Baking Powder Nymphs

A band of confidence operators, with a rand-uew scheine, has been let loose in tkis vicinity to prey upon and annoy our housekeepers. The operators are generally women, although employed and di rected by an agent of the other sex, and their method of proceedure, na oxplained by several ladies who have been victim ized, is as follows: These women cali at private residenee and manoever to get access to the kitchen, where they introduce the subject of bak ing powders, inquiring the kind used in the f amily . Being showD the can, perhaps a fresh f uil one, they volunteer to "test" it to ascertaiii it qualities. Their "test" consista in placing the eau on a hot stove or over a lamp or gas get. If the baking powder is good for anything the heat will, of course, expel the gas, which, being ammoniacal or carbonic, is apparent to the sense of smell. The claim is then made that this odor indicates something detrimental, although, as a matter of fact a baking powder that woufd give off no gas when subjected to heat would be without leavening power and valueless. Circulare are left with the housekeeper condemning the brand of baking powder tested, and putting forth the claims of some other brand as the "only pure," etc. ; or the new baking powder is offered for sale, or orders for it are taken to be turned over to the family grocer. Were this the whole of the trick, housekeepers would not often be deceived. Every intelligent person knows that baking powder is not made to be used in this way, but in a miyture with flour and water, where its action is entirely diiferent from that produeed by dry heat. But the chief object of this jugglery is to destroy the baking powder given for test; or by heating it to drive off its leavening gases and so weaken it that when used it will fail to work. At the next baking there is heavy food of course, and the "tramp" probably geto the credit of having told the housekeeper a valuable fact, instead of spoiling her baking powder, as was actually the case. The average tramp will in this way destroy from 50 to 75 pounds of baking powder a day. A second method of spoiling for use baking powder in a kitchen where they are permitted to experiment with it, is by dexteronsly throwing in the can a Hmiill quantity of Halt, soda, or powdered lime. Again, should there chance to be no baking powder in the house, the operators will ■ produce, of the kind usod by the family, a sample that has been pnrposely adulterated or "doctored " to make such an exhibit as they desire nnder the so-called test. The only way to protect our food from being contaminated by trampa of this kind is to turn all persona who wish or attempt to tamper with it uncerimonioualy from the door, and to use thoae articles only, which experience has proved satifuctory, or the official tests have established as pure and wholesome. In these "shntting down " times it is cTidentthat 10 milis do not make a cent.