Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-09-28
A Great Swine show md Other
Matters.

CHICAGO, Sept. y.
Among the exhibitions now in progress
in this city, is hog, or swine show.
While we do not propose to inf1ict on our
readers, "What we know about farming"
yet a description of this novel affair may
not be uninterestiug TO eastern readers,
who have anything like a just conception
Of the attention which is paid to raising
swine. or the vast amount of money in
vested, in their production and prrp'ra-
ton for food for the millions. The hog
is ore of the most prolific breeders Of any
animal used as human food, and not
withstanding all that has been said
against its flesh since the Savior put the
devils into the herd, it has become one of
the chief articles of animal food. It is
especially so in this country, and while
every body may not be partial to ''hog fat
and hominy." there are very few hungry
people who will turn away from q mise
roast or delicate sparerib, if it is well
cooked.
1t is said in the west, and we think it
is probably true everywhere. that there is
no kind of stock that will afford so qnick
a return from the money invested as hogs.
They are always saleablP, easily trans
ported and not d fiji ;ult to take care of in
any stage of their existence; and it is TO
these facts more, perhaps, than to the
sweetness Of their flesh, that swine receive
40 much attention from a people one-half
of whose bible views interdict their use of
them as a food. But Whatsoever may be
the reasons for il, there is no dispnting
the fact that the animal which of old was
condemned and despised by the civilized
world under the Hebraio dispensatior, as
it is now under the force of religion
among most of the Oriental natione, has
become one of the most useful and
highly esteemed among the most progress
sive people of the world
Chicago is now the great center of the
lions of dollars vested in building
and appearances necessary to si"ugh-
terin9 hogs and preserving pork. The
statistics show the actual number of ami
mails received in Chicago since last Janu-
airy was ass, 514, and they averaged 220
pounds each, making 1928, 292 $50 pounds.
The average price was five cents per
pound making SIG, 1O4,604.
The packing commences in November
and it is estimated that $4,000, 900 will
be required this season to carry the pack
ers through the season.
This vast trade naturally gives Chicago
great Importance among swine dealers,
and it was, therefore, determined to hold
a national exhibition of the Swine Breed
er's Association at Dexter Park in this
city, and the sum of $4,000 in cash pre-
miums. The interest was created all over
the country, premiums ranged from SO
to 81 900, and every man engaged in the
trade was stimulated to do his best In a
hoggish way, for in this as in other things
the biggest hog would take the most,
The exposition opened on Tuesday
September 10Th. There were over 100
eAuloltOrs, ABOUT 4UOO eDtetiet, anu over
5000 animals in the pens, embracing stock
from various p,rts of the United States,
Canada, Great Britain and Ireland.
When the visitor first enters the park
he is bewildered by the long rows of pens
extending this way and that, and the
grunting aad squealing that greets him.
There are valuable old hogs, whose in
creasing years seem only to have given
them more fat until they could scarcely
walk and but family grunt out their
There are matronly hogs
with dozen little squealers frisking
about among the straw, black hogs white,
hogs, gray, speckled big pigs, little pigs
and the "roet hog and die" kind, while
others have rings in their shouts and can't
root.
All these various kinds of animals were
arranged and classified, for swine breeding
has been reduced to a science like sheep
breeding, and on convstsiDg with an ex-
hi bitors he told IA all the details of the
business, and prove to his satisfaction,
beyond contradiction, at least from us,