The Nome daily nugget., 1935-02-16

| it sold for as much as $5 pound Today good chocolate can be pur chased for few cents a pound, and is consumed in one form or another by millions of people the world over Modern methods of cocoa and chocolate manufacture differ little from those used by primitive peO pie centuries ago. In Mexico the natives roasted the beans and then ground them between two warm fiat stones until a fine paste was ob. tained. This was sometimes mixed with maize (corn) and favored with vanilla and spices. The paste was nodded into forms desired and al. lowed to cool. Modern preparation of the commodity Is more scientific and thorough, but the principal steps taken are much the same. Cocoa butter Is an important by. product of the cacao bean, which contains 50 per cent fats. The but ter. removed by crushing the beans under hydraulic pressure, is exten. sively used In confectionery, and in pharmaceutical preparations. Al most every household has some commodity that contains this vege table fat. Cocoa butter Is an in. gredient of many soaps, pomades, perfumes, ointments, plasters, and cosmetics.
 The Gold coast colony in Africa Is normally the worlds largest pro. dueer of cacao. In one recent year the colony shipped 54,000 tons of ca. cao, valued at $10,0O0.O00, to the United States.
 While the Gold coast no longer puts its trust in gold, cacao has dis placed the metal only within the last few years. For 400 years gold was the hope that glittered for white men on the Gold coast. Gold mines built the railroad to Seccondee for which Takoradi Is the port. Tn 1924 gold shipments reached more than $4.OO00OO. but the mines seem to be nearing exhaustion. A geological survey of the Gold coast colony in 1915 revealed other min erals which may themselves relegate gold to the background. Manga nese and bauxite are important ex- ports. The first Is used in steel making and the second for alum mum.
 Big Industry In Brazil.
 In the state of Bahia in Brazil are about SO000,OO0 cacao trees; this fruit has been grown here for about 15O years, and tiny railway serves the heart of the great cacao region. It, hauls more tons of freight per mile than any other railway line in South America.
 Leaving the Coastal plain and en- tering the foothills, one sees the cacao plantations in long shaded groves. Among bigger, protecting trees the small cacao trees are planted, thus sheltered from sun and wind. Twist off green fruit, break it open and taste the whitish seeds; the flavor Is like watermelon. Bare foot men and women split the pods, empty the seeds on wide platform, and tread them free of pulp and pith. They call this Dancing the Cacao."
 The seeds are dried by stirring them in big fiat bin. A wide roof. set on wheels, is at hand, to be hastily hauled over the bin if 1t rains. Turning dark brown when dried, and tasting of unsweetened chocolate when ripe, the beans are packed in bags and sent to Europe and the United States. In 30 years Bahia's export has risen from 150,- GOO to 100000 bags a year. Brazil drinks very little chocolate. but much coffee.
 Near station named Lava Pes" or "Wash Your Feet" the visitor may stop to watch long file of um- brella ants. Each carries leaf as if itwere an umbrella Many ants are up in tree, biting off bits of leaf and dropping them to other ants walt ing on the ground. This line of marching ants Is often a mile or more long. The ants carry the leaves to their underground home, and store them. On the leaves a fungus forms. and this the insects eat.
 | Further up the line one crosses a small stream running among cacao- covered hills. Long chutes made of boards run down the hillsides to the waters edge. Down these chutes na- tives slide fresh cacao beans, which empty into waiting dugout canoes. Although cacao has been grown here for 50 long, the methods of har- vesting 1t are still primitive. for hu. man labor is cheap.
 | White men find life here hard, be- cause of 50 many insects and ma. laria. Bugs are . plague; horned tumble-bugs more than seven inches long-larger than many kinds of birds, snails weighing half pound, and the fer de lance and other bad '