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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1921)
GHEf MST TELLS BOOZE. SECRETS Edson, New York Expert, Tells of Task of Testing Hootch of All Kinds 800 SAMPLES TESTED Moonsnmers Color Fluid mm m With Caramel, Much Raw Alcohol Used In Stuff Kh. w YORK, Sept. 1 0.Secrets of. the, "hootch" maker who man uiaciures synthetic whiskey or gin are -as an? open book to the government chemists who test the V products' of violators of the Vol stead law. ( Evidence seized from rum-run ners and bootleggers is: brought to them for examination.; How the chemical tests are conducted was disclosed today by'R: A . Edson chief chemist of the .gorernmeat t laboratory In. the federal building. The walls t 'his offices are lifted with shelves ' filled -with bottles vol every kind and description con- taining every kind of leverage forbidden by the Volstead act. SUlIsxGalore A fringe of " stills ' selsad Itf raids decorates the .top of the shelves and there Is a big pile of them In a corner. In the - past year mors-than 8,000 samples or liquor; KOod. Dad. and indifferent, have, hsen tested here and the re sults produced later In the federal coru.,' v :,,.(;5i''.t,!'"-;i - The first thing to be done by the. chemists when a sample of suspected liquor Is brought in is to test It for alchohol. Usually the prohibition agents try to get at least hajf a pint , of whiskey and a pint of wine for the chem ists to work on. Dut occasional ly an agent comes In with a small bottle of liquid which he explains -is a drink of whiskey which he bought at a bar and had to held ' In his mouth until he. could spit out Into a bottle without being observed by the barkeeper. - And that Is tested j.oo. f ; . .Teste Intricate "When Hhe sample Is large en ough the . lrydrometer is used to find the amount of alcohol pres ent. The hydrometer Is a ther- moroeter-like instrument of glass with the specific gravities marked on it.' It is floated in the sample and the markings read. Alcohol being lighter than-water the hy drometer sinks farther in the mix ture of alcohol than in; plain wa ter. The amount of : alcohol, can thus be accurately determined by reading the markings; V Small samples of booze are test- ed by means of the, qyenometer. A quantity of the suspected liquid Is weighed and. its .'. weight com pared with an . equal amount of water. By means of a few com- , potation's the amount of alcohol . can easily be onn&. . For rapid work on . beer and -wine with small percentages of al cohol ' the ebulllometer is used: The evidence 13 heated and .tne boiling point learned. Water bolls at 100 degrees centigrade ..and alcohol at a, much lower tem perature. A -mixture of alcohol and water bolls at a lower tem . perature ; than water and thns : chemists can rapidly ' calculate the amount of alcohol. - - v , Color Analyzed After a test for ' alcohol has ' been completed In the case of whiskey the color of the sample is tested. Whiskey that has been held In bond for some tlme has a color of its own due to the 1n- side of the whiskey barrels being charred by fire before the whiskey Is put in. C, The manufacturing bootlegger making an artificial whiskey of grain alcohol and wa ter uses caramel made of '.burnt sugar to color bis product The MarBh reaction shows It the color of the whiskey sample is genuine or artificial. A quantity of amyl alcohol slightly acidified with phosphoric acid Is mixed with tbe liquid to be tested, Amyl al cohol being lighter than ethyl al cohol, as ordinary grain alcohol is called by the chemists; arises Special To Portland , , . . ' Saturday, Oct l,10:15 p. m For the benefit of those wishing to see the " Night Horse. show Southern' Pacific ' ' j 5 ." Tj-' ?,,f '' -i- V 'V 'i ''" : f 'I'" will have a special train leaving the Fair grounds for Portland at 10:15 p. m. ?v THE -QItEfl03f .STATESMAN. SALEM .OREGON y LSDY .BARBER iCBi "EDAHD THE XJEXtSBIC. VS. I. 4 " . -tC '8 ir ' ; ' If V I ... .T.- r MissJIh'lratattellAlbaJtIiiBltor of the CunarU line. 2Uas Xi2h doae :nat rcatr -to rman. mrt3dealaolely wtth member of bar 'UWii.ex-Ehe :jS3)bntogmplteil.ilLeHaiua .tig -tresses of SCn mnffJBfl TgJtlnriatQTtto tha Tes5al.jJpiiiUia.iroopB. to the top of the mixture. If the whiskey is genuine the color 'will mix with the amyl alcohol and rise to the top of the mixture. If the color la due to caramel it will stay in the bottom of Jthe mixture. Test Is made for wood alcohol if there is any suspicion of its pres ence. Much Alcohol Used Mr. Edson said that 90 per cent of the uquor seized by the prohi bition agents and brought to the laboratory to be te3ted Is synthet ic whiskey made of alcohol and water and a little color or just plain "hootch." "We an -usually tell whether the stnftls genuine or not by just smelKng of it," he explained. The synthetic stuff has a distinct smell of raw alcohol which is not present in genuine . whiskey no matter how bad it may be. " "Lately we have tested a num ber of samples of syntnetic gin. it is made of alcobol and water with a little oil of Juniper to give the characteristic gin flavor. ' But the juniper flavor is ranker than gen uine gin and I. don't think anyi one gets much pleasure from drinking such stuff. The boot leggers usually ; put in too, much of the, on of juniper. r i , Artificial, Wine , j i "There Is some artificial wine seized by the thohibitlon agents. It Is usually made from alcohol and water flavored with - truit jnice of some kind. . The home made wine that is submitted for test is very poor stuff. Usually there has been insufficient fer mentation of . the grapes ' after they are pressed and sometimes putrefaction has started. some wine will contain 7 to 9 per, cent of alcohol. "Most - whiskies contain 40 to 50 per cent alcohol. Scotch whis key has less alcohol than other Whiskies. "We have found small quantities of creosote in some of the artificial Scotch whiskies that have -been seized. The creosote is put in to Imitate the peat-smoke flavor of the genuine article. 4 Z To PreTent Ferment "The "making of : home-made grape Juice is dangerous rrom the standpoint of the Volstead act un less precrutlons are taken to pre veni ierraniauon ana tne conse- qttent production of alcohol; ! The fcest way is to sterilize the grapes' ty pouring hot water over them or "by boiling the Juice. There! is a wild yeast present on the grapes and floatipg in the air at grape picking time and it is the wild yeast , that starts the fermenta tion." - - - -.: The government chtmlsts fcavo even tested Chlhese wine, or ngka py to determine for--the govern-' ment If it was suitable for hu man -consumption, - A' large quan tity of the wine conslcmvl to Chi-- i rain and races, the V JOHN M. sconv General Passenger Agent 1 w f v : 1 - if 'A niniiit fcnr "i 'irn iAc . nfc . i -111 nr r i 1 nese merchants here was held np by jthe customs officials on tbe ground that it smeiled bad and was not fit for human consump tion. The government's chemists found the wine was made from rice spirits and a decoction of herbs. They said lit was all right for Chinese medicinal pur poses so It was allqwed to be brought in. SSIl I FOUND IN N. Y. ic Discovered i on Site of d Camp Wheie Mercen aries Were! Held Re! 0! NEW YORK, Sept. 24. A Hes- eiab soldier's belt buckle has been found by historical; workers ex cavating the site to? 1 the revolu tionary ; war prison camp on the old; Dyckman farm; near 203rd street. : ' ' . The buckle, of bronze, is in a perfect state of preservation and officials of the field exploration committee of the New, York His torical society, say it is one of the few Revolutionary relics of undoubted Hessian origin. " The buckle has been identified as part of the equipment of the Fuerst ; Frederick or Erb Prinz regiment of Hesse, j mercenaries brought tfve by the British to fight Washington's! c6ntinenta'ls. On the front of the buckle Is en graved i the monogram "F. F.,1 surmounted -by a crown. The original hook or belt holder is on! the back. The Fuerst Frederick regiment, originally 688 strong, took part In S many engagements In the Re volution. It participated in the battle of Long Island, and was assigned to the left wing of Earl Percv's force at the battle of Fort f Washington. . Later the regiment was . sent south and eventually was captured at Yorktown. , L pon the declaration of peace tl' survivors were returned to New York to a Walt transporta tiqn home and during this period they .were quartered in the hut cantonment on the Dyckman farm GEO IS Brooklyn Resident Defies Undertaker' by Working As House Builder, k'trfir YOTIK. Sert. 21. Al- thonrh enterins Bis 7zno year i...... . . . . . with-enoeh money I to retire and take Un eo!I. . Frank D. Johnson hii Brooklyn continnes to erect houses all by, himself and sells them. , Wtr the last 50 years he has worked 10 to 12 a day at this nnTsuit and now is putting up a one-man house daQravcsend ave nue. No hands but Ms own nave tnnrhmi the structure since he started It. ; i I ' ' . TjRt Julv while he was work ing on the house, it was struck by lightning. Digging himself out of the debris, Johnson rubbed home arplca onto his bruises and was back on the lob the next aay. ,Born in Boston of Revolution ary war stock, Johnson expects to live to 100. He has all but two of his original teeth and scarcely hair has fallen from his head. "I could have knocked off and taken It easy, but It I had done so I would now be reposing in some graveyard," was the way Johnson put it. & .:':. " ' v Besides being i a '', stonemason, bricklayer, carpenter, plasterer, plumber, tinsmith, painter, paper hanger, decorator, glazier; electri cian, wood carver and cabinet maker; Johnson studied all the ins and outs of laws governing real estate, so-as to : save all title searching and allied Tees - . , A'- 5 'r'' -sill - in 1 1!S CARPENTER IDLE BELIEF 1 ! IS OBJECTIVE Emergency Program Formu lated at National Unem ployment Conference ADJOURNMENT IS TAKEN Delegates Meet Again Oct ober 1 0 to Develop Per manent Action Basts WASHINGTON, Sept. 30. For mulation of an . Emergency pro gram designed to effect the im mediate relief of the nation's idle. variously estimated at from S- 500,000 jto 5,500,f)(ro persons, was completad today, by the national conference on unemployment with the adoptkra of specific measures recommended by committees. The conference then adjourned until October 10, when it will con- sider a permanent unemployment policy and suggestions for the re turn of business and commerce to normal. Meanwhile its com mittees will work on ' derails of these subjects. Task Community One. The conference found the task Of meeting the unemployment emergency was primarily a com munity one with the responsibil ity of leadership and its solution resting on' the mayors. Federal, state and municipal aid, however, was urged. -Particular reference was made by the conference to the connection between prices and the solution of the country's eco nomic questions. "Duriog the 'period of drastic economic readjustment through which we are now passing," the emergency r program said, 'the continued efforts of any one to profit beyond the requirements of safe business -practice or economic consistency should be condemned. One of the important obstacles to resumption of normal business activity will be removed as prices reach replacement values in terms of efficient producing and distri buting cost, plus reasonable pro nt. . ' v . "We.; therefore, stroncly urge II & I i in 'naiii i iw im i ihm tf if iii iial -1 - . ; :?;IBiIHy -V.-:. : ' all manufacturers and wholesal ers who may not yet have adopt ed this policy to do so, but It is essential to the success of these measures when put into effect that retail prices shall . prmptiy and fairly ' refliect the price ad justment of the producer, manu facturer and t the . wholesaler. When these principles haTe been recognized and the recommenda tions complied: -with, we are con fident that the pnblic wm in crease their purchases. thefVoy increasing the; operations of th mills, factories, and transporta tion companies, and consequent y reducing the number of unem ployed." Seven Hundred Animals Are Sent to Baffin Land As ' Planned by Explorer CHRISTIANIA, Sept .24. A representative of the Hudson Ba company recently paid a visit to Fin mark on behalf of the Cana dian government and bought a herd of 700 reindeer Which nro tn be shipped to Baffin Land. A number of Laplanders were -also engaged to take care of the animals which will be despatched in September. A plan for converting the Arc Canada into a great wool, milk ana meat producing area was pre sented to the Canadian -government by Vllhjalmuf Stefansson. the Norwegian explorer of the Sa il adian Arctic, more than two years ago. , His project involved the Intro duction into the .Canadian north of large herds oj reindeer and also the domestication and, develop ment of great herds of musk ox He estimated that there wero from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 square miles of land available for grazing in a climate too severe for cattle but where reindeer and musk ox exist, all the year round. In proof of his argument, he cited the introduction by the American government of reindeer herds into Alaska. The explorer declared that the growth of these animals in the far north would help to solve the food shortage then existing. The Canadian government ap pointed a committee to investigate BEIMiE SENT TO HI I-. yi - ; -; ' - if . ' . 5ATUBDAY MORNIKG, OCTOBER.!,', 1921 SCENES! NEAR WHERE BIG GERMAN EXPLOSION OCCURRED. jrWiAV"- ? y'fi-zr. v-v- ' 'A. f .t-i - i r U& svt,v."ita l y. i X- yi"1"-1 iuii-tv-'w rr wjm fWl mkVnjM ' 'H. AMi Iif iit;?r-;b ir :A One thousand persons were killed In an explosion of 4rtUlcuU litrogca ,4t:thipppour Warns at' !Uid .wigshafeiWidlrecUyopposite' Mannheim, on the Rhine.' - l-,..- Y,i'.uVAl i'-t. '-:v -t - ii1:f I'-s t'$Vi1::ft:-' - The upper photo shows a river view of the stricken city." why Jowcr. pUoto ehowA yVwof the toU bouse on the JLudwiffshatea aide of the bridge which connect this city with AhnclnVhh tht Other Bide oc,U Rhine. r-. ; . - . '' !.; ."'.J;5 " y'f ;v;h'm1 .:'":tl-'-"':-iA bis project- It was represented that there: Is an abundant growth of vegetation In the Arctic re gions of Canada in the summer and that the musk-ox and (rein deer could graze on it throughout tbe entire year. .Read The Classified Ads. I would makes ical user$ of coffc 14 3 Ji One morning s. Jorkins ;- leeked over his garden fence! and said to his neighbor:! "What - are yp burying in that hole?" "Just replanting, some of my seeds, that's all.."! : was the reply. Seeds?"; exclaimed' Jordan an grlly. ''Looks .'more like one jof my hens." . ', Tkat's; all ' riirht." "TeTfUed the TT I V ! j - 'j .- ' not supply fresher boffee Bros. Red 'Gan'bfrahtj: The vacuum process it ipossiblej as coffecWhcn this method i$ protected prom cannot deteriorater-one.qfithe ons why Red Can is certain to i . i uhe O'Aginol mciminwcfo i r 3 4i ,i 1 l 4 V other. The'aeeds! are inside." Home Friend. ' "ho yon -realry en JOy ( co trj 1 rif. ld man?" : ' i . -,,V'iroi-bet3J'o!jr-: f.pu' : . , -What o you do wUh your., self evenings?" J , ; j - f ' "Oh, 'I com lo townWBoston TranAcrlpt.'.n 1 . ', " :i ;' ' - ' - ". TT than Hills packed'ty jhe air ;aiid ; ; v ; ' :v many reas please arte a I T - - m -rr