Saw this on the Very Old Images of New York FB group. From time to time they have very interesting culinary stuff, this is one example; MANY interesting items from the old "Brooklyn Eagle" newspaper: "about
: We are the only group on Facebook that specializes in New York BEFORE the 1930's. Private.. Only members can see who's in the group and what they post. Visible - Anyone can find this group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1038696779569488
The complete Brooklyn Eagle (and other Brooklyn newspapers) archives are here, very fascinating reading! :
Brooklyn Newsstand
Connect to database:
https://bklyn.newspapers.com/
Developed by the Brooklyn Public Library, this free database provides access to the full-text of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1841 to 1955.
Notes: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle was published from 1841 to 1955 and was revived for a short time from 1960 to 1963. Dates of Coverage:
October 1841 - 1955.
From The Brooklyn Eagle, March 7th, 1908
https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53875058/
Brooklyn leads the country in candy and chocolate export in 1908 with 180 million pounds a year.
"In the past quarter of a century Brooklyn has steadily but most unostentatiously built up a mighty industry, whose extent is realized by very few outside of those directly interested, least of all, probably, by the ordinary Brooklynite.
This is the manufacture and distribution of confectionery and chocolates, of which this borough handles 130 million pounds annually, an inconceivable amount, representing a fortune of $110 million, at a conservative estimate.
Although this is not the greatest amount produced at any one place, in proportion to its size Brooklyn ranks with the greatest confectionery manufacturing centers; it actually leads the United States in the export of chocolate and candies, and it ships these products to every state in the union.
The uninformed person, if asked for his opinion, would be likely to name one of several widely advertised firms as the leading maker of candy; but, as a matter of fact, the largest candy factory in this country, and probably the largest in the world, turning out at least 36 million pounds a year, is situated on Lorimer Street.
Then there are about a half a hundred other wholesale houses, 16 of them very large, giving employment altogether to nearly 4,000 hands. The majority of these are located in Williamsburg, the Wallabout and neighboring sections, but the industry is by no means confined to this general district, as of the 560 retail confectioners scattered throughout Brooklyn, most make a considerable portion of the bonbons and taffy they sell.
The retail trade can scarcely be estimated, as not only the regular candy shops but practically all drug stores, news stands, stationery and department stores and some others carry confectionery as a side issue, with the display varying from one small showcase to a whole section or room.
All the allied industries naturally are well represented here. There were six big chocolate and cocoa houses, one of which is said to be the largest in America. This plant, which is in Wallabout market, can send out from 3 to 5 carloads a day of the finished chocolate, and, like the great candy wholesalers, ships its goods to nearly every port in the world.
Seven confectioners supply houses are supported by local and interstate demand, and cardboard boxes, great and small, are turned out daily by the thousand.
In the summertime it is estimated that Coney Island is the chief consumer of popcorn, which is scientifically €śpopped€ť by roasters of the pushcart size and by three busy factories; and, in addition, Brooklyn has the honor of being the birthplace of, and steady producer and faithful consumer of, the ubiquitous chewing gum.
€śMen eat more candy than women,€ś was the rather surprising statement of a retail dealer the other day. €śPeople have always said the opposite and the men themselves would scarcely believe this, but its so. They are at it all the time - and eat much more at a time than they used to. It is the men who keep the candy business going. Where they used to buy a box once in a while and carry at home, now they come into a store like this and buy 5 or 10 or 15 cents worth just for themselves and eat it right up.
Poor people, too, buy much more than they once did €“ and chocolate, where they used to get the cheap stuff. And its good for them. Do you know that a man who loves candy is almost never a drinking man?€ť
This last phrase is most important and its significance has been grudgingly admitted by conservatives. Experiment has proved that as the candy habit increases the desire for alcohol begins to disappear; and nowadays every battleship leaving the Brooklyn Navy Yard has on board a lot of candy for the men - Brooklyn candy. €śWhy, in the Navy, when a man is handed a pound of tobacco now he is also given a certain amount of candy, and it is believed that the drinking habit will be lessened in that way,€ś said a manufacturer.
€śThe sailors like the plan immensely, but if they knew it was done for that they would probably chuck the candy overboard. But aside from that it is a good food for them; men can fight better on chocolate then on meat - that has been proved in the German army.€ť
€śAnd when our Navy was capturing Manila the men in the turrets were eating our sour lemon drops. They had to moisten their mouths in some way on account of the heat and they could not get water. We had known that something like that might happen and our firm had given - free, of course - a supply of sour lemon drops to the various battleships.€ť
€śAfterward we received letters from Dewey and Schley and other admirals, thanking us, and the government began to realize that it would be well to look into the matter. Now, on Evans fleet sailing in the Pacific, the men are eating candy bought from us.€ť
The natural advantages of Brooklyn are so great that this industry, like many others, promises to grow to larger proportions in a short time. The railroad and shipping facilities are excellent, and land is cheaper than in Manhattan.
In the Eastern District (Williamsburg Bushwick and Greenpoint), particularly, there is a large population of just the class of men and women commonly employed in candy factories who are anxious for work, so that there is no labor question here.
Then the big sugar refineries right at hand, and the fact, as formally stated that most of the cocoa beans and a large portion of the coconuts for the country are landed at the Brooklyn waterfront minimize the work of transporting raw materials.
Within recent years a number of Manhattan wholesalers have moved over and establish themselves in this borough and just a few weeks ago a new firm with the capital of $15,000 was incorporated.
It is expected that the business of the old houses will grow and that still others will be established until Brooklyn will be the leading confectionery manufacturing center in the United States..."
Brooklyn Eagle excerpt, March 7, 1908