Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-17

1
different sorts of cake may be made by
the addition Of some slight ingredient.
But the science comes In knowing
what kind of an oven," as women
say, to use for each variety. The
decorative material is ordinary frost
lnga made out of pulverize6 white
sugar and eggs, with enough acid,
lemon, or cream Of tartar to cut the
grain of the sugar. The frosting is
put into cloth or rubber bag and
squeezed out through a tube, Just as
the paints with which PLAQUES and
landscapes are evolved. There is an
endless variety Of tubes through which
stars aud garters and different STYLES
of posies and foliage are squeezed.
The finer work, however, such as the
tracing of vines, birds, and other
elaborate patterns, Is done with a
minute tracing tube, and gives room
for real freehand drawing rather than
mechanical execution. The more
elaborate solid pieces. such as wed>
dung bells, horshoes, cooling doves,
and palpitating hearts, which sur
mount the most pretentious table ar
chltecture, are made Of gum paste, and
ara not edible, SO the foreman of the
cake department said. They are inn
ported from Italy along with organ
grin ding and macaroni."
What is the work of an appren-
tice at the bakery art?"
well, he begins by sweeping up
the floor, washing dishes, and doing
Odd jobs OF any sort. Then he dusts
the turnOvers with powdered sugar,
or beats the eggs, or pants over the
loaves before they go into the oven
anything for which he is needed. If
he is apt and industrious be ought to
know his business pretty we'll in three
or four years; but it is trade in
which there is always something to be
learned, and there is a wonderful
facility to be gained in practice"
The cracker factory, which is an
immense business in itself, was yet to
be inspected. While the bread, cakes,
and pies go to feed hungry Minnespol-
ltans only, the crackers are largely
shipped to supply outside demands.
The process of crackermaking was
found to be more mechanical and less
freehand than bread, pie or cakemak-
lLg. Winter wheat is used exclusive
ly. Crackers made from spring>sown
wheat are tough and springy. The
cracker sponge is set over night in an
immense trough, and is worked the
next morning through patent screw
mixer. The dough comes out in
round columns abouta foot through,
and is dumped back two or three
times until it is well kneaded. Then
it is sent down through chute in the
floor to the platform, from which it is
fed in sections to three rollers.
one after another, The piece is
passed under each one several times,
and the rollers are so graded that the
dough gradually thins and Iengthens
out as it proceeds. It finally passes
into what is called the ''form," which
determines the width of the strip of
dough. This strip of dough is then
started upon canvas revolving belt,
over which is large revolving bush,
which constantly dusts -four upon it. |
two Or three feet further Oh the dough
comes under stamp, operated also
by machinery, and the crackers are
given any one of the dozens Of shapes
known to the trade and families. II it
is the usual square soda cracker, there
will be five in row, and the strip,
of course, is endless as long as the
dough holds out. AS they emerge
fr0m under the stamp a boy stands
ready with sort Of very thin wooden
shovel, without raised edges, and
with handle several feet long, and
with this instrument called peel,
he takes off section shout three feet
long, which he dexterously firts with
twist of the wrist into The oven, Or
rather upon one Of the immense revol-
wing iron shelves which are contain
ed IN the oven. These are about three
feet wide and fifteen feet long, and
one revolution serves to bake the
crackers a delicate brown, AS they
come up done, another boy stands
with rake and hauls them uncere-
moniously into large baskets, IN
which they are transferred BIZ eleva-
tor to the third floor for packing.
When only partially cooled they are
put away by girls into barrels and
boxes neatly lined with white paper,
and are left uncovered until cooled |
and dried. While still warm they
have toughness which makes it pos
sible to handle them IN way that
would break them into bits when !
cold.
Ia getting perfect edge on the outs
side rows Of crackers a strip about
three quarters of an inch wide is incis
dentally sacrificed on each side, and
this thrown back into the general
mass of dough, is supposed to greatly
improve it. The batch must conse-
quently improve from first to last, |
as the amount OF scraps keeps climbs
ing up toward a majority. Cracker
dust is another branch of the manus
facture. Any crackers that may have
been broken in handling Or packing
are ground fine and sold, principally |
to hotels and restaurants, for breads
ing meats, oysters, and soups. All the
floor sweepings are sold to farmers
for cattle feed, so there is little waste. |
ANINYENTOR'S TRIALS.