Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-05-27
A BAD MESS.
Country Editor Analyses Catalog
House Shipment of Groceries.

Here are some hot shots from the
Wells (Minn) Forum. While the
chemical description Of some of the
food (?) described may be somewhat
oVerdrawn, the conclusions are right.
The stuff is often poisonous and al
ways deceptive. If every farmer or
other person who orders groceries
from mail order house would read
this, it might cut down the practice
and then it might not. The
following is the article:
"a few days ago shipment OF
goods was received for a farmer out
in the country. Just what they
contained, no man knows. The
coffee was no doubt adulterated with
chickory, the chicbory was adulter-
ated with peas, the peas was adpl-
terated with beans, the beans with
dough berries, the dough with cheap
grains, and they in turn with earthly
matter. The catsup was made of
turnips colored with coal oil dyes,
and spiced with the Lord only
knows what combination of adulter-
ated spices, cayenne pepper, etc., the
syrup was made of potatoes treated
with suiphuric acid, and the gran
ulated sugar was half starch, the
baking powder was alum and flour,
the vinegar was sui phuric acid
reduced, the jelly was made from
feet of cattle slaughtered in Chicago,
colored with coal oil colors and flaw
ored with synthetic coal oil fovors,
the jams were Of old apple pomace
from cider mills, worms and all,
colored and favored the same with
the addition of timothy weed to
make one believe that the seeds of
berries were actually contained in
the mass.
Cali this stuff was paid for in
advance, with no chance to get your
money back if you don't like it.
If one wants to get this stuff from
the local merchants it will be found
to have label on it saying that it
contains alum, or is imitation fruit
Jelly, or such announcement. It is
no sign that it is pure because it
came from Chicago, and was not
otherwise labeled. An attempt was
made to enforce the label laws in
this state a few weeks ago, and the
mail order house had the audacity
to saw that they did not come under
the laws of Minnesota, if you please,
because their goods we're sold in
in original packages and the inter-
state commerce laws permit of no
restrictions of commerce between
states. Here we are confronted by
houses selling us pojsons and laugh
ingly telling us that we can't help
misunderstanding us and taking
refuge behind the law At the same
time our local merchants would be
subject to a heavy fine if they sold
these illegal goods,
''Our local merchants will exchange
goods if not satisfactory, and they
do not require cash in advance
they carry one from harvest to har
vest, if necessary They sell as low
as anyone can and come out even,
lower in proportion than the order
houses. Now isn't the above list of
stuff nice bunch of truck to bring
family up on? It is poison; it is
dirty; it is not food, it was made 70
sell in other states than that where
it was made, and it was made 10
sell to suckers-the only fish that
bites cheap bait at all seasons of
the year. Their is only one remedy:
Buy at hons. Don't poison your
children for the difference between
pound of baking powder at 40 cents
and at 25 cents. That is c"nts.
is too little retorn for the purpose.
eff you want to kill your children
don't do it unless there is some
better reason than any mail order
house has to offer in the way of
cheap poison
In Honor of the Soldier Dead.