Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-10
.LEiA GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER

Special contracts will be made with yearly ad-
vcrtisers.
CURING BACON.
The season will soon arrive TO the curing of
bacon hams, and 10 anticipation thereof, we
think it of some moment to throw out such
hints as will enable farmers and other house
holders to secure for their families the choicest
quality Of meat. Many receipts are annually
published for the curing of hams, and yet how
seldom it is in private houses that we find a
really unexceptionally fine article. No other
kind of meat is comparable to the taste of the
epicure to wel-cured ham of bacon, and yet
how often it is that, from some defect in the
process of preserving, but mostly 10 the cooking
OF it, is the anticipated enjoyment disappointed.
It is stated that about million of sugar
cured hams are put up in Chicago alone, and the
art Of curing them, including their successful
packing for preservation, requires so much care
and skill, that an expert 10 the business readily
secures for his services as high as $3.50 per
month. These hams are shipped to Europe,
Canada, Mexico, the West Indies, and South
America, but the largest market 10 this coun-
try is Philadelphia, and the next New York.
The following is the process adopted, as we
gather from an article on the subject from the
New York Tribune:
The hams chosen are of an average weight
of fourteen pounds each, and they lose in the
curing two or three pounds each of this weight
The brine is carefully preserved from one
season to another, and is supposed to in
crease 10 strength as II increases IN
age One packer used brine that was seven
years old, and another, who removed to a dis
tant city, had bis brine barreled and shipped
TO bis new place of business with his other
stock in trade. The waste of salt, sugar, and
other substance absorbed by the meat is of
course replaced by coostant additions. The
brine is formed Of water, sugar-house syrup,
satpetre. salt, and certain other ingredients,
10 proportion as the experience and tastes tf
the packers differ. Casks are filled with this
briue, III which green hams, assorted by weight,
are soaked from thirty-6ve to fifty days, &C,
cording to the different weight of the hams.
When the hams are removed from the pickle,
they are Immersed, for short time, iu clear
water, and hung up in the smoking houses for
drying, which is an important part in the pro-
cess of preserving as well as favoring lp this
process the hickory timber is considered indis-
pcnsabIe. Next they have to be prepared for
market in such manner that they will be pre-
served indefinitely. Each ham is Immersed in
thick paste wash, largely composed of chrome
yellow, which fills up every interstice OF the
subsequent under aud outer garments carefully
wrapped and sewcd upon it. Then comes the
wrapping in thick brown paper and the stitch
lug upon it Of the closely fitting case OF stout
cotou cloth. Next the brand is placed upon
it, and the ham is ready for market.
NEWSPAPER BEATS. We supp'se there
must be, ut the most modest calculation, be-
tween fifteen hundred and two thousand per-
SONS n this vicinity who get their newspaper
T., nl,1f9.n
bic individuals who stca papers FROM other peo-
PIES doors, OF borrow from their neighbors, or
loaf around where newspaper is subscribed
Tor, and paid for, aud monopoze it to the ex.
clusion Of the rightful owner. We have had
several subscribers stop their subscriptions, tor
20 fault of our carriers, as they admitted, IN
non-delivery, but because their papers, after
being delivered, were taken by some individual
as short of fcon>cience as of cash, who would take
possession of it. Thus newspaper, which
ought to be well supported by community tor
the general good it does to that community, is
made to support the town, 10 measure-that
is,nis expected to live without resources and to
advertise the life aud business of a town without
the support which is requisite to enable 1t to
keep up to q metropolitan standard of excel
ieuce. An individual should blush to read a
paper habitually which another individual pays
~
peTs which they do not pay for, and this is tor
their eyes especially, with the purpose OF scar
irg their conscience, if they have any, and for
the purpose nf appealing TO those who do sub
scribe aud pay for newspapers, to keep them
hled and not permit them to 90 out OF their pos
session. iD Justice to themselves as we'll as to
the printer, whose capital and labor are invested
III business which serves to advertise the COM
uercla status Of city in proportion to the en-
terprise its substantial patronage enables 1t to
spay.-NashuiWe Banner.
The LATE DR.. NELAToN. Paris cor
respondent of medical Journal gives pleas
ant reminisceDce of the celebrated DR.. Nelaton1,
physician to the late Emperor, whose death
was recently announced by cable:
AS passed into the ball | heard groanss,
evidently of child in great pain, the door lead
lug TO the sick ward was ajar, and hesrd the
Voice of man talking earnestly with little
sufferer. There was something very affecting
In the imploring tones Of the childs voice and
the tender and sympathiziug replies Of the
physician, and it seemed to me not wrong to
witness unseen, through the crack of the half
open door, the scene that was passing within.
IN narrow pallet near the window lay fine
ooy, nine Or ten years old, dying Of cancer, de-
Veloplng itself between the eyes and behind
the nose. 1t had not shown itself externally
but had destroyed the sight, aud was attended
BY eScrucia.ing suffering By his side sat a
stately white haired man, holding with one
maud the two Of the little patient, while with
me other he caressingy smoothed his hair.
lhe child told the story of his pain, Ah, je
squire tont! 60! suffer so much') to which
Tue old man listened patiently, promising to
eeeVlSe some relief Then be rose to leave, but
urst bent over the boy, and with tears drop
p'ng from his eyes, kissed his fore head as low
,ls'Y as mother The white. haired man was
tue Tord-renowned Nelatop.'