The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-26
PIES BY TIE MILLION.
FACTORIES THAT PRODUCE The
GREAT AMERICAN STAPLE.
Fruit Peeled. Mincement Chopped and
Dough Rolled by Powerful Machinery.
Scores Of Ovens IilIed with Pies Of Ali

lndl ineIc - HoOu pIOulIu loi tflis bShN'i
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 70. 900 Of these somewhat indigest-
ible daintiesl
FROM WHENCE COME THEY?
But where do they all come from; is
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 $1,000 TO $4,000 pics Of all sizes
daily every day Of the week, mounting
into millionsin the course Of a year
a reporter visited one of these immense
pie factories. II is located on Sullivan
street-not a very desirable locality, it
would seem, but the interior was rs neat
as pin.
1t was surprising to see how every
brarch Of the business was conducted
Everything moved along with 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 a 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 pics are made
there are several long tables at which sew.
eral men stand.
Tho dough is brought 70 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 a 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 10 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 supply each pan liber'
ally with fruit or sauce, as the case MAJ
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 arc a half score Of ovens in This
place. each Of which will hold 400 fouI
cent pies. or 12G fourteen cent pies. The
four cent pics are retailcd at five cents
and the fourteen cent article sells foI
twenty cents.
Ii requires two men TO run an oven
one man stands at the door Of the over
and directs his partner where to put the
next consignment. The man who places
tl,o pics i'm the oven holds in his hands ;
lone. shovel like arrangement with
hanllc fifteen or twenty feet long. The
pics are put on the shovel in couples anC
are Il en- put in to bake.
This takes twenty minutes, and whei
finished the hot and juicy danties aroro
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 beer
snoken Of. For instance, in one depart
mont seven women are employed all day
long washing tin plates, which are GrieC
bv an improved steam apparatus.
The busiest time around the buildin,
is at 3 o'clock, when the hands go Il
work. There are not less than one hun
dred and ten people employed in thu
factory. They work until o'clock Il
the afternoon, and then leave, only t.
return at a corresponding hour the fol
lowing morning.
The drivers begin to go out on thel
daily rounds at 1880 o'clock in tho morn
ing. and all return by noon, for there i
no sale for pies In the afternoon. 1t re
Quires thirty-fve wagons to supply th
company's customers in New York, Jer
sew CITY and Brooklyn, and there ar
five more wagons in Newark, for New
ark is also a great pie eating district.
There is no doubt but that this Is th
largest place Of its kind in America. Tn
manufacture Of pics is not confined 4
any one size; thsro are small pies tina
sell for s cents, medium size that brinl
iOcents and the large size that sell for 2
cents. In addition an immense quantii,
of .home made" pies, sold al "A e,n,
each. arc manufactured for the accom-
mediation Of restaurant keepers.
There is every variety Of pie, chic
Of which arc apple, mince, peach, piunl
lemon, cocoanut, rhubarb, pineapple ant
custard. Berry pies are made when Der
ries are in season.
~ MANUFACTURE such an ilnmens
stock it requires not less than 20 barrel
Of -four, 200 quarts Of milk, 5000 eggs
5000 pounds Of lard, y barrels or aOou
1000 pounds Of sugar, besides all tn
fruit There is more fruit used IN lh
oonposition imam anything else, aad +
show how much is used it is only neces
sary to say that twenty barrels Of apple
are used every day Although there ar
only about 1909 pr 10000 d these pie
sold daily the factory could, il necessit.
arose, produce 5000 a day.
But taking the average sales per lay
say II 800, 1t makes the weekly produc
ton (allowing six days to the week, 10
no work is performed on Sunday 100
900; tho monthly $4,000, ani tie yearl
5,4i,,5o0 pies.
And all this from only one pie foundry
Is il any wonder that the Americans ar
a race Of dyspeptics?-New York E'en
ing World.
$780,