The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-03
Pork Packing in wheeling.

Wheeling as pork PACKING CeuUc WI
should fail 10 make much Of a show in
comparison with the present great certers
Of tho West, and yet Wheeling has not
been without reputation in this line In
years past, Tho buildings which now
form part Of the Central Glass Works
were once known as tho Pork house
property, where Michael Herr did, for
several years, aVery large packing bust
ness, principally for the Baltimore market.
He, however, failed, and the buildings
were occupied for several seasons by other
parties, then finally abandoned and
suffered to go to decay. There have been
many important changes in the process
Of touring bacon since that day. Such
products as sugar'Cured hams and break
last bacon were then unknown, and
taken all in all the business has been
much better syStematized.
Our large grocery firms for years did a
more or less extensive business in hand
ling the pork meats Of this section, In ad-
dition to the products Of the great pack
Ing establishments located in the West
and Southwest.
In what Is known as country cured
pork, Col. II. X. List, in connection with
his partners, has probably donC in the
course OF his business career larger bus
ingss than any other party in the city.
His experience in handling this primitive
ly cured bacon, when told by himself, is
amusiDg as well as instructive and serves
TO show the dense ignorance which too
often prevails among the agricultural
community in relation to preparing their
products for market. Much Of this coun.
try cured bacon required great deal OF
work 10 render it merChAntable at all, and
even then only portions OF it could be dis
posed OF in the home market, the balance
having to seek q market on the sea board.
While these meats afforded but small
profit to the merchant they we're even less
profitable 10 the farmers, who by their
unscientiflc method Of handling their
meat rendered ii 60 unavailable for mar
ket
Pickering the handling OF green meats
and the preparation OF them Tor market
Mr.. List some years ago commenced the
packing business, and by thus creating a
market for slaughtered hogs, succeeded
in a great measure IN doing away with
the custom among farmers OF curing or
attempting to their own bacon, at least
that portion Intended for sale
Since the war Messr5 List, Davenport
" Parks have yearly handled and
sold in this market the meat Of
from fifteen to twenty thousand hogs,
u portion OF which has been Of their own
s!aughtering, They have gradually been
extending their operations with view Of
ultimately handling only meats of their
own packing. The meats Of their pack
log have been steadily growing in favor
both in home and foreign markets, and
the firm already enjoy q reputation
superior to come Of the best packers in
the country, and not surpassed by any.
Their operations have already opened up
market to the farmers OF this section,
and the extensive additions made to their
Fulton slaughteriDg and packing houses
during tho past summer have greatly in
creased their facilities and will enable
them, this season, to handle with ease
come fifteen thousand head Of hogs They
are now Strengthening about three hundred
aud fifty head per day, while their actual
capacity is five hundred.
Their establishment, as We have in-
dictated, Is located in Fulton Immediately
on the bank OF the creek, and occupies
about one aero OF ground. The abattoir,
where the hogs are killed and cleaned, is
ono hundred and seven feet long by 20 feet
wide. The hanging and cutting room is
eighty feet long and forty feet wide.
Both OF these rooms occupy the second
story OF the buildings. In tho cutting
room arc also the rendering tanks which
extend upward from the lower story;
these tanks arc three in number and will
hold tho fat Of five hundred hogs All
the heating Of water for scalding tho hogs
and the cooking Of the fat is done by
.lctm. Adjoining the hanging and cut
llng room are the sailing floors and
smoke houses; Of the latter there are five
with IN aggregate capacity for four humid
red thousands pounds, all Of tho build
ings are lighted with gas manufactured
from gasoline or Benzine. The machine
used in the productions Of the gas is ]. N.
bilious late patent and ono Of the beat in
&c. The whole premises in all their sp.
pontments arc model OF exsctness and
efficiency. There Is no unnecessary hand.
ling Of any thing, nothing ever goes
backward. . ... I'd.
All refuse is turned to account,
by conversion into a valuable ierlili-
ger, the hair and the bristles are preserved
and find ready market. We may say
that, with the single exception of the
blood, nothing is suffered to go to waste,
and We can say that VIC do not sec why
even that might not be added TO the fer.
tilizing product, and we have no doubt
but what it will be at an early day.
Twenty-Five men are employed in and
about the establishment, and its general
conduct, from the live hog to the cured
bacon, is under the supervision Of Mr..
John Bsyha, who has been in tho employ
OF the firm for some years.
Those Of our citizens who have any
curiosity to know how the pork packing
business, now ono of the greatest inter
ests Of the whole country, is conducted,
and 10 witness the extraordinary facility
NTH 1rhinl.