The Portland daily press., 1878-03-13
Our Meat Supplies.

Whence come our supplies of meat for daily
use is a question of possible interest to oul
| readers. We know that Cincinnati and Chica.
60 beef and PORK in barrels, beef in hermeti'
| cally sealed cans from great factories in Chi
cagO, St. Louis and other cities are among the
principal staples of trade and commerce, and
prominent subjects OF com ment in the daily re-
ports of prices current. The delicious smoked
hams and other pieces, for which certain
places where such articles are prepared for
market have become widely famed, are known
to come generally from extensive markets 10
the West But the source of supplying our To-
Cal markets with the materials for our break
fast or dianer-the fine, fragrant steak and
juicy roast-who is it that keeps Portland pal
ates 10 regular condition of gratified excite
ment, and Portland jaws in healthy, active ex-
ercise?
One of the sources of supply can be found one
mills from Saccarappa village, on the Spring
street road, where lives Mr.. John L. Best,
whose operations in beef, cattle and swine for
years past has been one Of the prominent in
dustriss of Westbrook. Mr., Best is the sue
cessor of his father, who for many years car
ried on general butchering busioess and
since the death of the senior, the younger man,
now about 40 years old, has by his energy and
good business qualities, greatly enlarged and
improved the facilities for slaughtering and
keeping large quantities of fresh beef.
A visit to his place and peep into the mo-
dus operandi of doing things there few days
since was an Interesting experience.
The grounds occupied by the large barn,
slaughter-house and yards cover about two
acres. The yards are enclosed by tight board
fences eight feet high, and are provided with
good places for sbeltering cattle in bad weather.
The number of cattle dressed at this place aver
ages about fifty each week, and the average
weight is not less than 1000 punds. making a
total of twenty five tons of fresh beef prepared
for market every six days. The cattle slaugh-
cred by Mr.. Best are mostly fine, fat steers
and bullocks from the West, purchased in
Brighton expressly for this market. Adjacent
to the slaughter-house isa large high room
constructed on novel principle, called Rob
erts' Patent Peerless dry-air cooking appara-
tus. This is filled with all necessary couven
fences for handling the sides as fast as dressed,
with very little lifting or heavy work, and is
capable of keeping large amount of beef in
excellent condition for days during the hottest
weather of summer. Mr.. Best has capacious
ce-house adjoining the refrigerator, into which
he has recently packed 400 tons of fine blocks
from Stroudwster river, which flows through his
land.
Besides his operations 10 beef cattle be deals
largely in shoats and pigs, keeping about Is
constantly in his yards, where he annually
makes large quantities of the most valuable
dressing for his farm. This is applied mostly
as top dressing on grass land, from which enor-
nous crops of hay are realized. His farm is IS
acres in extent, with As acres in grass. from
which notices. than 70 tons are annually har-
vested.
Besides supplying the Portland market large
ly with fresh beef Mr.. Best's wagons run to
Gorham, Saccarappa and Cumberland Mills,
and afford ample facilities for obtaining daily
quota of meat to a large nu nber of people in
these towns.