The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-08-23
BRAINS AND BREAD.
lntelligence an important Factor
In the HaEeshop.
The STAN Of Life as Prcdussd hy NAkess
- Possessed Of But Lsstis Sustain.
ing Power "A Three-pent
luncheon.

'sWith brains, sir" was the .celebrSa.
ed rejoinder Of Sir Joshua Reynolds TO
the question Of an inquisitive and prob
ably shallow Young painter who asked
him with what he mixed his colors.
laNls brains the ingredient that was
left out Of the loaves which were ex-
hibited at the pure food show? asks
Kate Fields Washington. -Four hun.
dred competing loaves NIL fell short Of
the standard, if it is reported fairly. 1t
Is more generous to believe, however,
that the standard has been raised by
an intelligence which means to educate
the community.
In New York few exclusive bakers
advertise ''high-class breadn at high
class prices; actually it is not too good.
But brains in Boston, joined with broth
erly kindness, have produced bread
which may challenge any competition
and which is sold to the public in tiny
loaves, perhaps better called long rolls,
at one cent apiece; faultless bread;
sweet as the wheat can make it, but not
sweeter; light and fine and close; ex-
quisitely baked in the mild, slow heat
of brick oven. This bread, such as
the rich seldom taste, comes daily from
the New England Kitchen for all who
are SO fortunate as to be able to send
for it. 1t is the product Of the intelll-
gence and philanthropy of society for
the promotion of public health. When
the kitchen was organized few years
ago its first six months working was
supervised by Mrs. Mary Abell, who
had taken the Lamb prize for an essay
upon sanitary and economic cooking.
This essay, accompanied by recipes and
menus for the poorest wage earners, is
among the publications Of the Syracuse
public health society.
Proof of the economy and excellence
of the cooking of the delightful Boston
Kitchen may be made by anyone who
is hurrying, as once was, to the provi-
dence depot without time for lunch and
with ideas above railway station res
taurant. l was provided with small
paper box. / bought one of the little
loaves / have just described; 1t nearly
filed the box. For another cent it was
buttered. What else could ! catry? /
was offered slice Of spiced pressed
meat, such as is made very poorly In
some houses and called veal loaf, But
that was not poor, but delicate and
savory. 1t was daintily wrapped in
white paraffine paper, all ready to be
handled neatly. This was also one
cent. Here was wholesome, delicate
and abundant lunch for three cents.
thought of Franklin, opening his career
in Philadelphia with his big Dutch
penny roll, and, like him, ] indnlged in
some philosophizing. One hundred and
fifty years Of what we call progress !
separate us from franklin. In those
wears the era Of homemade bread, with
that Of homespun clothing. has depart
ed. And still we have no good public
bread-only the chaffy and spongy
bakers loaf, overraised, undermined,
deceitful and dear. Poor men cannot
be fed with such bread, and so they
wash it down with spirits.
We are a great people and we have
the greatest chain Of lakes and the his-
gest rivers and the widest wheat-delds
on the globe; but we are not able TO
give the multitude bread until 1t has
been turned into carbonic acid gas for
the profit Of the bakers.
In feudal days the lord Of the manor
had the monopoly ofthe oven; no bread
for the peasant but that which was
baked in his oven. BY the independence
and competition Of the laborer we have
attained the privilege Of starving our
selves Is it not almost time to swing
back to the public oven, supervised by
the best intelligence Of the community,
md secured against the greed Of com
petition? There is not wanted free
bread to deprave the soul, or sour bread
to deprave the stomach, or high-class
bread to suit the rich; but honest
bread, fit to be called once more the
staff Of life.