The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
BAKING THE BREAD THAT
MOTHER CANNOT MAKE

, some New York women cannot
cook. She can. So Alice Agnes bakes
seventy loaves OF bread a day and a
| hundred pies and cakes and finds
| ready sale for them in her little shop
uptown.
my customers often tell their hus-
! bands that they have made the things
| themselves" she says laughinyly. brush
! ing her wavy brown hair back from sher
| forehead. One woman said she told
her company that she had made one OF
my lemon pies. Then they wanted to
know how It was made and she had to
confess.
"The truth Is that New York women
can't cook. and that Is why I have met
with such success. But 1t must be
partly the fault OF New York husbands.
II they were all as helpful as my father
am sure their wives would learn. He
always praised everything I made and
ate It. no matter how bad 1t was. And
that gave me confidence to go on.
| Wed had plenty Of money and ser.
wants In Cork. but when my father met
| with misfortunes he brought US to this
| country and took us to a small farm
| near Preston. Conn. We couldn't have
got servants there even II ged had the
money to pay for them. SOwe just had
| to learn to cook. was 10 years old,
and as have eight brothers and sisters
younger. the most OF the cooking fell
to me
Two years ago with four of my
sisters married and the other two old
enough to help mother felt could be
spared. so I found chance to go to
East Orange and keep house for
] singing teacher, who gave me lessons,
vocal and instrumental. in return. MY
sisters had all gone through the hlsh
school. but I had been too busy. 7
| wanted education OF some sort and
loved to sing.
"One night while ! was waiting for
the roast to cook | decided TO do the
next days baking, and before 1t was
done I had layer cake. a pie and a
dozen cup cakes smoking on the table
And right there I got my idea.
III can do all that in such little
time why shouldn't | have a shop and
sell them said to myself
81 began looking about right away
and soon after the holidays | opened
here. 1t took all my savings Of years
to pay the two months rent at SIS a
month and stock up. and I opened the
doors with just 81 in the cash register.
But before night I had sold $40 worth.
and tired as | was. I was never so
happy, for I knew I was going to sue
coed
MY name oh. yes, it's Alice Agnes
OSulivan. As | was walking about
looking for a shop ! saw that all the
fashionable milliners used just their
first names and psald to myself. That 8
the kind of baker I'm going to be-
And though I'm no French milliner
I've lived up 10 my standards. for I've
| used nothing but the best OF materials.
and everything here Is just as much
hand made as real lace. I don't even
use a bread mixer Come and see"
The back OF Alice Agncs's little shop
Is partitioned Off and there she has
gas stove. tan gas oven with rows
OF drawers like wardrobe trunk. a
sink and a shelf Of blue and white
dishes Behind II is the store room with
its pals and barrels. She explains the
dishes with a smile.
IT found so many people who wanted
to buy n roll or two and eat riAht
here that I began giving them coffee
or tea. rolls or cake or pie for 10 cents
Now We serve % cent lunch. So
| many people wanted the lunch at night
that We continued it, but there wasn't
room, and now ] have taken a house
where I can have two big dining rooms
But I am only going 10 charge 81
cents, because ] find that is what most
people want 10 pay. And by careful
buying I can give them roast. two
vegetables. salad and a choice of pud-
ding or pie for that and still make a
small profit,
II don't charge Broadway prices be-
cause I can't-get competent help and be
sure OF having supply always on
hand. I can get people to work for me
Of course. but they think only Of the
time and pay. and so wiz my little
sister Lizzie to tend shop get on well
enough alone. My cousin will have
7 charge OF the house and We shall rent
few rooms as we'll as give meals
OF course it means hard work, but any
, one who succeeds must expect to work
. II get here by o'clock and by 5
q have the bread that was set III,
Z night before worked into loaves and r
5 the oven. | do all the kneadng +!
r hand-five barrels and six week OF
i. -four. And usually make about 100
rolls-20O on Saturday. When l first
began I used to work all Friday night
to be ready for the Saturday rush, bu,
l had to give that up.
with the bread and rolls in the over
begin on the pies and cakes. MAX
II fifteen layer cakes. tive loaf cakes ant
= 200 cup cakes a day, and about Mt,
o pies Of different sizes. l make all m
a own fillings--you see, here are fig past
r and apples on the stove now. BY ll:3
g when the bread is out of the oven am
p the pies and cake in it is time TO thinl
9 about lunch
;, In the afternoon. after the dishe
i are done ! try TO get away to take 1
a walk or sometimes go home to lie dow,
|. until 3. have the bread set. everything
Z scrubbed up and the store closed by s,
e For long time ! was too tired to d
!. anything in the evening but go to be,
q after a little figuring on my profits an
buying. 7 buy at wholesale, of course
O and found that could sell littl
q under the usual bakery prices and still
;. make n profit
e But found I was thinking OF moth
ing' but business, SO now we 60 to