The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
CRACKERS AND BISCUITS.
You Don't Know How Important They Are
IntII You Itend the Figures.

About every one has heard land II everybody
hasn't 1t is not the fault Of tho campaign
%oratorsI OF the Biscuit Trust and the Cracker
Trust and of the enormous business which both
control, running high, as tho campaign orators
say. into the millions" But every ono docs
not know tho value Of the business carried on in
these commodities, essentially American in re-
spect to patronage. The American Biscuit Com
pnny has a capital stock OF $40. Oo0, 900. 1t is an
Illinois concern, having qualifications through
out the country but with headquarters in
New York. and having forty ovens with a capa-
city to convert a thousand barrels of flour into
biscuits every day. It's main factories arc
on Tenth avenue and give employment to moro
than a thousand persons. There is a big branch
at CambridReport Mass, with sixteen ovens
for the New England supply. another ut Chicago
Rapids, and another at Philadelphia. The OK.
tent of the cracker and biscuit industry OF the
tho gross capital of the cracker and biscuit
companies consolidated in 1890 Is $25. 900 900.
The opinion in general is that -four and water
are the chief ingredients Of crackers and bis.
cults, but some figures collated during the pres
ent year show the extent to- Which various prod.
industry in New York State; Nearly 5000, 900
barrels OF -four are used each year for this pur-
pose, and in addition 80, 200. 600 pounds OF sugar,
55, 5000 pounds OF lard, 10000 600 gallons OF
Dlolasscs. ! 100000 pounds OF honey, 5000, 600
raisins, ~. 900, 900 pounds OF soda. !, 900. 900
pounds of figs and almonds, 100000
pounds OF salt, 1000, 900 pounds OF cocoa
nut, 500, 900 pounds OF currants, 500. 900
pounds Of ginger, 6O0,ooo pounds q Jelly, $50:
900 pounds OF chocolate. 100000 pounds Of
cream OF tartar, 100000 pounds OF apricots,
lOO,O 900 pounds Of ALMOND paste. and 800 900
lemons. In the making and IN the sale OF bis
cults and crackers 20, 900 men are employed, In
elusive OF the packers, and each year 1000. 900
wooden boxes are used in this industry. exclu-
sivo of "A million or more tin boxes in which bis
cuts and crackers are packed for shipment,
The partially OF Americans for biscuits and
crackers is very marked. and II 10 due
10 what may be- called "A national pref
orence, for in other countries the con
sumption is stimulated by two causes which
do not opera here, One Is the general use OF
biscuits in the army, for biscuits, not being sub
Jet TO the loss OF freshness which, except in
garrisons, makes bread undesirable, arc ex-
tremoly popular for army rations. and the other
is the use OF biscuits among the people or those
nations which have extensive colonies. This Ii
particularly the case in England. where the re.
uuirements OF colonial residents and OF travel
To and from British colonies, which are dlstrlb'
uted throughout tho world. accounts for the
general popularity among Englishmen Of bis
cults. Indeed, biscuits with cheese, with tea;
and with wine are regarded as n conventional
article or diet.
AS a result OF the consolidation OF the various
biscuit and crack sr bakeries the price at which
crackers are sold has boon steadily reduced.