The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-18
HONOLULU HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 49, 1885.
CRACKER MAKING.
THE IMMENSE PROPORTIONS WHICH
THE BUSINESS HAS ASSUMED.
The Yarfi99ps ingredients Psed-sifting and
Mixing-Under the Rolling Pima
Look at the Ovens-The
- ~''- Baking Heat.

NEW 1Ofk 1ieilI $jiitt pleSS.H
Few people, said a large cracker and
biscuit manufacturer of this city to re-
porter know how the various kinds of
biscuits they so often eat are manufac-
tuTed, or the vast amount of business that
is done in this line. -"
"Has the business grown lately2'l
at has assumed during the past few
years immense proportions, and now we
are able to compete with any country in
the world in this line
ITO what do you attribute this great
SUGGEST"
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 in their r1anu-
facture, but to-day we 'expoft'tO London,
and, in fact, to all parts of the world.
The last biscuit that for a long time we
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 country. Then,
through our machines, we are able to sell
biscuits that twelve years ago sold at 20
cents a pound for - 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 GOO
barrels of flour alone were used, and large
quantities of such materials as ginger,
lard, sugar, currants, etc.
This, said the merchant, on reaching
the top floor, lis where we begin opera
tons, and from here until the biscuit is
baked is one continual process. With
these machines we grind the various in
gradients we use. This pointing to a
large sieve is for sitting the flour, and
after that operation it is placed in this
shaft and shot down to the next floor, where
we viii follow it. This shaft was made
simply of canvas, and on the same prin-
ciple as 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 manufacture were mixed to-
gether, but only lightly, as it is placed in
another trough of similar size through
which large piece of twisted steel is
turned; this is a mixer. After it is 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 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 passed into the last machine be-
fore the oven.
"How fast does the stamping machine
work."
"One hundred and five stamps a minute,
and we have a stamp that will cut sixty
eight biscuits each stamp; that makes
7,140 biscuits in one minute.
"How long are the biscuits in baking?"
"Stay 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 a large tenement house At
each floor is large wheel just like pad
dlewheel, only the paddles 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
the next one filled, 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 oven?"
1T varies from 400 to 600 degrees. The
if it is the right heat directly they place
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, labeled, and ready for
export.
How many different kinds do you
maker"
"Over 300, both sweet and dry, from
the navy bread to the sugar waters "