New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-08


through the wellconductcd houso VI "eS4'' ba"'
Hunt s. Co of Louisville.
Here a. in Chicego, the slsnghtenng and packing
arc pe,formed in the sare building creek Towing
uss the house afording direct communication, inward
and outward with the river Ascending hight VI
stain. the need OF which viii be apparent presently,
~, enter the cutting-room and almost bewsdeFcd
with the varied scene OF industry that opens upon as
Al the further end of this immense apartment - the
.louohttr.bouse ; from the varied sounds that rsus
thence we arc informed that the butchers are at work,
lint II i eActualy concealed from view by an inter-
ycr,no forest of hogs which are suspended "a rows
aers. the building. Three or four stout negroes are
bu.;.d in removing them; with an underwriting
bapt they shoulder their sthencd burden, and DEPOSIT
II upou racks contiguous to the chopPins ooikS-
Other negroes called fcedors) are employer Iea'''S
hog after hog up the block, where stand two cutters
each welding a long-bladed oleaver with razorhke
EDGE. with which they reduce the rapdly'succeeduS
.,,sssc. .o ni.ces These are attended on by book
men. who place the dismembcred portions 30 as larry
., receive the stroke and with hooks distribute the
n,ccs 70 their various recipients. by the SIDE oil eaeh
cutter stands stesming tub OF water, 10 when he
eyer and anon puugrs the blade Of his eloaVer, since
the heat thus impaired 10 the metal sends II more
clearly and readily through the clogging fat C"nga-
ous 10 the cutng.blocks, the hamtrimmers are sra
toned. who with knife and saw shape the rough
launches into hams, and send them, when finished,
down tubular chute to the packers below. Similar
cEas receive other portions of the hog, thus enabling
the workmen to avoid any announcement accumulation
Of material
While we regard the busy scenes, boy with buc-
ke; comes round, and all eagerly partake OF the liquor
which he dispenses in small tin measure. Suppcsing
Al. L t,ra fritl.
Int before il is handed to us unequivocn spruous
odor. exhang from the bucket informs us OF our mis-
take, and we decline the proftered drink. The stimu-
ang effects of the liquid are immediately perceptbe.
The rival cutters at the two blocks commence working
against each other; their flashing cleavers descend
with unidentified stroke; their influence is commuui-
Gated to the feeders who react upon their darkey
friends the porers: aud all alike rcdoube their exer.
lions rider the subtle influence of old Monongahea-
The spirit extends to the packers below, and striking
up negro song, the coopers' hammers ny and the
packers maui is piled, until the very building shakes
with the energy of their combined labors.
We dwell while to contemplate the cutters:
such super.human efforts as they making cam
not be long sustained; but which couple viii first tire
ont At the block nearer to two fue, athletic
Young countrynen from the opposite shore of lndanai
this is their first season, and they ambitious to
distinguish themselves. At the other block are two
tough, why old -kentuckians; their muscles
hardened to the exercise aud themselves cool a. an
avalanche. They ply their cleayers in silence, but
already thev are two or three hogs in advance Of
their competitors, and in them it is idle to look for
symptoms of distress Our Indiana friends are rap
idly giving out prolusc pcrpration streams from
their faces, although there is heavy Iost upon
the ground, and their strokes become irregular and
faering. At length nature becomes exhausted.
Throwing up their cleavers, they wipe their glowing
faces and sit down 10 recover breath The victory is
hailed with vociferations from the negroes, and
EIurah for old Kentucky" was ringing in deGfeu-
ing shouts throughout the cutting room as we turned
and descended the stairs to the packers below.
Arriving IN The packing room we find that the
passage of arms we have just witnessed has COM
pctey distanced those worthless, and they fam to
"cry YOU mercy" The immense troughs with whicl,
the cLBts communicate literally running over and
the selectOrS are incOmmodcd with the too rapidly
accumuating supply Advancing to the foot of the
stairs one of the wOrkmcn explains in characteristics
terms: "What the -" I'VE lost the conclusion Of
his ejaculations) care you running wild up there
hold on your choppers awhile if YOU don't want 10
smother US.
Relief being granted we watch them while they
work By the side of each trough pair Of scales are
suspended, upon which selector weighs of drafts
Of chosen pieces. Each weighing contains two ban
bred pounds, and forms the contents of barrel. In
making up the draft remark that he careful to
select an nvarabe number Of certain portions Of the
hog and when the amount is obtained he deposits the
pieces with his hook in vacant compartment OF the
trough being scrupulous to lay three four OF the
handsOnest cuts aside TO be- placed last in the barrel
and forming what called the head,pieces. On the
opposite side of the trough the packer stands COM
pactly arranging these weghings separately INTO bar
rels. Considerable oGpcrtness is shown by him in adj
ustng piece 70 another, and over every layer Of
pork he spreads a scOop-fulI Of salt He has heavy
maui with which he rams his load well home and
when the barrel is charged with its contents he tits IL
and gives it n yhirl out of his way The cooper then
seizes it, and in incredibly short time has il secure.
~ headed up and laying it its bige, sends il along
with his foot when it is taken by laborer and rolled
into the brine-yaId. This work is all performed with
remarkable CELEBRITY; and while we stand observing
them for few moments the undue accumulation is
cleared away and the cutters above their ar
duous labors. We neglected to inquire how many
barrels day packer il capable of filing; but judg
ing from the rate at which they were working we
should suppose the number would not be Jess than
from one hundred and twenty ye to one HUNDRED and
fifty
Proceeding 10 the next trough we come upon tie
ham-packers These are placed in hogsheads COR
tanning four hundred pounds. This appears 10 be
lighter work, for the reason that the hams being OF
Uniform shape packed readily together, and