L-„
“Follow your nose” is a good max
im when the practice of it is tem
pered with an abundant exercise of
good judgment. Otherwise, one is
open to the accusation of promiscu
ously “nosing around.” Nevertheless,
nosing into the business of the man
ufacturer of perfumes and essential
oils may prove a most pleasant and
interesting experience. Before do
ing this, it will be profitable to ex
amine “the thing that smells most in
a perfume factory—as well as in a
glue factory.”
The nose, yes, your nose, too, is
always before our eyes, and yet we
see so little of it. Still less do most
of us know about the mechanism of
that' most prominent portion of our
physiognomies. Contrary to common
belief, the entire inner lining of the
nose is not sensitive to particles that
arouse the sensation of smell. In the
air passage there is a small area
adapted to this one purpose. When
air is drawn up through the nostrils
it takes with it invisible particles,
technically called effluvia. These ef
fluvia strike against the “smell
area” and stimulate the nerve end
ings which are located there. This
stimulation is carried to the brain and
we have the sensation of smell.
Quite often the remark is made
that a person “gets used to” an odor
after smelling it for a long period
of time. This simply means that the
t small particles have struck against
the “smell area” so long that the
nerves have become exhausted from
the continual effort to transmit the
stimulations. Fatigued as they are,
the nerves are unable to carry the
message to the brain, and the person
temporarily loses the power to de
tect that particular odor. This ac
counts for the fact that a flower
seems to lose its fragrance when one
holds it close to one’s nose and smells
it for a long time. It also accounts
for the fact that a person coming in
from outdoors immediately detects
the unwholesome atmosphere of a
room, while the person who has been
in the room for an hour or so it
totally unaware of the foul odor in!
the air.
In animals the sense .of smell is
much more highly developed than in
man, and that is saying a great deal,
as we shall soon see.
The manufacture of synthetic per
fumes is so large an industry that
space here is inadequate for even a
brief description of the processes in
volved in it, but it is quite fitting to
note the rapid strides made in this
field during the past few years, near
ly every flower odor having been so
successfully imitated that only the
nose of the expert can distinguish the
natural product from the artificial.
Here is where the nose does its
most reliable work. Quite often the
odor of a perfume is seriously altered
by the mere trace of an impurity, a
trace so small that it is beyond de
tection by chemical means. In this
cose, purity is dependent upon the
olfactory test, the test of smell. Some
idea of the delicacy of this test may
be gained from the fact that it has
been found that air containing one
twenty-three billionth of a milligram
of mercaptan to the cubic centimeter
could be detected.
Approximately, a milligram is rep
resented by the weight of the head of
an ordinary pin. One twenty-three
billionth part of that is approximate
ly represented by—well, best by a
very lively imagination. Mercaptan,
the substance referred to above, is
simply a chemical compound noted
for its characteristic odor, which is
Somewhat similar to that of putrid
sauerkraut.
This is but one of the many ex
amples that could be cited to show
the sensitiveness of the olfactory
nerve. To a perfectly good nose pos
sessing this high degree of develop
ment, the common expression that
someone “smells a mouse” is about
equivalent to saying that someone
can smell an elephant, or a goat, the
inability to do which would be a dis
grace to any self-respecting human
nose.
“WEIGHTED” LEATHER.
If asked to recommend substances
to be used fraudulently to give weight
to cheap leather, probably no one
would think of suggesting sugar or
Epsom Salts; yet, according to Bul
letin 165 of the United States agri
cultural department’s bureau of
chemistry, these are the "weighting”
materials most generally found, the
sugar being used in the form of glu
cose. Says the Lancet (London, Oc
tober 2), commenting on this fact:
“It would be thought that the least
desirable materials to give weight to
leather would be soluble substance*,
for the moment such leather is ex
posed to wet weather these sub
stances would dissolve and weaken
the tough and waterproof qualities of
the material. We do not know
whether the weighting of leather with
soluble compounds is practiced to any
extent in this country. We imagine
not, but this clearly occurs in the
United States. * * * Tanners state
that leather is loaded with foreign
materials because the boot and shoe
makers will buy only the lower
priced leather which, to use a trade
expression, ‘cuts to advantage’—that
it, a leather from which the greatest
number of soles can be cut at the low
est cost a pair. Approximately 63
per cent of the leathers examined
were weighted with glucose or Epsom
salts, or. both. This loading varies
from t to 7.5 with an average of 3 per
cent of Epsom salts, and up to 10.4
with an average of 5.5 per cent of
glucose, amounting to a total maxi
mum loading, when both are present,
of 16 per cent and an average of 8
per cent. The loading process often
makes the leather hard, brittle and
liable to crack, and, when the soluble
loading washes out, the leather is
more easily penetrated by water. In
short, this weighting trick tend* to
destroy those very essential proper
ties of leather for which it is trusted.
Our boots and shoes, while supple and
yielding, should be waterproof. The
menace to the health and comfort of
the wearer of loaded leather is ob
vious, and the practice is most rep
rehensible. Imagine such leather in
the trenches, while its use in any
circumstances is full of risk to the
soldier’s well-being. Those in charge
of our military contracts will be ad
vised to take note of this new at
tack of the adulterator.”—Literary
Digest.
ST. PAUL BARS “THE
BIRTH OF A NATION”
Minneapolis, Minn., Nov. 14.—Fol
lowing close on the decision in the
Hennepin county district court, which
reesultcd in stopping the production
of “The Birth of a Nation” at the
Shubert theater, the St. Paul city
commission revoked the license for j
the presentation of the film there.
“The Birth of a Nation” had been
showing at the St. Paul Auditorium
for two weeks. When the license was
issued there was a promise to cut
out certain features that were ob
jected to by Negroes. These objec
tionable features were not cut out,
according to members of the St. Paul
commission.
It was on the ground of a viola
tion of the promises made that the
film was barred in St. Paul.
OLD FOLKS’ HOME FUND.
No one is authorized to solicit for
The Monitor’s Old Folks’ Home fund.
Contributions must be sent or brought
to the office of The Monitor. A receipt
on a printed form will be given to
each contributor. His name and the
amount will be published in our
columns. As soon as $100 is reecived
it will be turned over to the treasurer
of the Negro Women’s Christian as
sociation to be paid on the property,
and a copy of the receipt from the
treasurer and from the real estate
agent to whom payment is made will
be published in this paper.
Acknowledgments.
Nov. 1., E. W. Pryor.$5.00
MESSAGE OF SYMPATHY TO
MRS. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Through the pastors of the several
colored church of the city the colored
citizens of Omaha Monday sent the
following message of sympathy to the
widow of Booker T. Washington, the
Negro educator.
“In the name of the colored citizens
of Omaha we extend heartfelt sym
pathy. Thank God for your husband’s
life. Not only our race and America,
but the civilized world mourns with
you.”
BISHOP AND MRS. JOHN
HURST CELEBRATE
SILVER WEDDING
Baltimore, Md., Nov. 19.—Bishop
and Mrs. John Hurst, who celebrated
the twenty-fifth anniversary of their
marriage a few days ago, continue to
receive gifts in silver from all parts
of the country. The gifts, which were
numerous and costly, embrace nearly
every specimen of the silversmith’s
art. The anniversary was attended
by a brilliant throng from this and
other cities.
Bishop and Mrs. Hurst were mar
ried by Bishop B. F. Lee, of the Afri
can Methodist Episcopal church. The
late Hon. Hannibal Price, at that
time Maritian minister to the United
States, performed the civil ceremony.
They have e one son, Beneni Price
Hurst, a senior in the medical school
of Harvard university.
OF INTEREST TO OMAHANS.
Huntington Beach, Cal., Nov. 19.—
Mrs. Cassells has returned to her
home at Huntington Beach from a
four weeks’ visit with friends in the
north. In Oakland Mrs. Cassells was
the guest of Mrs. Alexander Turner;
in Richmond, the guest of Mrs. S. C.
Rogers. A delightful feature of the
visit was a reunion of eighteen for
mer Omahans, almost all of whom
had done three of the eastern expo
| sitions together.
—
Rube Foster’s American Giants are
running away with the teams on the
Pacific coast, in the winter league.
The time is not far distant when the
fans will wake up to the fact that
Negroes can play just as much ball
as any one else when given the
chance.
CLASSIFIED
ADVERTISING
RATES—1V^ cents a word for single
insertions, 1 cent a word for two or
more insertions. No advertisement
for less than 15c. Cash should ac
company advertisement.
FOR RENT—HOUSES
FURNISHED ROOMS FOR RENT.
Furnished rooms for rent, modern,
reasonable, for men only. 2809 Cum
ing St. Hubert Thompson.
Modern furnished rooms, 1819 Izard
street. Tyler 2519.
Nicely furnished rooms with hot
and cold water, $1.50 and up per
week. Close to car line. Mrs. Hayes,
1826 North 23rd street. W. 5639.
FOR SALE—REAL ESTATE
$15 down, $10 a little later, then
$6 winter and $9 summer will buy
3-room house and two lots for gar
den, chickens, etc.; 2 blocks to
school, 5 blocks to car. Call 507
Paxton block.
Mrs. L. M. Bentley-Webster, first
class modern furnished rooms, 1702 N.
26th St. Phone Webster 4769.
Nicely furnished rooms for respect
able lady; private family; home privi
leges with board if desired. Web. 7881.
FOR SALE—MISCELLANEOUS.
FOR SALE—An eight-room house,
strictly modern, 2722 North 30th St.
Terms. Webster 3602.
If you have anything to dispose of,
a Want Ad in The Monitor will sell it.
WANTED.
Respectable young widow woman
wants position as housekeeper. Will
exchange references. Mrs. Esters.
Call Harney 6.385.
Barber Wanted—Good position for
the right man. Apply 1918 Cuming.
Mason, also carpenter, all around
repair man; jobs on hand for each
to pay down payment or rent on good
small home or lot that I have for
you. Address at once. Call 507 Paxton
block.
WANTED—Correspondents and sub
scription solicitors for The Monitor in
Nebraska cities and towns.
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