Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-02
FORMS OF MACARONI
VARIED AND CURIOUS KINDS
MADE BY ITALIANS.
Many Shapes and Varieties Required
Tubes, Squares, Discs, Rings
and Granulated.

Dearer than the "pratie' to the soul OF
Erin's sons is the meal of macaronf to the
exiles of Italy. The making of it here
holds marvellous possibilities of wealth to
the newly landed, and bright dreams hover
about the hiring of many dfngy cellar
where the score or more varieties OF the
succulent article are to be manufactured.
For however sufficient the simple tubular
sort known to American grocery and de-
partment stores may seem to the many
who buy it, the true Italian demands some
twentythree different shapes to satisfy
his artistic appetite. There are large and
small tubes, grooved and ungrooved
curved and straight, and sort of ruffed
species that reminds one of inch deep lace
gathered lightly at one edge. Then there
are fiat varieties chopped into lengths Of
from one to six inches; there are half
rings, whose tubes are nearly an inch in
diameter, kind that rejoices in the name
of terpatelli and hairlike varieties called
privioteIli, beside which the ordinary
spaghetti is a coarse affair. There is also
the lesayli. so finely chopped that 1t looks
like hominy with holes through it, and 1t
has to be dried on huge canvas stretchers.
The long, ropelike ends are hung in three
and four-foot lengths over portable frames
that closely resemble the old-fashioned
barred clotheshorse.
Gathers Coats Of Dust.
Occasionally a macaroni manufacturer
will reach a degree of opulence which
makes 1t possible for whole room to be
set aside for macaroni drying. Then the
stationary rods are run from wall to wall,
and for two days after it comes from the
mill each batch of material is allowed to
hang there. hardening, toughening, and in
cidentally acquiring coating of dust. All
the varieties may be turned out by a single
mill, by means of different plates through
which the dough is ground.
To begin at the beginning Of the pro-
cess about half a barrel of flour, a very
finely ground variety, is emptied on huge
wooden mixing table, where sufficient water
Is added to make a stiff paste. This is
kneaded by means of a long six Or nine
inch BEAM hooked loosely through a staple
in one corner of the low, square table. This
acts as lever, by which one man can thor
oughly work the whole half barrel mass,
chopping and rolling it until it is sufficiently
dry, tough and elastic.
Then, in Chunks it is fed to the mill,
hand machine. worked like a treadmill
by two men at long poles thrust through
Its upper portion. Round and round the
time, while a third, usually woman or
boy, gathers the finished article from
where 1t falls beneath the mill, usually
raised about two feet from the floor.
In the number of macaroni cellars visited
by Tribune reporter none were found in
which any other provision than a newspa-
per was made to catch the material as it
fell from the mill. Suggestions as to at
least manila paper, If not a slab or planed
board, were invariably met with a stare Of
wondermert and a shrug of the shoulders.
A new macaroni mill costs between two
and three hundred dollars, but small Sec
ond-hand one can often be obtained for as
little as 500 or $50 The price depends
somewhat on the number of plates for
making the different varieties AS much
as two barrels Of -four are made into dough
daily In busy seasons, and for this little
over cents a pound is paid, while the
macaroni averages about cents a pound.
No American Customers.
italian made macaroni in New York finds
small market outside of the italian popu-
lation and French and italian restaurants
But to those for whom the dish has the
flavor Of home and all sorts Of dear asso-
Citations the hereditary appetite for it can
be satisfied with nothing else. 1t is no.
to a meal of bread and macaroni only,
though with the latter herbs, vegetables
and sometimes cheese are combined in
small proportions Babies are fed on It
before they are weaned, and no crone is so
old and toothless but she can relish her
share.
The family living rooms are almost al
ways directly off the macaroni plant. If not
Identical with 1t, and frequently one sees
the high bedsteads. so dear to Italian
hearts, quite covered with great hanks of
repose on cradles, chars-even the floor
and visit to an amateur macaroni estab-
liShment often results for the unlnt:ated
in the smashing of much marketable stuff.