The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
BOON FOR HOME MADE JAN
AMERICAN WOMEN,S SWEETS
AND PICKLES IN DEMAND.

... uttt u FTAnCC 1Dus EAaBA8atA -.
Women Going Into h business
Hotels are making q feature OF home
made preserves and pickles on theii
bills Of fare this autumn. s-.aough they
may have the finest imported articles
in their pantries. The products put W
by American women are competing viii
England's famous pickles and Frances
Bar 10 Duo jelly.
In consequence the putting up Of
home made preserves for gale. which
until recently a confined to a few
women. has broadened out and a large
number Of women. mostly In country
places, are taking up the work In earnesI
this autumn. It has become o well pay
ing branch Of trade and n Of Its ad-
yantages ia that It can be carried on a
home without difficulty.
A Western oma who started In Thu
business In a little New York fat kitchen
a few years ago now rents half the base
ment Of an apartment house In which
she lives In order to get for the
manufacture and chipping Of her wares
She has built up a flourishing business
and win soon take a shop Of her own
on a fashionable street, where she viii
serve her sweets with afternoon tea In
addition to carrying on her Wholesale
and retail trade.
She lie not one Of the women In trade
who sweep about in black satin and pearls,
but presides over her work In a high
ginghem apron from 8 A. M. until 8 p.
M. each day. looking after every detail
Of the work. She explains that her sue
cess Is the result Of the tirelees energy
and push she has put into the marketing
Of her wares as we'll as to their excellence
and attractive appearance.
@You might have q wonderfully good
article,' she said, 'but you must get 1t
fairly into the mouths OF people before
they will know Its worth. You must at
tract their eyes and then please their
palates. And, above all, you must fight
to keep your prices up to the standard
rather than lower them by cheapening
the goods you offer.
aThe idea came to me through MOTTO
ing the peculiar shape Of the Bar 10 Duo
jelly glass and its price-25 cents In gro
oeries and 80, 10 and 80 cents In restau-
rants. America may never. produce q
Bar le Duo Jelly, for the French currant
has a distinctive favor not found In our
own fruit; but a good American currant
or gooseberry preserve should compare
favorabiy with 1t and could be marketed
at considerably less cost.
Il decided that the odd shape Of the
glass, awkward as IL Is, had much 70 do
with its vogue. 1t Is a sort OF trademark
In itself. SO / began by designing and
having made q specially dainty glass
which / decided to adopt as my own.
The glass. while not expensive, is not
cheap. 1t Ia tinted just a bit. too, and !
adapt these tints to the fruits, which gives
them a clear, pure appearance.
But all this would have been as moth
ing IL l had. not pushed my wares 80
strongly In the beginning. And after ]
he'd them going difficulties arose in the
way Of meeting the competition OF
cheaper grades Of preserves, cheaper
in price and Of course in quality.
to the good 9 shops and hotels and en-
deavoring TO get orders on samples. !
could not get even one. The home made
manufactures were nc booming then
and the few makes on the market were
cheaper by far than mine.
Finally ! decided to take q big risk,
for still had the Bar le DUO In mind and
believed that the public would appreciate
a good article. I put up several dozen
glasses with hand written labels and
placed them on consignment. without
any risk to the shopkeepers. with those
who would give me a window display.
-The results came very slowly: There
was a whole year Of apparently hopeless
won out. By and by n Of the big
hotels took a fancy TO a certain jelly on
the top Of which l placed a geranium leaf
which added a pungency TO the flavor.
This was the beginning Of my BOOM
@OtheI hotels followed in line, then
the clubs, and the second year ] found
myself with far more than / could do
have had TO work very hard personally.
for ! could not trust any branch OF the
business TO employees at this stage. The
result was that I relaxed my outside eff
forts and at once / felt the effect in the
absence Of new orders and the falling Oh
Of orders from some Of the old shops that
had kept my things in stock.
80 far as money returns were concerned,
but all the time my jellies were being called
for and talked about by q class OF people
who counted. BY and by matters set
tied themselves. I didn't have TO put
out any more consignments on trial, but
I was continually harassed by the de-
mands Of my buyers for cheaper prices.
AlOy oanA ttiOy WIN . 0eEob 8AaooCo
for every glass they were selling II ! made
each glass two or three cents cheaper.
Il could rot do this without lowering
the quality. using cheaper sugar, poor
fruit, commoner glasses, DC, and although
I was sorely tempted ! held out and finally
overcame this obstacle. ! am 90 firmly
established that I will be obliged to charge
more for certain scarce fruits,
"A great many makers will cheaper
their goods, but this Ia not good policy to
my way OF thinking. You win get a big
general custom, but the higher class trade
pays better and there Is more reputation
to be gained In it.
See how the English pickle and jam
makers have kept their goods on our mar
ket. although they are double the London
prices here. Our sweets and pickles will
eventually displaoe them even on their
own ground. for they are lighter and more
delicate. English jam il too heavy and
soggy. eve the best Of 1t. English pickles
are good. but they are too strong.
This Is my busiest season and ] have
to have a lot Of help. I must look after
everything myself. though. Even the
packing Is most important. for you Q
glassed wares must be put up securely.
There are various little touches that
/ regard as my own and some secrets
that ] have learned from Oriental and
Turkish recipes. i work charms with
bits Of mint and geranium and violets
and rose leaves. / sink a couple Of
Marasohino cherries n q glass OF grape
fruit jelly and the effect Ia pretty.
81 Axe N D0uaee oaf6 iellv In atriDea