Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-09-22

\ magazine writer thus describes the
{ greatest market in the world. Twenty mil
lions sterling Is the asceriained value OF the
meat which London consumes annually
500, 600 eco worth of meat every year.
| The Metropolitan meat market al Smithheld
Is the great central depot in London, where
| the daIlY traiicking IN this enormously val
liable portion Of the city's tood-supply
takes place. \ magnificent covered space,
with spacious avenues and roomy stalls,
provided with every modern luxury in the
way of securing light without sunshine,
and ventilation without rain or snow, has
taken the place OF the disgusting open air
shambles OF the Smithfield OF old. la shape
the building stands a huge but light and
graceful parallelOgram OF brick work. iron
and gla--, covering space OF three and
! bali acres. Ia extreme length 1t measures
| 6il feet Ia width 2l6 1eet. Four towers
| mark TIE angles OF the building. the base
mentS If these beng utilized a. telegraph
| and post thces, and also as rciIeshment
| roOU-. given over to the providing OF cooked
! food IOr zoe thousands who daily make use
of the market. A splendid covered main
roadway, elliptical in form, some SO feet in
width, divides the place into equal parts.
the shops being arranged on each side of
the six wide avenues which cross the build
principal avenue. the scene at Smithfeld
on market morning is almost indescrlba-
Bile. As early rs the hour alter midnight
the III eat is being brought In by lDnumera-
bic vans and butchers caris--the suptrin-
tendent told the writer that he had the
curiosity to count these upon one occasion,
and found no fever than |, 100 vans and
carts standing around the building at one
time-whlch turn and turn about. and
shoot out on the paVements material for
countless Homeric bsnquets. In the glare
OF myriads OF gas-lights, busy, stalwart, and,
truth TO say. greasy, Unlocking and foul
mouthed men, are TO be seen hurrying to
and iro with lOrdiy barOns Of beet, whole
sheep and TAT pigs. which, in the shortest
of brief moments are borne away and at
tached to the great steel hooks depending
IRON the cast iron framework surrounding
the shops, to await the coming critical eye
of the master retail butcher. Meanwhile
men in battalions are working like pigmles
beneath the earth. Were IL possible TO
peep through the pavement of The building
an extraordinary scene would be visible
extraordinary, because DO one stindIng IN
SmIthheld market would suppose that un-
derneath 1t was an immense vault u vsult
from which LIE 900 tons OF earth had to be
excayated) occupied by a vast cobweb Of
railroad tracks. Tne Metropolitan line of
railroad, the Midland, the London, Chsth
am and Dover. and the Great Western are
in direct Communication with this great
meat depot, to the incslculable convenience
OF every one living in London. To this
great subterranean supply station come
trucks laden with meat from the metropoli-
tan absttoirs and from more distant Scot
land.
By admirable mechanical cOntrivabces
the ponderous masses OF juicy beet from the
north OF England, and tne-grained mutton
from the S0uthdowns, are hoisted to the
level OF the floor above, at q very notable
saving OF carisge, porterage and human
labor generally. 3utchermen seize the
loads as the appear BIT the surface, and bear
them off to their respective owners in the
market.
From 0 clock on Saturday morning until
clock of the same morning. does the
meat which is to satisfy the appetitss of the
million or two citizens of London proper for
the next day, come in great Quantities in
the Smithgeld market. For three busy
hours OF the night are men employed here,
about the street. the main avenues and up
and down the roadways. and in the rail-
road cellars beneath, carving about meat
and arranging is in rows in the market
shops TO await tbs coming OF the retail
butcher,