Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1843-04-06
From the Cincinnati Gazette
PORK PACKING IN CINCINNATI.


the Hog for the Packers. We now propose
to follow the Hog into the city, and describe
the manner in which he is cut, packed, anC
finally shipped to a market. This naturally
involves the description of Cincinnati Pork
House and for this purpose we have selected
that at the corner of Sycamore stree: and the
Canal, for many years occupied bv Mr.. Dur.
FIELD. but which he has now relinQuished IL
Mr. SAML. b. FINDLAY. Mr.. DCFFIELD. howev-
er, retains the third story, where he cures
his justly celebrated Westphalia Hams,
which we shall notice more at length hereaf-
ter, tor the benefit Of cOnnoiseurS. We have
been greatly indebted 10 the friendly asSis
iance and good Judgment of both Mr.DulIleld
and Mr.. FrNDLAV, for two Or three years past,
an making up the prices and state of our Pro-
vision Market, and for many other valuable
business details. And it what we say of the
great facilities OF their establishment for
transactng business to advantage, is Of any
benefit To them, we feel that we have oulv
repaid an obligation.
The Pork House in question is one If the
largest and most perfectly arranged in the
world. It is l59 feet long and 92 wide, sto-
ries high above the cellar, with two Lard
Rooms, each having Lard Kettles of 100
gallons each, one Lard Press, and Coolers,
holding from 800 to 500 gallons each. 1t
contains also two Smoke Houses 30 by 40
feet, 3l-2 stories high, with cellars IL feet
deep, each one capable of containing AGO. 900
lbs. meat to smoke at one time and during
one season, each can be filled five times,
thus smoking within four months 100000
Abs. of meat
The building stands Immediately upon the
Miami Canal (Which will soon extend 10
Lake Erie); two sides of the house bound on
the Canal, which here makes an elbow, thus
enabling Boats to unload on both sides into
the house the other two sides Of the build
ing are upon the street, and from its favora-
BILE grade, the floors of both the first and Sec
ond stories are so arranged as to be CON-
manded by draws, which are driven in to
load and unload, thus saving q vast deal of
labor.
In this house, every thing is done under
cover. in all kinds of weather. From it's vast
extent, there is no necessity Of rolling barrels
out OF doors for picking, or any other pur-
pose &C. 1t is capable of disposing or slowing
$4,000 hogs in one season of months, and
not go out of doors for any thing.
AT the risk of being considered tedious, we
have subjoined many particulars in regard
10 this leading business of our city. Although
may interest distant readers.
The history of the Pork business in this
city is interesting, when one conemplates
its present magnitude. Twenty years since,
we are told, it was so insignificant, that no
one house was engaged in it exclusively, and
the whole number of Hogs then cut in one |
season, did not exceeded 10000. At that pc
riod, the Hogs were killed Gas isolated farm
ers now kill them in the country)out Of doors,
and then hung up on pole. The butchers
charged the farmer IL LIZ to 20 cents per
head tor killing them, retaining the offal as
ut present. From this insignificant beginning, |
the business has increased SO that the num-
Der OF Hogs killed this year will probably !
reach a quarter of a million, and the butchers
now frequently pay 10 10 IS cents premium
per head for the privilege of killing them.
And instead'ofa few houses incidentally en-
gagged in the BUSINESS part OF the year,
there are now 26 Pork Houses exclusively Ell.
gagged in it. and which use capital of near.
ly Two Millions of Dollars, which, by the
way, has been mostly foreign this season, ow-
ing to the disasters of the last three years.
The district of country in the West devo.
ted to raising of Pork us an article of COM
merce, includes Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri Iowa. and part of Tennes-
see but the bulk of the business is done I
within circle of 800 miles in diameter, with
Cincinnati as its centre, including the con-
tiguous parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Hogs are however, frequently driven to this
market from distance of 200 miles, as, not.
large numbers are killed at va
rious places in the Wabash and Miami Val.
leys, ut Madison, H., Portsmouth. Chillicothe,
&C., this business will concentrate in the lar
gest cities, where labor. salt, barrels. and
other facilities are naturally most abundant.
In populous city, also, the steaks, spareribs,
&c, not used in packing, car always be dis
posed OF for cash. without loss; and in this
city, also, If any where in the West, active
cash capital is always found.
In the above district, the number of Hogs
prepared for market this season will not fall
short Of 100000, (and this is not larger
number than usually besides the vast amount
retained for domestic consumption. Of this
number, 250OOO are probably packed in
Cmcinna.i-l5OOOO more will probably
come here for market, or re.shipment-
and 100000 more may be set down as the es.
innate for those that will be shipped from va.
fious other towns on the River, without being
landed here. OF the above number. $4,000
are raised in the Wabash Valley alone. -
Our Hogs are fed on Corn exclusively.-
They are never fled on mutton" as an Eng
iish Nobleman lately stated at an Agricul-
tural Fair. The stock is we'll crossed with
imported animals from Europe, of the vari-
Gus Chinese, Irish, English, and Russian
breeds, and is probably exceeded by none in
the United States. Hogs have been raised
here weighing over 1900 lbs. but the average
weight runs from 200 to $50 lbs--the latter
StvA hoin thfa 10