The New York herald., 1879-12-02
THE PIE--OUS TOPIC.
Public Men Placed on Record as Partial TO
American Pastry
PREACHER AND PEDESTRIAN
Henry Ward Beecher Praises the Product
Of His Cuisine.
PREACHER AND PEDESTRIAN
NORMAN TAYLOR'S EULOGY.

Probably no subject has been more generally dis
cussed by the American public since the time Of the
Revolutionary War than pie been since the atten
ton of the people directed to it by the HERALD
1t is not too to say that it in everybodys
mouth yesterday. Since the example was set in
Sundays HERALD by few public-spirted citizens
of speaking out boldly the subject not q few
among the more conservative classes OF the commu-
nifty have been willing to express themselves as to
the pie. There is doubt at all but that all public
spirited citizens have al opinion OF some sort on
the subject, and as mirror of public opinion it has
seemed good to the. HERALD to learn and to publish
the thoughts of the people. Concerning pie as pie
much has already been said. but much undoubtedly
remains to be said The pie its ideal perfection is
entwined Tor perhaps mixed) with the earliest and
holiest emotions Of the English speaking and Eng
lish reading world There is no educated man who
has not ut time rcoiced ut the deft cleverness
OF young John Horner. who. at the blessed Christ.
maatide. retired to angle OF the room to discuss
his pastry in peace and quiet and who. with his
ausna!an9e or tomme!fnger (his nationality is not
certain). featy extracted Of the chief dantes
for separate enjoyment. Who has not acquiesced
heartily in his somewhat vainglorous proclamation
of his own courage?
"FoUR TWENTY BI.AcKBIRDs."
And again. who has not thrilled with the rapture
of the music of two dozen blackbirds that sang
before his miserly majesty IN the parlor OF the
palace after they had been baked in the royal
oven in pie? Marry! it was a merry dish in
sooth that the king had set before him.
and there is who has not at
some time wished he could have opened
that magic pie. 1t needs no argument
to show that pie. from the foundation Of literature.
has been identified with all pictures of good cheer,
most grievous conditions Of all good livers. The
three small adolescent cats will be remembered
instance Of wholesome parental discipline. their
mother having deprived them of pie until they
found the manual integuments they had carelessly
mislaid.
To praise pie therefore, is from the standpoint OF
true epicure purely supererogatory But. on the
other hand. to reprobate pie as pies are, unfor-
tunately. too often made, is manifest duty.
'There is more fearful wild fowl than your"-pie
of the baser Sort Yet all times the bitter thought
of the community has recognized the glory of the
genuine article Did not Emerson say. "The true
pie is that which, while it may, and often does,
please the grosser of the who absorbs it
leaves imprinted on his inner consciousness the
recollection Of effort successfully to purify
and elevate the soulY' Very much the thought
is conveyed by Carlyle when he says. "a brick
and be good as pie will
not" To try to Gull all the flowers
Of speech that have grown out Of pie, would how
ever. be as endless o work to try to make the
whole bed of the Nile into mud pies-a work which
even the ancient Egyptians never attempted. 1t
may then be taken for granted that the pie will
fade It may. indeed in the fulness of time, be
veloped into some more perfect dish; but for the
present age Of the world it is the topmost blossom
OF cookery. New Yorkers appreciate this fact well
rs any other people in the world excepting New Eng
landers. And to show to what an extent they appre
ciate it partial statistics have been obtained the
amount Of pie consumed daily in New York. The
total statistics very likely will be known. It
will be remembered that General Grant not long ago
said, when some ono suggested the possibility Of
New York migSt he taken. but it could not be held
Who would supply the city with pieY' Who. in
deed?
In the various hotels of the city pie statistics
found to vary greatly. and they vary according as
the house is kept on the European or the American
"How many pies do you. use in a day9" asked
HERALD reporter of Mr.. Henry N Smith. of the
Grand Hotel.
'.we don't use very many" he replied. 'If you
want to learn something about the consumption of
pie 90 to some hotel kept on the American plan.
There they give away their pie; here sell pie
You see, when q man sits down at table d'hote he
knows he has 81 SO to pay any way, and he begins
with three kinds OF soup Then he takes six or
seven roasts and finally tells the waiter to bring
him little % Of there is or S he
should order that way ut our table where we charge
for each dish. it would break him all up. We use,
perhaps, twenty-five or thirty day. Maybe nine
ten mince pies and many apple, and one or two
each Of squash and lemon and cocoanut some
other kind. We vary the bill of fare each day. of
course"
Al the Windsor Hotel the greatest interest is felt
in tho subject of pies. Mr. Mechior. the steward.
conducted the reporter through the Kitchens SAM
plinq choice pies In all directions and introducing
him to chief cooks of various departments. Eugene
Mehl. the chef OF the hotel. spoke cTphztically
the subject of copper and cleanliness. Dirt is
poisonous wherever 1t is" he said land copper is
stand stand in tI Il after Sa It G stops boiling. reme%SeT
twenty-five years ago some people died after eating
oysters at the Metropolitan II was all laid on the
oysters and nobody found cut what the poison
or where 1t came FROM but we knew in the kitchen.
1t was copper"
one hundred pies were eaten by the guests of tho
Windsor every day. Fifty apple pies made every
thsrs sns sena aaxs TWO n3d on the b 81
Each pic is severed in four pieces.
.'How many people do you fecd?"
''On an average. about four hundred" said Mr.
Melchor.
.'Then everybody eats picg'
"well. yes. pretty nearly everybody. although a
few take two pieces 1t averages about portion to
each guest though"
cnASnEnRY, LEMON, MrxcE
At the Gilsey House about ten pies and dozen
tarts. or small pies. are used. They cranberry,
lemon. mince. pumpkin. squash. apple. peach and
said:-"Pies! pies? How many pies do we eat?
don't know. really. Tracy. how many do you eat q
dayy Skip Tracy smiled. I'VE don't use many"
said he. probably not more than six eight.
But, Lord you ought to see the size of 'om. They
big"
At the Union Pace Hotel Mr.. Samuel Smith said
their consumption varied according to who camc in
during the day. Perhaps about thirty. but when
of the pie-eatcrs come in IL runs up to ATTY"
At the Astor House four hundred pies are used
daily and sometimes many five hundred
mostly at the lunch counter. At the metropolitan
Iva 10 ths1 daily bunr AZ tbp rta
where there Is we'll patronizcd lunch counter. $50
pies disappear daily Florence. the pastry cook at
the Grand Central, makes fifty pies day. At
the Rossmore not more than twelve or fifteen pies
day necessary. The bill Of fare is varied from
day to day. cranberry mince apple. apple meringuo
custard and cocoanut being the favoritcs. At
Parker's. mince, apple. cranberry and cocoanut pies
sod eight or ten day being the total. At the St.
Cloud pies are made small each customer getting
whole one. The daily consumption averages
Mincc. 81 APPLE 8; lemon, a; Washington, a; squash,
A. and about seven scattering" Al the Coleman
House there is large variety but small consump-
tion. OF pumpkin, mince. apple. peach. strawberry,
custard, lemon and cocoanut not more than ten