Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1889-06-27
PIES BY THE MILLION.
FACTORIES THAT PRODUCE THE
GREAT AMERICAN STAPLE.

Sizes and Shapes.
Americans are great pie eaters, or have
the reputation of being such, any way.
For great many years the consumption
of these savory edibles has been looked
upon as one of our most distinguished
characteristics, and there is no doubt
that there is good ground for this belief,
for there is no place on the globe where
the subject of pie making and pie eating
has received SO much attention.
And when it comes to pie eating, New
York city is not behind the rest of the
Union, for it is estimated that in this
city there are consumed daily not less
than Is. 900 of these somewhat indigest-
ible dainties!
FROM WHENCE COME THEY?
But where do they all come from? is a
question that is frequently asked.
The majority of them are manufactured
in small bakeries around town, but there
are several concerns, each of which is
kept going day and night, and produces
from $4,000 to $4,000 pies of all sizes
daily every day of the week, mounting
into millions in the course of a year
A reporter visited one Of these immense
pie factories. 1t is located on Sullivan
street-not very desirable locality, it
would seem, but the lterior was as neat
as pin.
1t was surprising to see how every
branch of the business was conducted
Everything moved along wi h really au-
tomato precision.
The entire building is divided into sep
arate departments In one department
the manufacture of mincemeat is carried
on by machinery; in another the fruit is
prepared, while in third the immense
quantity of dough that is used is made.
The fruit is peeled by machinery and cut
by hand.
In the room where the pies are made
there are several long tables at which sew
eral men stand.
The dough is brought to them in large
buckets holding about thirty pounds A
lump is then put on the table and rolled
out, cut in small squares and laid on tin
plates. These plates are then handed
along to man who stands ready, with
knife in hand. to shave off the ends of the
dough which hang over the outside of
the plates.
The plates are then placed in rows in a
wooden tray and taken to the fruit coun-
ter to receive their ''insides" The men
at the fruit counter hold large wooden
spoon in their hand. and as the tray comes
before them they 1pply each pan iber-
ally with fruit or sauce, as the case may
be. The plates are then replaced on the
trays and carried to another table, where
they receive the top crust, after which
they are put on an elevator and sent to
the cellar, where they are baked
There are half score of ovens in this
place, each Of which will hold 400 four
cent pies, or 1876 fourteen cent pies The
four cent pies are retailed at five cents
and the fourteen cent article sells for
twenty cents.
1t requires two men to run an oven;
one man stands at the door of the oven
and directs his partner where to put the
next consignment. The man who places
the pies in the oven holds in his hands
long, shovel like arrangement with a
handle fifteen or twenty feet long. The
pies are put on the shovel in couples and
are then put IN to bake.
This takes twenty minutes, and when
finished the hot and juicy dainties are re-
moved, put in cases and sent to the wag-
Ons.
FORTY WAGONS HAULING PIES.
There are many other details connected
with the business that have not been
spoken of. For instance, in one depart
ment seven women are employed all day
long washing tin plates, which are dried
by an improved steam apparatus.
The busiest time around the building
is at o'clock, when the hands 20 to
work There are not less than one hun
dred and ten people employed in the
factory. They work until o'clock in
the afternoon, and then leave, only to
return at corresponding hour the fol-
lowing morning.
The drivers begin to go out on their
daily rounds at 4:3O o'clock in the morn
ing, and all return by noon, for there is
no sale for pies in the afternoon. 1t re-
quires thirty-five wagons to supply the
companys customers in New York, Jer-
sey City and Brooklyn, and there are
five more wagons in Newark, for New
ark is also great pie eating district
There is no doubt but that this is the
largest place of its kind in America. The
manufacture Of pies is not confined to
any one size; there are small pies that
sell for s cents, medium size that bring
10 cents and the large size that sell for 20
cents. In addition an immense quantity
of ''home made pies. sold at 45 cents
each, are manufactured for the accom-
mediation of restaurant keepers
There is every variety of pie, chief
of which are apple, mince, peach, plum,
lemon, cocoanut, rhubarb, pineapple and
custard. Berry pies are made when ber-
ries are in season.
To manufacture such an immense
stock it requires no. less than 20 barrels
of -four, 200 quarts Of milk, 5000 eggs,
5000 pounds of lard, IL barrels or about
1000 pounds of sugar, besides all the
fruit. There is more fruit used in the |
IL