The Northern Pacific farmer., 1885-03-26
CRACKERS FOR THE WORLD.
American Manufacturers Far Ahead Of Theil
Rivals in Any Land.


American Manufacturers Far Ahead Of Their
Rivals in Any Land.
''Few people," said a large cracker
and biscuit manufacturer of this city
to a reporter for The Mail and Erpress,
''know how the various kinds Of bis
cults they so often eat are manufact-
ured, or the vast amount of business
that is done in this line."
''Has the business grown lately p''
"It has assumed during the past few
years immense proportions, and now
we are able to compete with any coun-
try in the world in this line"
Ito what do you attribute this great
success?'
''Prinoipally to machinery and the
care we have taken to place before the
market good and pure articles. A few
years ago we used to import in large
quantities sweet biscuits from Eng
land, they on that side being far in ad-
vance of us in their manufacture, but
to-day we export to London, and, In
fact, to all parts Of the world. The
last biscuit that for long time we
were unable to produce was the sugar
wafer. We have recently placed this
article in the market, and a superior
one to that produced in the old coun-.
try. Then, through our machines, we
are able to sell biscuits that twelve
years age, sold for 25 cents pound for
Is cents"
The reporter and the manufacturer
assembled the stairs leading to the top
of the factory. The latter stated that
in this factory not any of the material
was touched by hand until the biscuit
were baked and ready for packing;
that six hundred barrels of flour alone
were used, and large quantities of such
materials as ginger, lard, sugar, cur
rants, etc.
"This," said the merchant, on reach
sing the top floor, ''is where we begin
operations, and from here until The
biscuit is baked, is one continual pro-
cess. With these machines we grind
the various ingredients we use. This
(pointing to large sieve) is for sift-
ing the flour, and after that operation
it is placed in this shaft and shot
down to the next floor, where we will
follow it. This shaft was made simply
of canvas, and on the same principle
as the shaft in the grain elevators.
The end of the shaft came into a
trough about fifteen feet long three
feet wide and three deep. Here the
various ingredients used in the manu-
facture were mixed together, but only
lightly, as it is placed in another
trough 81 similar size through which
a large piece of twisted steelis turned;
this is mixer. After it is we'll mixed
it is turned into another shaft and low
cred to the next floor. Here the first
operation Is to press the dough under
very heavy rollers, answering the
same purpose as the cooks rolling pin.
This is done great number of times
until it is rolled to about half an inch
in thickness, when it is passed into tho
last machine before the oven."
chow fast does the stamping m
chino work?'
Zone hundred and five stamps a
minute, and we have stamp that will
out sixty eight biscuits each stamp;
that makes Z, 40 biscuits in one min
ute."
"How long are the biscuits bakingP"
''Stay a moment First look at the
ovens We have done away with the
old-fashioned tiled ovens. These are
four-stories high with walls three feet
thick. They took as much brick to
build as would build large tenement
house. At each floor is large wheel
just like padd]ewheel, only the pad
dies are swung on swivels. and remain
in the same position all the time. One
shelf is filed with biscuits to bake and
then lowered and then the next one
filed, and so we go on until the first
one comes round cooked. Then they
are pulled off into this chute and
placed in baskets"
"What is the heat of the ovenp"
1T varies from 400 to 600 degrees.
The men are so we'll informed that
they know il it is the right heat direct
ly they place their hands in it. The
biscuits take two minutes and half
to bake. The fires are never put
out"
'What is the next process ?''
'The biscuits are sent up to the
packing-room, where they are placed
in the tin boxes, sealed up, labelled,
and ready for export
"How many different kinds do you
makep''
"Over 800, both sweet and dry, from
the navy bread to the sugar wafers."
-New York Mail and Erpress.
A ShreWd Ne3rO.