The New York herald., 1879-11-30
Interviews with Experts on the Question
of the Day.
ALL SHADES OF OPINION.
Politicians and Professional Men Opposed to
Bakers Pastry.
THE PIE IN THE THEATRE.

pie, AZ the pie is known in this land OF freedom
IL purely American dish. and is entitled 10 honor
from the fact that 1t il of the products OF Amer
lean art Too often it has been said that America Is
too young to have produced anything In art worthy
Of veneration but the pieis standing refutation OF
the statement. No who has tasted pie In It's per-
fection will deny this. In New England. where pie
may be said to be Indigenous there are YET hving
matrons who have inherited the housewifely genius
Of the Pilgrim Mothers. They make pies as no other
people In the world can make them There Is no
sense in tho eater of incongruity Of material what
ever that material may be. but the various condi-
ments and dsinties blended with such consum-
mate art that the pie becomes homogeneous whole.
It s true that the culinary genius of the Knicker-
bockers. combined with the refnements of foreign
gastronomy. has created pies which are pre-emi-
nently edible but they not the pies of New Eng
land. They good. but they are pies with i'm
provements. and the original pie Of New England
was not thing to be improved upon.
On the other hand. there the pies Of commerce.
Immense manufactures turn out machine made
pies by the million, and there is nothing worse than
q pie of the baser sort. When the dainty care Of
snowy fingers and loving eyes is displaced by the
hopper. the chopper and the steam driven machine
the result is travesty-not pie. 1t is this So
called pie which is eagerly eaten from ignorance Of
the better sort. that has brought disgrace on the
of pies and yet even this the pie OF ignorance
and not the pie of tradition, is purely American
affair Americans called pie-eaters as they were
once called Yankees in derision. The "Englishman."
who termed the Seventh regiment body of pie
eaters. doubtless thought he reproaching them.
He could not know any better. being an English
man. unless he had been fortunate enough to find .
pie of the original and better sort since his arrival
IN America
BRITISH rAuNrs.
For. although England has her pies Of various
kinds. they are not like American pies. The English
pie would be called pudding in America. 1t has
neither the proportions the constituent parts of
the pie it grows and fourishes In this country.
The tsunt Of the "Englishman, while it excited the
good natured contempt of the regiment and its
friends, served also to start competition at the
great fair. which has provoked strong feeling Of
rivalry. Even President Hayes. Mr. ,Tilden, Captain
Williams. General Grant and other great men have
not declined the chances of this competition since
. mammoth pie goes to the man who shall be voted
the champion pie-eater." May the best man winl
These facts and the unmerted obloquy recently
showered upon the lemon meringue pie in conse-
quence OF distressing accident. have provoked an
unwonted discussion OF pies among our citizens.
The HERALD. ever foremost in laying before the
public the sentiments Of leading men on important
topics. has been ut infinite pains to learn and to
port the views of great number Of prominent per-
in relation to pie 1t will be noticed that while
speak with levity others to appreciate the
Importance OF the subject. Some dodge the ques-
ton. but others speak ont manfuly and fearessly.
This is q common thing in the discussion OF all
questions bearing the public welfare. and. how
ever much it may be regretted. is only what might
have been foreseen.
DR. HAMMoND's pIArRIBE.
Dr. William A. Hammond was the only leading
physician whose opinion OF pie the reporter was
able to obtain. Other physicians either weakly
svaded the question by pretending that they were
"out" when the reporter called professed dis
like the process of interviewing. thereby escaping
the responsibility Of committing themselves on so
Important question. DR.. Hammond. however was
outspoken usual "Pie." said he. "pie Why. Icon.
slider pie vile. never allow any in my house. 1t is
simply vile Do make myself understoodF'
The reporter suggested that the statement would
perhaps be clearer if the grounds for it were
planned.
"It is vile" said DR.. Hammond. 'because 1t is in
digestibe inexcusable and mysterious. 1t is indi-
gestble because Of the very nature Of its compost
ton; it nexcusable because it is tamperng with
the holest functions Of the stomach to offer pie to
it in place of food and it is mysterious because
don't know what you eating. Purchased pie is
the worst Of ALL"
'But why is 1t that the people fond Of pie If It
is so bad?" asked the reporter.
THAT" replied DR.. Hammond, promptly. 'is
purely q geographical question. There is q region
of perpetual pie, there is a region of perpetual
snow It is found In that part Of tho United States
lying north of parallel passing through Spring
field. II you go past Springfield you strike pie.
They have it three times day. and it is abomi-
nable pie that they have. Now. great many New
Yorkers came from New England originally. and
they have brought with them perverted taste"
"But are all pies bady'
"well. n-no. There are pies and pies. And then.
again. there are tarts. Tarts good things; but
that is foreign to the question. pie may be made
In . way that will do credit to any cook. If the
paste is properly made (for good paste is good
thing) and properly cooked before the filing is put
into 1t the pie may be good. But when the paste is
made as 1t is made ordinarily and the filling put in
before 1t IL cooked you have o sodden undercrust
that cannot be properly baked. This is pie as New
Yorkers understand the word Now the English pie
is very different thing. It is deep thing And it
IL moro like what we call pudding. II Ii very
good"
would IL not be good thing to do away with SO
"Undoubtedly it would. But fear that even the
HERALD would be unable to abolish pie.'
'What would you recommend as ngood measure
looking to such an abolitionT
DR.. Hammond thought a moment and then said.
emphatically. xiii Mrs. Hopkins. Good day."
lawyers were found to be as difficult to got at on
the subject physicians The most of them so their
clerks said, out; but in instance the real
meaning OF this word plainly divulged. Inquir-
Ing for MIR. Henry l.. Clinton, the reporter was
recognized by the clerk in the outer ofhces
who said. courteously but firmly. "Mr. Clinton has
left word here that he will not be interviewed It's
use in trying It. He is out"
The reporter suggested that tho subject was an i'm
portant one, aud that he would come again. but tho
clerk said it was no use. MIR. Clinton would still bo
out.
Alter trying with similar Ill success to get at var
other prominent lawyers, the reporter inquired
In the Office OF exlecordcr James NJ. Smith II that
gentleman in. He learned that Mr.. smith had
the gout. Tho association OF ideas was suggestive
and Police Justice Smith, who il u son OF tho ex-
Recorder, sought for an explanation. He would
not commit himself on the subject of his fathers
illness. but ON the question Of pie. considered ab-
stractly he was more communicative.
pie" he said els most decious-if it is pie; but
one pic diilereth from another pie in glory. Pie