The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-04
Tara aud 5onsfhold.


That mach despisei andupirersally
slandered animate which sto men
the type ofaTl that is disgusting, and
to boys the legitimate bntt OF all their
mischief,-the hog, Is in reality one of
the most neefhl animals We have.
Every inch of him, from his inquisi-
tive nose to his half-inch of aatail, is
marketable.
1t is curious to visit one of those
interesting establishments where
these gentry enter at one door, squeal-
ing, grunting animals, and come out
at another airline Ness Pork"
One day last Winter, an ARMY Of
nearly $1,000 of them came into Chi
cago, though nobody knew it except
a fewf"packers' andsrailroad men ; for
they came i'm deeorously, and like
other travellers in the cars, many daily
trains there arc for their accommoda-
ton. s-,T1
On reaching the city they are not
left to shift for themselves, az human
passengers are, but they find warm
quarters all prepared for ,them-yery
warm, too, I suspect the poor porkers
find it. - - mE-srfSA
Their cars being switched into
different yards, the. travellers alight
and are persuaded to ascend long
passage-way winding around the out
side of building. This building (for
I will speak of but one) is called a
packing house, and is three stories
high and 100 feet square, and the attic
is the reception room. ssF
As soon as they arc safely housed,
preparations are made for a warm
bath, but the mode Of giving it is pc
culiar l admit, and not altogether de-
lightful.
Fifteen or twenty are invited into a
private apartment, called in packing
language a ''death pen." Here o man
taking his victim by surprise claspes
a chain around one of his hind legs,
and by the aid of steam power hoists
the unwilling porker till the chain is
hooked ON to a sort of slide.
In this helpless condition he meets
his executioner, who in an instant
puts all end to his troubles. Ofcourse
lie must give one last vigorous kick,
and this very struggle sends him
sliding down the rail TO which he is
hooked, till the clasp opens and he
Pumps into his warm bath, which is
indeed a large vat of scalding water.
It is well for the bather that the exc
cutioner comes before the bath.
After remaining as long as necessa-
~, he is fished out by a sort Of scoop
hung roma large crane-if You don't
know what a crane is, ask your grand
mother. The crane swings round and
deposits the now thoroughly subdued
subject OH a bench. +. ans
Here he comes under the hands of
'.pulIers,7 who instantly remove his
bristles, and pass him along to the
.'scrapers," WHO with candles and
knives. complete the work of dress
ing,-undressing l should cali it
But he is not finished yet.> \ boy
next deprivcs him of his tongue, and
he is suspended once more to another
rail and slides On to the next pair,Of
hands waiting for him.
These hands, wieldiug "a knife, open
the body and pass it into its second
bath, where it is thoroughly cleansed
inside and out by jets of cold water.
Out of this bath he goes into the
hands of scrapers again, and then
still sliding down the rail-he gets a
blow which splits his backbone, and
another crane swings him over on to
a rack to cool.
Take breath while he rests, for he
has been in this hospitable establish
ment but a very short time, yet how
many attentions he has received.
Well, he takes some hours TO cool,
but finally he starts on his last jour-
ney, which is short, namely, to the
''cutting block" where in a few min
utes, by the aid of two strong men
welding huge cleavers, he ceased to
be even a body, and becomes pork.
The first blow sewers the head, which
is instantly seized and disposed of
somewhere.
Next the hams fly OIL, and never
rest till they reach the cellar through
a "cllutc."
Tie rest is speedily cut into square
pieces for packing, follows the hams
to the cellar, is rubbed with salt, and
at las; finds rest in barrels.
But I said that every part of him is
useful, and I'll tell you how. The
bristles 20 to brush makers; the feet
to the glue factories the extra fat to
the lard tub. The refuse (blood, etc.
is collected in troughs, runs into tight
cars provided for the purpose, goes
into the country, and is made into
guano.
You will hardly believe it possible,
when l tell you that these houses OF
destruction are as sweet and clean if
not as attractive, as a parlor. Byclosc
attention and careful management,
everything is kept in perfect Order
and n~CatucSs. SfN