Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-14
Abour Corn Meal.
(Montgomery (Ala.> Advertise

ABOUT Corn Meal.
| (Montgomery (Ala.) Adyertiser.)
In recent issue Of thesRichmond Dis
patch there is an editorial headed Corn
Bread Memories" which quotes the opin-
ion of an Indiana miller of the old DAYS
named LinchicuTn. He is S. years ola
and has followed the business forty-four
years, and is. therefore. well qualified
to speak on the subject of good corn
meal. This, he declares, cannot be made
in the modern steam mills, for these
reasons:
The stones turn too fast to make good
meal, for they get heated. and the mea.
is doughty before it leaves the mill The
heat generates moisture in grinding, and
the bread is sure to be sorry. Then, too,
they grind too fine, and the dough packs
In baking. no matter how many eggs and
how much soda and milk you put in it,
The burrs in this mill never overworlz
themselves, for nature does her work
steady
The Dispatch argues that the fault Is
not altogether in mills run by steam
power, because it has known remodelled
water mills which failed to make good
meal. theoretically the Dispatch is cor
rect. as the source of power has nothing
to do with the product, but as a matter
OF fact the old miner is right. In the
We're large and were driven at low
speed. from so to l20 revolutions per min
ute, and rarely ground more than five or
SIX bushels Of corn per hour. The re-
suit was moderately course, thoroughly
live meal from which the best and most
wholesome bread ever eaten was made
provided, of course, good corn was used.
In steam mill there are several points
OF difference. The greater expense of
steam power over water makes 1t neces-
sary to produce a much greater amount
Of meal IN given time so as to make up
for the extra cost of production Con-
sequently, small stones are used which are
run at high speed and the corn forced
through them at the rate OF twenty-five
TO fifty bushels per hour. The natural
result is that the meal is crushed-uot
ground-to fine powder and comes out
scalding hot and with all the life out of
1t. All the culinary skill on earth will
not make as good bread of this product
as could be made of meal ground in the
old way. OF course if the same methods
are used in a mill run by water power,
the meal would be no better. The fault
lies, not in the kind Of power used, but
III the way the corn is ground and the
amount ground in given time. The fine
dust-for it is not meal-made by one of
these lightning mills is lifeIess, and no
cook can maze good bread of it.
There is another fact not so generally
known which is not SO unirnportant. Mr.
Linchicum speaks Of the burrs used. by
Whlch ne means the buhr-stones used for
grinding. but these do not produce the
best meal. Both French and American
buhr is used, as well as Esopus and other
varieties of stone. but we have never seen
as good corn meal made by any kind of
mlllstones as is that made by stones cut
from Alabama granite. There is a ia
nous quarry of this stone In the south
western portion of Randolph county.
from which thousands of sets of mill
stones have been quarried, and which
could be found in the oId-tme water mills
all over Alabama and adjoining States
No better stone for grinding corn could
be found, and no better meal for bread
ever existed, or was produced than was
made from white Alabama corn ground in
water mill by slsliul miller using
granite millstones. This is dead sure
fact.
The Dispatch grows enthusiastic over
the subject of country fare and yearns
thus:
We wish some millionaire would fit IN
Virginia country home in ante-beIIum
style. and. among other things have in
1t big. open fireplace, black cook In
a Bingham dress, with a red bandana on
her head. and also have half-acre mint
bed an ice-house. and an old-time gar
den filled with raspberries and goose
berries thyme. sage. currants. and all
the ordinary table vegetables
Though the editor doesn't mention
water mills In his enumeration of the
good things, we know from the preceding
paragra phs that this black cook with the
gtnSham dress and the red bandana was
associated in his mind with pones and
hoe-cakes. mullins and Jof1nnycakes. egg
bread. and ash-cakes and the other good
things of life which naturally fit In with
ante-be!lum country life. And then he
tells of what would happen
when one of those old-time homes and
gardens and kitchens is restored, and the
host and hostess have entered into pos.
session. we desire to be listed as a fire. |
qrent guest. with reserved seat In the |
chimney corner. Then all We shall want
will be the zest. the appetite the vora-
ciousness we possessed when we could |
eat eighteen rolls and six eggs for break
fast, and consume whole watermelon /
between meals. But, alas, It would be
easier to restore old walls and open fire. /
places than to bring back the digestion,
and storage capacity OF youth that's
gone. of time that's past. and never |
can return
Alas, for the days that are past. We
cannot say that we ever possessed the
appetite and the storage capacity of our |
Virginia brother. but we have been along
in the Immediate neighborhood and can
feel away down in our inmost anatomy
some thrilling reminders of "the brave !
days OF old. when eating was to plea
sure and digestion was expected TO look |
out for itself.