The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-01-02

American Manufacturer Far Ahead 81
Their Rivals In Any Land.
Sew people," said a large cracker
and biscuit manufactures "know how
the various kinds Of biscuits they SO
often eat are manufactured. or the vast
amount Of business that is done in this
line
HAS the business grown latelyp"
at has assumed during the past few
wears immense proportions, and q we
are able 10 compete with any country
in the world In this line"
ITO what do you attribute this great
successg'
principally 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 England,
they on that side being far in advance
of us i'm their manufacture. but to-day
we export to London, and. In fact, TO
all parts Of the world. The last biscuit
that for a long time we were unable to
produce was the sugar wafer. W. have
recently placed this article in the mar
kct. and "A superior n 10 that produced
in the old country. Then. through our
machines. we are able to sell biscuits
that twelve years z sold ut twenty
i've cents a pound for fifteen cents"
The reporter and 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
was 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
ing the top floor, SIS whore W. begin
operations. and from here until the bis
cult is baked is one continual process.
With these machines we grind the vari-
Gus ingredients we use. This (pointing
to a large sicve) is for sitting the flour,
and after that operation II 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 a. the shaft in the
grain elevators. The end Of the shaft
came into a trough about fifteen feet
long. three wide and three deep. Here
the various ingredients used in the man
ufacture were mixed together. but only
lightly. rs il is placed in another trough
of a similar size through which a large
piece Of twisted steel is turned; this il d
mixer. After il j. well mixed it Is turned
into another shaft and lowered To the
next floor. Here the first operation is
to press the dough under very heavy
rollers. answering the same purpose a
the cooks rolling-pin. This is done a
great number Of times until it Is rolled
20 about half an inch in thickness. when
il is passed into the last machine before
the oven.'
slow fast does the stamping machine
work.
..One hundred and five stamps q
minute, and we have a stamp that will
cut sixfy-eight biscuits each stamp; that
makes 7.l4O biscuits IN one minute"
How long are the biscuits in bak-
ing?n
STAY a moment. First look at the
ovens. We have done away with the
old-fashioncd tiled ovens. These are
four-story high with walls three feet
thick. They took as much brick 10
build as would build a large tenement
house. AT each floor is q large wheel
Just like a paddlc-whecl. only the pad
dies are swung on swivels. and remain
in the same position all the time. One
shelf i filed with biscuits to bake and
then lowered and the next one filed
and 30 we 20 on until the first on
comes round cooked. Then they ar,
pulled off into this chute and placed In
baskets
.'What is the heat Of the oven?'
1T varies from -four hundred to 81,
hundred degrees. The men are so wei
informed that they know If il is III,
right heat directly they place thei
hands in II. The biscuits take two min
utes and a half / o bake. The fires ar
never put out"
What j. the next processP'
s'Thc biscuits are sent up 10 the pack
ing-room. where they are placed in iii
boxes. sealed up, labeled. and read.
for export
"How many different kinds do yo'
make?'
.Over three hundred. both sweet AM
dry. from the navy bread to the suga
wafcrs.r-N. y. Mail and Express.