The Mena weekly star., 1907-09-26
FOR 4 VINEGAR AND
 CANNING FACTORY
Work Is Now Being Done Which May Secure a S25,0O0 Institution tor Mena-Fruit Growers Real
 ize Need.

Some time ago c. F. Shuey wrote very business like letter ,o inc Commercial Club here re- oardiug the location of canning and vinegar factory. The matter was quietly discussed and was then practically turned over 10 the Polk County Horticulture Society. After considerable pre- | lliminary work, call meeting of the Polk County Horticulture Society, not very we'll advertised, was held at the court house yes terday afternoon at 2 o'clock. These present were enthusiastic regarding the proposed canning and vinegar factory and ali signed an agreement to take stock whenever the factory was built and ready to receive products. 1 It was understood that the factory would pay 25 cents per gallon for strawberries. black berries, huckleberries, dewberries and all the small fruits, and would take any quantity up to 400 bushels daily. This was agreed on all sides as profitable industry to all engaged in tue raising of fruits, also a reason able price for peaches and apples. Il No greater benefit could be named for fruit growers, for we all know that tons of berries go to waste every year for want ot a market, aud each and every grower offruit should be interest ed in the matter. It was demon strated today that great quan- tity of apples were rotting on the ground in Polk county and would all make vinegar and bring money to the growers for that which IS now allowed to go to waste.
 After some explanatory re- marks and preliminary discussion M. $. Schermerhorn, secretary oi the society said:
 "Few, if any of us, realize the value of the pure food laws. Tc us a; horticulturists 1t really means that our products have come to have their full share oi use in the manufacture of pure , goods, for pure material, and tha1 only, can be used. Any deviation or imitation will be dangerous tc , the manufacturer. The day ha: passed, never to come again when adulteration of foods shal hold down the use of our fruit. for canning purposes. Lately, have been much informed con cerning the advantages in trade that adulterated goods held oyer the genuine article which they represent.
 ''l am told by an eye witness to the nefarious practices of some of the manufacturers of so called pure goods, for instance. Tn, Riber Company of Chicago manu facture and sell all kinds of fruit jellies from one tauk-glucose, refuse, timothy seed, gelatine-- all cheap materials-are placed in one vat and steamed anc stirred by machinery and heated to the boiling point, colored with analiue dies 10 a yellow, pasty mass, and from this mass, thai never saw an ounce of fruit, arc made strawberry, blackberry currant and quince jellies-each colored by che micals to represent the color and flavor of the iellies as named. Fms concern, with hundreds of others, has been closed by the government and the doors nailed up. This means that each aud every frnit tree we have has become more than double in value and will continue to grow in value.
 "Take the one article of pure vinegar, for instance, which has to come into competition with imitation vinegar. The price in commercial lots has been 7H to Sc per gallon aud upon the passage ot the pure food laws it began to advance and today pure vinegar IS selling at PIC per gallon in commercial lots and still adyauc- ing. l can furnish you formu as tor imitation vinegar that will make 40-gallon cask of vinegar for 25c.
 And so it has run throuph the whole line of goods that could be adulterated, and the detailing of such process, by one who has made a business of in vestigation, is simply appalling
 T spent one day with MT. c. Y. onuey, who came here with reference to putting iu a canning ana vinegar plant, and through him gained a great deal of infor. nation that urae ,,,ox1 .l