The Portland daily press., 1899-10-14
MAKING SPAGHETTI.
Novel sight IN the italian Quarter OF
New York.
(From the New York Herald

(From the New York Herald
The manufacture Of spaghetti in New
York city Is confined chiefly to the ItaI-
Ian quarter where 1t Is made In small
quantities and sold by the few pennies
worth at time. Those who support the
various spaghetti saops and presses in
the Vicinity Of Elizabeth, Mulberry and
Hester streets are the poorer Inhabitants
OF the gu arter who cannot afford the
product Of the large factories
The spaghetti that is sold to the hotels
restaurants and private houses is made
in large factories by steam machinery
and in clean manner. Several OF these
are locatsd in Brooklyn, Jersey City ana
Newark but they do not supply the en-.
tire demand for a large quantity is i'm
ported.
1t Is an odd sight to the stranger who
passes along Elizabeth street north of
Canal street, to see the green spaghetti
hanging in long lines outside or inside
the dingy littls shops TO dry. and there
1t waves In the wind like field of ripe
grain. mark for the strset urchins'
stones and sticks, as well as all the dust
and dirt blown from the street or dis
turbei by the ever-vigilant "white
wing" The interiors of some of these
shops ara quite picturesque, and remind
one of store in an Italian town. At
the front and to one side a counter is
arranged, much the same as In a cheap
grocery, and behind 1t Is q general assort-
ment of dried fruits, canned goods,
cheese, bread, spaghetti, cheap dry goods,
hOftlad AtufY nj Iaa nd lar a.,
shelving you will generally sea picture
OF the VIRGIN Mary. and close by 1t q
lighted tallow dip that is never allowed
20 go out. 1t floats in little cup of oil,
and as surely as spaghetti dough Is mixed
the oil is replenished in the cup. This
is the family shrine, and near 1t may
always be found some beads and tfinkets
of more or less value.
The other side and rear of the shop
are given up to the drying shelves. dough
trough, presses and windlassss. The
mixing trough, where -four and water
are worked together, ia provided with a
huge roller, resembling a vater-wheel
on the face OF which angular slats are
attached This is rolled back and forth
on tue material until the mixture is of
the proper consistency for the press;
then tt is removed In small quantities
and placed in the pockets of the presses
and squeezed out In the form OF spaghetti.
These old presses are interesting impIs-
ments. press will consist of heavy,
square log, through which hole ia bored
and into which cylinder Of copper is
driven. The bottom of a cylinder is pro-
vided with perforated plate, above which
another plate Is suspended, and to which
are fastened many small pins that center
in the holes in the lower plate.
The dough. being pressed through tbs
upper plate and into the holes of the
lower one, Is finally released at the bot
tom OF the log and hangs down In long
tubular strands. The pin in each hole
thus forms the hollow reed Of dough.
By means Of gas or oil flame these plates
are kept hot SO as to facilitate the action
OF the dough ami to keep 1t from adher-
Ing to the metal. The plungsr that
forces the dough down through the pocket
and out ct the bottom Is provided with a
screw. and is arranged 80 that It can be
turned with crude windlasses and ropes
and "set down" by man-power.
This Is very slow and laborlous man
ner of production as the green spaghetti
In the pit under the press has to partly
dry before 1t can be out away and the
next batch made. 1t Is usually worked
out in strips about six feet long and
hung up to dry out CT doors, but In rainy
weather IL Ia suspended from the ceilings
OF the little shops. The process ID novel
sight, and soma time when you have
rev moments 20 spare go ovar to Eliza
beth street and see foreign industry
transplansed to this great city.