The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-06-21
BRAINS AND BREAD.
Intelligence an Important Factor
IN the Bakeshop.
ehc ssaf of Life rs Produced by Hakera
Is Possessed of nus Little sustaln-
Ing Power = a Three-Cent
Luncheon.

"With brains, sir, was the celebrat-
d rejoinder of Sir Joshua Reynolds to
she question OF an inquisitive and prob
IDLY shallow Young peinter who asked
him with what he mixed his colors.
Is 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 all fell short OF
the standard, if it is reported fairly. 1t
Is more generous to believe, however,
that the standard has been raised by
intelligence which means to educate
he community.
In New York a few exclusive bakers
advertise shigh-class bread 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
caves, 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-
q,iisitely baked in the mild, slow heat
Of brick oven. This bread, such as
thc rich seldom taste, comes daily from
the New England Kitchen for all who
are SO fortunate as to be able to send
for 1t. 1t is the product Of the intelli-
renee and philanthropy Of q 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 Abel, who
had taken the Lamb prize for an essay
.,pon sanitary and economic cooking
This essay, accompanied by recipes and
menus for the poorest wage earners, is
lmong 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
Il hurrying, as / once was, to the Provi-
lence depot without time for lunch and
with ideas above railway station res
taurant. / was provided with small
paper box. / bought one of the little
'oaves / have just described; it nearly
iilled the box. For another cent it was
buttered. What else could ] carry? !
was offered slice of spiced pressed
meat, such as is made very poorly in
some houses and called veal loaf. But
hat was not poor, but delicate and
,avory. 1t was daintily wrapped in
white parafine paper, all ready to be
handled neatly. This was also one
cent. Here was wholesome, delicate
and abundant lunch for three cents. l
thought of Franklin, opening his career
in Philadelphia with his big Dutch
penny roll, and, like him, ! indulged in
some philosophizing. One hundred and
fifty years of what we call progress"
separate us from Franklin. In those
years the era of homemade bread, with
that of homesDun clothing. has depart
d, 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 great people and we have
the greatest chain of lakes and the hig-
gest rivers and the widest wheat-felds
on the globe; but we are not able to
give the multitude bread until it has
been turned into carbonic acid gas for
the profit Of the bakers.
In feudal days the lord Of the manor
had the monopoly of the 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,
and 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.