The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-11
Hog Kiuing How 1t is Done I'm an
AhattOir.

the farm, have little idea how the thing is done
m slaughter-houses. If they have been through
the large slaughtering establishments at Gin
cinnad or Chicago, they have got a good insight
into the business; but to see the whole in per
lection, with all the modern improvements, let
person go to Communipaw, New Jersey, oppo-
site the southern point of the city, and witness
the transformation of live hogs into pork as if
by magic, at that place. We will not assert
with some, that it is done up so scientifically
that "the operation is rather agreeable than
otherwise" and each animal, whether hog or
flock of sheep, "awats with impatience his turn
TO be taken off," butif the extent Of squeal
expresses the amount of suffering, it is here
of short duration, for long before the farmers
hog has uttered those short cultural notes indi-
eating that he was ons the point of caving in
having led his assailants in several furious
charges about the yard, our hog would have
been treated to a warm bath, and scraped down
in the most approved style by his humane and
scientific mahlpuators. Not only IS the killing
done up in the most expeditions manner, but il
is claimed that the greatest economy is used
that from pigs snout 10 the end of his tail all
is saved "eXcept the squeal," and that is only
allowed to escape through tear that 'it would
require two cent stamp upon it il retained.r
The building in which the killing is done is
3S0Xl00 teet with three projections or wings
each l0Ox60 feet. and in these wings the hogs
are yarded and butchercd, and the final opera.
tiOns OF dressing are performed just as they
reach the main room. Most of the space is
used for hanging up the hogs after killing, the
slides holding 1000 OF them; and by the time
they are all foil, the first are ready to be stacked
up, or passed through the chute into the wagons
below. A separate building contains the thou
sands of hogs to be drawn from as wanted
They are driven IN squads of about 200 up some
pack steps into pen. From this they are
hnia tod hu ind ktolrs hos,,
done while suspended, so sthat the blood shall
run out quickly. After bleeding to death they
are dropped into tank OF hot water, regulated
to the right temperature by steam pipes and a
cold water tap.
When sufficiently scalded, they are foated
upon set of iron fingers, or rack, in one end OF
the tank and lever or brake tips them upon
the raised bench, where quick hands and scrap
ing implements soon remove the brlstles. From
this they are slipped upon a suspended hook,
the upper end Of which is connected with a
wheel running upon nearly circular track
overhead, and when everything is complete.
sort of lever, suspended from another track
running nearly the length of the building, lifts
the hog from the hook and transfers him into
any desired slide or frame, where a push shoVes
him to his place at the further end.
We will now go minutely through the opera
tion of killing, as the Dutchman did when asked
who killed in that establIshment:-'I kills my
self there" was the reply. We will here remark
that it takes quite gang of men to run such
machine eXpeditioHsly, and only those skilled
can turn outtWo well-dressed hogs per minute
from each Of the six stands or benches, as we
have repeatedly seen them do. This, in Fact, is
the average and with gangs at each OF the
benches, seven hundred and twenty hogs can be
run off per hour. They are not all in use at
present.
1t takes thirty men and boys to make up a full
or working gang at each bench or form, en-
ployed as follows:-TWo men or boys to keep
the pens supplied with hogs; three to slip
rope around a hind leg and hoist them by
means OF pulley-wheel; one to stick them; two
TO work them over with sticks and hooks, in the
water; two to tip them out when scslded; ten to
pull, haul, and scrape them; five upon each
side of the bench, armed with fingers, scrapers
somewhat like the bottom OF an old-tashioned
round iron candlestick-knives, and the end of
a cold water pipe 10 wash them oil with. Tho
hog IS set upon moment by the first pair, then
rolled over to the second, and so passed down
the inclined form, and by the time he reaches
the lower end is ready for the gambrel by which
he is strung up.
One man inserts the gsmbrel, and attaches
him to clamp or hook upon the track, where
he is seized by the man with long knife, one
stroke of which downward and another up
ward makes the opening for the removal of the
ohal. Two or three more slight cuts inside,
and the ''inwards" are thrown upon bench for
the four cleaners and riddlers to take charge OF,
the liver and heart going IN another dlrecuon.
One man now plays the hose upon the carcass
to wash off the blood, another gives the finish
ing scrape with knife, while TWO men are kept
at work transferring them from the suspended
track to the slides or frames, and pushing them
back in their places, all facing in one direction.
A full set will have about twenty-five hogs
under way at once, between those suspended
for sticking and the washed ott-animal. The
whole thing moves like clock-Work, and no
idlers are tolerated, as they would cause a jar
or hitch in the work. Everything is carried on
with so much neatness, and there is such a
finished look to the carcasses, when dressed,
that the most tastidious pork-eaters could inter
pose no objections on the point of cleanliness.
Besides, the operations are all open to inspec-
tiOn and criticism.
The caul and cleaner portions of the fat are
tried out separately IN the large steam tanks for
what is called No. lard, while the other is KEPT
by itself and graded according to quality, the
poorest being sold for cheap grease, The
s'pluck," that is, heart, liver, and lights, are
thrown into the tanks for the little grease they
contain the residue going to the manure heap
Here is waste of what should 90 towards
feeding the poor, in some shape, a hogs liver
Indeed many farmers throw away the latter
and retain the former. The small intestnes are
saved for sausage castings, while the blood goes
TO waste, falling into the water below, and Il
carried off by the tide. This VIII in time be
saved for its chemical and lertilizing properties.
in fact, arrangements are now making L
A. nresent the work is all done by hand labor
but machinery is being erected, 50 that tn
heaviest portions, viz, hosting the hogs 10
sticking, and tipping them out Ol Tue SGaIulL
tank, can be done by steam power Ths VII
save the labor of three or four men, ~,
Such Is the end of hog and so many oil tneI
find their latter end in this and other establish
ments OF less note (nearly lO5OO at lhls plac
the past week., that there woulu Ue osngeI lis ~
the race becoming extinct but IRON thelr pr
likeness, quick growth, and early maturltl
About 100000 live hogs were orougnt 70 val an
mostly slaughtered in the vicinity OF new oI
CITY during the past year, ana WIN WIZ snon to tho