Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1896 — WHERE PIES ARE MADE. [ARTICLE]

WHERE PIES ARE MADE.

An Establishment That Turn* Them Out bv the Thousand. "If you want to see something Interesting," he said, "come with me. It will make your mouth water if you have a taste for the sweets, and in addition it will give you an insight into a business tjjnt has reached immense proportions within the last ten years.” Dowu this street, and up the next, and up a long tlight of stairs, to a office where the lucky number of thirteen misses were at work. '1 his \yas the iuitial l»w to the largest pie factory in Hie whole of Gotham, and for that matter the eutire country. Here it is that au average of IS4KIII pies are turned out every.day of the week except Friday, when the figures go over the 20,000 mark, lierause of the demands for Sunday. Pies, little and big. aud in all conditions of preparation, are to b» seen hen*, and the average office boy or down-town "clerk" would imagine hintself in pie heaven were he to get upon the ground. Ask tlte most experienced housewife, and she will readily testify to the statement that it is no easy matter to make a first-class pie. Pie making Is easy with the young bride only. ' Still, In tills big factory s|M>keu of, it really does seem a simple affair the putting together of fruit aud dough because the workmen go through the performance in Empire State Express order: hut it Is practice aud experience with them rather ilia 11 personal pleasure. To make a pie correctly, as well as digestlvely, it is necessary to resort to four processes.. 'lake, for instance, a mince pie. The work of preparing the tilling is the first undertaking, and then In regular order come the task of making the crust, filling the pie and baking It. Contrary to some ideas. It is essential to the welfare of the aforesaid pie that the meat required lie of n superior kind. This obtained, it. Is consigned to an immense steam-jacketed copper kettle that has the capacity of a medium sized barrel, 111 this way it Is cooked, and then intrusted to tile beneficial graces of nu enormous chopping machine, that does Its work as finely a projectile front a twelve-inch gun might do with a wooden fence. Next come for attention the beef suet, apples, citron, currents, spices, and finally the brandy, mid these are nilxitl with the mincemeat by another machine, and are sent to the filler. White Ihe mincemeat Is being mixed with the other mixture, another force Of men are preparing Ihe crust. This force of men work before an Immense trough, und are rigged out In clothes of inimaculaie white, wllh hare arms as powdered with flour us the hair on their heads. The trough Is partly filled with flour, and shortening or lard is worked into il by the white workmen. Water that lias been specially Iced Is worked into the mixture in the trough, and Ihe whole thing soon takes on quite a dough-like appearance. This dough Is taken to another force of men, who roll it out Into I hit) slices and place It on tin plates. 'Tills operation Is perhaps the quickest of any of the processes. The men go through the mountain of dough like wind through 11 sand hill. Quicker Hum it takes to tell, the white-covered tins are delivered to the flllers-lu, and 110. army of old topers ever filled in as rapidly as they do. All use a long-handled dipper which has n. capacity Just sufficient to fill one pie. With this dipper In one hand and Ihe dough-covered tin plate lit tin* other, the fillcr-lu dips the illpiicr into the barrel of filling alongside of him, raises It In the air ami with a graceful movement, of Ids wrist turns It Inlo the waiting plate. This accomplished. every tiling Is ready for Ihe oven. The latter Is a gigantic thing operated much on the style of the Ferris wheel. Suspended by Its nxle above a red-hot fire Is a wheel about 12 feet long und Id Inches in diameter. Eight Iron plat forms are hung from the rims of this wheel, and upon these platforms the pies are placed. The manner of suspension is such that the pies always remain horizontal. One of the platforms Is always over the opening In the* oven. 'The attendants cover the platform with pies and the wheel Is then turned tintll the next platform comes into view, which In like manner Is tilled. Tills is continued until tho eight platforms have boon covered. 'The next turn brings Into view the first, lot put in, nil baked to a nicety. 'They are then removed anil the pint form filled again. Again the wheel turns and another army of linked pies Is presented and removed. Thls'ls continued hour after hour so long 1/ the demand lasts. An average of about 1,100 pies are baked hourly over this oven. The pie factory Is a great Institution, and must be seen to lie appreciated.