The Washington times., 1917-12-01
WAR BREAD
TO Be SOLD
IN CAPITAL
ON MONDAY
ny BILL PRICE

ny BILL PRICE
A woman's skill in making and
baking pies and bread, aided by q
husbands business abilities, founded
in Washington the largest retail bak-
cry under one roof in the United
States.
And that establishment makes an
nouncement today that It IA the first.
or among the first in the United
States, 10 comply with the regulations
Of the National Food Administration
that beginning December 10 every
bakery in the country must be Hcen-
sed and turn out a standard sixteen
ounce loaf OF bread at the lowest pos
sible price. The concern will begin
operations under the law Monday
next, q week ahead Of schedule.
This story, one OF deep human in
terest. Is not intended to 60 into
commercial helds except in narrating
the great success achieved by Wash
ington people from the smallest be-
ginning, a lesson to young men and
women who have business ambitions
and sincerely seek the causes that
carry others to the top rounds Of the
ladder.
Began As a Grocer.
Lewis Holmes, owner of Holme5'
bakery, which delivers its product d.
rectly to customers, selling no bread
at Wholesale, was twenty-three years
ago q grocer at First and E streets
northwest His father had operated
the grocery for many years, and the
firm later became Holmes & Son.
Mrs. Elizabeth Holmes, wife OF the
Junior member OF the nrm, is still
what her friends call a born cook"
L
with this part OF the domestic arts
any longer unless she wants to.
When visitors were entertained In
the homes OF the Holmeses, they ate
Mrs. Holmes pies. and then they ate
more, and would have eaten still
more II they had not felt embarass-
ment
"why in the world don't you bake
some OF these pies for the store, so
we can buy them?" people often
asked her, ana then she ventured to
make the experiment She began by
baking four pies a day in a small
gasolene oven. Those pies began to
pass over the counter like the pro-
verbal hot cakes. In a mighty short
time Mrs. Holmes was using two or
three gasolene ovens and trebling
the output.
10000 Pies Made n Week.
Today the Holmes Bakery turns
cut 10000 piec a week or 3,640, 900
year. For Thanksgiving in this
city sixty-four barrels Of pumpkin
and twenty-five baIrels Of nzincemeat
were used IN pie baking.
But this relates 70 pies only. When
Mrs HofnaeE sdNgthGt her bies were
making Z big ree'Itation she started
baking home-msde bread, because
she was as successful at that as in
the pie line. The bread caught the
popular fancy, and the output of the
establishment Is today so many mil
lions OF loayes year that a count
IL no longer kept
The unique beginning of this big es-
Enlistment was continued along unusual
lines. Mr.. Holmes having reached the
conclusion that he would dispose of
bread direct TO homes and omit the
wholesale business This was followed
10 q large extent as to pies, but the de-
mand for pies became so great that
whoiesaling became a necessity, along
with the direct retail trade.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes, looking
back twenty-three years. have cause for
pride in the immense establishment they
own Had the unassuming. energetic
bead Of the house gone into politics and
succeeded as well as he has in business
be would have been able to turn to COL
umns OF newspaper and magazine "puffs"
in his scrap book The business man,
as a rule. must pay for all the adver-
tising he gets. while a half-boiled politi-
clan gets away with columns that cost
nothing.
First WaEon Route Started.
Nineteen years ago the first wagon
route was started by Mr.. Holmes. He
today has eighty wagons and auto
biles, 100 horses and extensive shops
for keeping in repair all vehicles, in
GLIDING the shoeing Of horses For
years he was at his plant before 4
o'clock in the morning, but that duty
rs left to others His son-in-law, L
s. Ulman, is the active manager, and
Mr.. Holmes no longer feels that he
must be on hand all the time. He
plays golf at frequent intervals and
is a good golfer.
SWe have been in conference with
the Food Administration authorities
for some time" said Mr.. Holmes to-
day, land Il is our desire to cooper
ate with the Government to the full
est extent We have already obtained
the license that all bakers must have
by December 10, and we are going to
do baking under the formulas of the
Government. continuing to use some
Of the ingredients that have given
our products an individuality OF their
own.
1--WE have feI. that we owe 1t to
the Government and the people in
This crisis to redu e to the minimum
our profits, trus-Ing to increased
sales to compensate US.
"Ever since have been in business
have felt that the public appreciates
quality, quantity end service. II l
have done well II iE due to continu-
ally keeping before me these
thoughts."
TO ESTABLISH CHURCH.