The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-10-06


A reporter recently inspected the
workings Of the largest cracker bakery
In New York. II this factory is fair
sample of what is to be seen in other
bakeries, there is no cause for the most
fastidious housewife to fear that the
crackers she places before her guests
are not clean and wholesome. On the
second floor of the building there are
five ''reel'' or cylinder ovens. These
ovens, about twenty feet in diameter.
have the fires ct the bottom, and above
the fire is large wheel or cylinder.
On the outer frame of this wheel
are ten swinging trays. On these
trays the crackers, as they are
turned out from the stamping. ma
chine close by. are placed. and the
wheel revolves slowly, lowering the next
tray into position. Thus the wheel is
kept in constant motion, the biscuit
being removed from the trays after
making one revolution of the cylinder.
In this bakery the weekly supply Of
materials is 600 barrels of flour, 5000
pounds of butter, 1000 pounds of lard,
80 barrels of sugar. Is barrels of mo-
lasses, Is barrels of currants, together
with eggs, honey, cornstarch and other
necessary ingredients. The mixing of
the dough, the rolling and the stamping
are done by machine.
The mixing-machine is on the second
floor of the building. One shoot lead
ing into the mixer, which is q large
wooden cylinder, supplies the proper
proportion of flour, another supplies
the milk. another tho sugar, another
the water, etc. In the mixer there are
three spoons or bars revolving alter
nately, which thoroughly mix the dough.
1t is then taken to the floor above,
where row of boxes is placed, in one
of which the dough is put to ''rise."
When ready for baking, it is taken
again to the floor below, unless it is TO
be used in making soft crackers. Here
it is placed on large trays, and as the
workmen knead it, they slice off large
pieces of the dough and place it in :
rolling machine. It is rolled four or
FIVE times until it becomes of the
proper thickness, and is then placed on
the cracker-making machine. Before
reaching the die It is passed beneath
another roller, and at either side Of the
tray on which it is placed are knives,
which trim it to the proper shape.
From the roller the sheet of dough runs
under the die, which cuts out the
crackers and at the same time stamps
|, the name or other device and makes
the ''pin-holes. In stamping square
crackers, such as soda biscuits, there is
but little waste, but in cutting out
other shapes fully one-half of the
dough is not used. The finished shapes
and waste material are passed upon a
cloth roller, an iron bar with q toothed
edge being SO set, at q short distance
from the die, that as they pass upon
another cloth band the crackers are
pushed down upon the original roller,
being thence carried to the end of the
machine, where they fall upon the
trays, which, as soon as they are full,
are put upon the swinging shelves in
the 'sreeln oven. The s'trimmings'
are taken up and again passed through
the machine. This same plan is pur-
sued in making all hard crackers, the
quantity and kinds of ingredients. to-
gether with the flavoring used, varying
according to the special variety to be
made from the dough.
On the third floor the soft crackers,
such as maccaroons, lady fingers, but
terscotch, honey-cake, etc., are made.
Four mixers for the dough of which
these are made are placed on this floor.
These goods are baked in square ovens.
Some Of the finer varieties Of crackers
are made by hand, but others even of
these are made by ingeniously contrived
machinery. The reporter stood by and
saw the method of making ''cocoanut-
drop cake" A tray placed in amachine
moved under an uprieht receptacle filed
with the soft dough forming the body
of the cake. This was fed through five
or six holes, slowly dropping upon the
pan. Another man then took the pan, and
turning it upside down pressed the soft
cakes upon . surface of dessicated
cocoanut spread on . sheet resting upon
water in tank. The cakes were then
placed in one of the square ovens, and
in less than five minutes the reporter
had positive knowledge that . cocoa
nut-drop cake is = delicious morsel.
The fruit, for fruit-crackers, the re-
porter was assured, is the best quality
VI OElCQ SuAI0utS- xMOy oAC oSAhCA
and dried. and are then carefully picked
over by boys and all imperfections re-
moved To make fruit crackers the
process is much the same as with other
hard crackers. The dough is rolled
thinner than usual, layer of currants
is spread over it. another layer of dough
is placed over the currants, and the
whole is then plsced upon the cracker
making machine. One of the newest
and most peculiar designs Is the '.chsr-
coal'' cracker, in which small pro-
portion Of charcoali is mixed with dough.
This variety is in considerable demand
by dyspeptics, for whom also oatmeal
and graham crackers are made.
On the upper floors the crackers are
packed in barrels and in tin cases. The
practice Of packing in cases is rapidly
growing. Some of these tins have
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