep's swind-
ling system. The inventor" left
here Tuesday, after having tested his
absoptive powers to the utmost at
the local saloons for about two weeks.
He said that he intended to return
to the county and continue to ''teach
the farmers, even if he should have
to do it for nothing. If he should
do so, which is quite improbable, the
ISLANDER will continue it's lessons
concerning him and his process also
without charge.
Friday Harbor, Feb. 8, 1905.
PROF. e. E. ELLIOTT,
Pullman, Washington.
DEAR SIR
A Mr.. James Estep, Inventor
of Estep's Improved Butter and
Cheese Maker" has been spending
some days in this county selling to
dairymen his chemical formula for
the butter yield of cream
and instructing them in it's use He
claims for his process that it twill
save one-half a pound of butter, at
least, to every gallon of cream
churned." His formula is combina-
ton of pepsin, sugar of milk, alum
and saltpeter. The ingredients, he
says, readily dissolve and pass off
with the butterinilk. "When the
butter is washed not a trace can be
found in the butter. If it all stayed,
there would be so little that it could
not possibly be injurious. | quote
from his "treati tise. He sells his
formula to farmers and gives them a
lesson in it's use for $500 He
tells them that the creameries OF
the state are Systematically robbing
them and that for every 100 pounds
of butter fat they get paid for, the
creamery gets 1l8. He lays consld-
cradle stress upon the value OF his
instructions in the testing of cream
and tells the farmers that the cream
cries do not want them to know how
to do it. I told him that it seemed
to me that if his process is as va'u-
able as he claims and such boon to
farmers engaged in dairying he
should have the endorsement OF the
state dairy and food commissioner
and the state agricultural college.
I asked him if he could not get such
endorsements and he said that he
could not. Dairying has become
quite an important industry in this
county, having increased greatly
since your visit here. Quite num-
ber of dairymen have been induced
to buy the Estep formula in the
-
hope, if not in the full belief, that it
will increase their receipts. Willyou
kindly favor me with your opinion,
for publication, as to this so-called
process, as described in the little
printed folder enclosed, and also with
4 specific answer to the following:
Is the use of sugar Of milk, pepsin,
alum and saltpeter in cream in the
process Of churning . violation of the