, 1870-01-11
G.2*ST.M
oDS&W
4 c0Sa0o

1t is only as special favor on holiday
occasions, that my beef Of the first Of these
g1ndes is ever offered foz gale in this city
by butchers, and then only at prices rang-
ing from o5 to IS cents per pound. Tho
second and third grades are sold at our
yards for shipment east, a1d to packers. A
few of the fourth grade are bought by
butchers who have wealthy customers,
who will pay fancy prices, but nearly all
the cattle bought for city slaughter and
actually sold to the people Of Chicago for
meat are Of the grades marked 8, G, and 7,
and in about equl proportions. For the
purposes Of this examination We will trent
these cattlo IS Of two grades-the first aver
aging 1,l00 pounds and the other 500
pounds, live weight. These are the cattle
whose meat is sold out TO the people Of
Chicago. The first of these will yield CTS
pounds. The second will yield 400 pounds.
The hide and tallow Of the first will sell for
Sl4, and Of the latter for S.. The bill of
the butcher, therefore, who has one Of each
kind slaughtered, stands thus:
steer {, 100 pounds1 at toc.....-.......... $500
cor t6lu ponnds) At &c ............-....... 300
--s.-. ss7.oo
Less hldea and ta1low.... ................. 300
Total lcost................ .....,........ Seaoo
For this $G5 be has G75 pounds Of beef
from one, and 400 pounds from the other
animal, or ] ,o75 pounds Of sa.able beef. It
stands him in his stall six and oae.fourth
cents per pound. This beef is sold to the
public at prices ranging from l2i cents to
25 cents per pound Whatoyer is not sold,
and is in danger Of spelling, is thrown in
the pickle barrel, md sold as choice corn
beef ut shilling pound. II any one has
any doubt as to the character and weight
Of The CATTLE killed for city consumption,
and sold by the great majority Of our
butchers, LET him visit the various establish
ments in this city where beef is sold by the
CARCASS, or let him attend the city a65dttoir,
and he will find that the number Of lowest
grade cattle is largely in excess Of MI others,
and that many OF the cases Of good cattle
slaughtered are Of beeres that have been
MANNED, or have become stirred" and, be-
ing unfit to be taken elsewhere, are rated as
Chicago butchers stock" and sold here.
sold to cur people yields profit over its
net cost Of from 100 to 800 per cent. We
find no fault with butchers making all the
money they can, provided they furnish de-
cent beet. Selling the miserable beef OBJ
tanned from cows weighing 800 to 900
pounds at twenty cents per pound is q
miserable fraud. A steer Of 1,5o0 pounds,
costing, live weight, eight cents, will yield
975 pounds Of beef, which, after deducting
SIS for hide, tallow, and tongue, may be
Hold at the prices now exacted 10. scalla-
wags and cheap COW beef, and yield the
seller an average Of 100 per cent profit,
No perBon objects to paying good price
for good meat; hut when the fact stands
recorded every day that every head Of cat
tic fit to be sold rs choice meat in any other
market is shipped hence, and nothing but
the lean and the 1ame, the tired aud tho
scravny stock is purchased here for sale to
our people, there is room for loud CON-
plaint against the enormous prices de-
manded for the meat actually furnished.