The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-11

tsI.
Look out now for roar from the Brit.
lob lion.
The Pork Packing BuSIneSS OF
wheeling.
Atous time and another a good many
citizens Of Wheeling have been, directly
Oriudirectly, interested in the pork busi-
n.,s. Many years ago such men as Henry
E.hOls, ". W. shrlver, John Matthews,
I,lac Irwin, Aaron Kelly, Warren, Dun.
hp& Co, James R. Baker, Louis Bayha,
John 2,eckler, and number OF other
parties whom we might name, touched
PORK 10 speculative way, for one or more
seasons, and either made or lost some
money in their various ventures.
In old times 1t was the custom 10 kill
hoss in the West, at such places is Keo-
lux, Peoria aud Madison, and in The
spring bring the product by river to
Wheeling, and then ship hence to Balti.
more over the National Road. The bust
ness was highly speculative in those days,
Iud inasmuch as there were no telegraph
lines, and no statistics collected as to the
bog supply Of the country, and no facili.
ties for rapid shipments by rail, those
who went. into the packing business were
like those who went "doWn to the sea In
ships" they had need of the prayers Of
the congregation that they be not cast
upon a lea shore.
Few men ever speculated long and sue.
cessiulIy in pork. Once and awhile
some adventurous spirit made his pile,
but as q set of 10 this thousand specu-
lItors went down and left no sign behind.
Nj. James R. Baker, after having lost at
one time nearly all he had in the business,
got in again during the war and made a
ten strike, clearing about it is said, $780,
900 in one year. On the strength Of this
happy chance he pulled up stakes and
went TO Chicago, where they bore with
bigger Ruger than in Wheeling, aud but
for his untimsly death would, no doubt,
have been as bold an operator
there as in this little market.
Messrs. Warren, Dunlap & Co. were
the largest packers who ever engaged 10
the business hereabouts. They went in
heavy in the fall and winter Of 1s53-5i,
and killed 2S,oOO hogs. Their head
quarters were on the site now occupied
BY the Central Glass Company, where
they erected the most capacious concern
ever seen in these parts. 1t had every
facility then known to the trade, and
they could handle 300 hogs per day. The
mlsiortunes OF the firm grew out Of the
tailure Of their Baltimore consiguses, to
whom they had shipped large part Of
their product.
Since the war the business has been
rather quiet and neglected hereabouIs ex.
cept in a. local way. A great deal Of meat
for even home consumption has been
brought from the west. Dealers In meats,
principally the wholesale grocers, bought
In the Chicago and Cincinnati markets,
and the hosSiraised in this region were
shipped to Pithburgh and Baltimore.
Our farmers not did raise many kogs for
market, the rage being for sheep Dur
log the last three or four years, however,
sheep have not paid so we'll as formerly,
and consequently more attention has been
paid to hogs, and. as natural result the
PORK packing business is once more look
ing up among US.
On Saturday last we visited Fulton and
took a look through the packing houses
Of D. c. List, Jr., schenck & 2oeckler
and Geo. II. Parks. The first named
succeeds to the business heretofore done
by List, Davenport & Parks, and the last
named goes into business on his own ac-
count in the pork house heretofore run
by John Mulh. Messrs.. .schenck & Zoeck.
Ter have bsen in business since 1873, and
are now butchering $50 TO 800 hogs per
day. The practice Is to butcher one day
and cut up the next, and in this way they
kill from 500 to 700 per week. Their
capacity iS about the same IS the house
Of Mr.. List, and considerably greater
than that Of Mr.. Muth.
The List establishment has grown out
Of the concern formerly owned by Louis
BAyhG, who packed hogs il Fulton for
many years, and previously in North
Wheeling. The old time building has
been practically rebuilt and modernizsd
and now embraces convsniences by which
hogs can be handled expeditiously at the
least possible expense. Mr.. John Bsyha
who has no superior in the business, su'
psriutends the house and lis operations,
and will continue to do so under the new
regime. We observed that he puts up
his meats with the greatest care and
tidiness, and that they come out ofsmoke
looking as tempting as the tancisst bacon
ever brought toWheellug frOmc Cincinnati
Indeed the trade have long preferred the
home made meatr Of List, Davenport 8
ParkI to their importationA from Chicago
and Cincinnati. Their hams are bought
very freely hereaboub for domestic con.
sumption.
Msssrs. schenck 4 z,eckler are live
men and have spent $4,000 in putting ur
house large enough to accommodate
their wants. They, too, sell consider
able Of their product in Wheel
Ing to the grocerymen, and also
retail considerable amount Al
their store on Market street. Mr.. Muth
has never branchsd out much in his es.