The Portland daily press., 1879-11-20
A REPRESENTATIVE FIRM.
What Portland Man has Done at the
West

| We quote from the American Stockman in
regard to the business Mr.. Libby, formerly of
this city, has built up at the West:
It may perhaps seem like boasting, but new
ertheless it is only stating fact to say that one
single establishment in Chicago sends to Eu-
rope more preserved meat than all the other
establishments in the world together II O
statement is corroborated by the words of the
gentlemen quoted above, and also by the fact
that the exports from New York for the five
weeks ending with September 21st, 1873, by
Libby, Mcneil u Libby were 40, 100 cases, con-
tanning one dozen cans each, while exports by
all others were 23,947 cases. In the four weeks
ending with September 18th, the firm named
shipped 81 $50 cases, or very nearly as many as
are sent to England from all America in
month, according to the statement of the
chairman of the Melbourne company
1t may perhaps not be amiss here to give
some facts about the operations of the house
mentioned above in view of the fact that it is
not only Chicago institution, but is repre-
sentative American institution as well. The
firm began operations in 1868, in q compare
lively modest way, killing only fifty cattle per
day. Now it uses an average OF 1000 cattle
and sometimes saughters 200 in day. These
beeveS are killed at place near the Union
Stock Yards, allowed to hang in the cooling
room until the next day, when the quarters are
hung in railroad cars, and in few minutes af-
ter loading are delivered in the great brick
building occupied by the firm on Sixteenth
and State streets, where are tracks connecting
with every railroad in Chicago. The works
cover the greater part of two blocks and are
three stories high, with cellar extending under
all. Six hundred and fifty horse power is used
for driving the machinery and furnishing the
heat required. There are in the building re-
frigerator boxes, similar in construction to
those used on steamers for carrying fresh beef
across the ocean; these have Capacity for
holding six millions of pounds, and consume
125 tons of ice per day. In these refrigerato-s
there are seventy-fiye miles of pipes fastened
in elongated coils to the ceiling. The temper
AZURE in these rooms is usually 80 to 40 degrees
Fahrenheit, but that of the water is IS degrees.
After the meat is cooled it is cut, the tallow
trimmed off, the bones taken out, and some
parts of the meat are taken to make dried or
smoked beef, of which the firm make 10000
pounds per day. The meat is then cooked in
large watts, and then packed in two, four, six
and fourteen pound cans, which are hermeti-
cally sealed. The cans go to cooling room
and are afterwards painted, labelled, packed,
and shipped. The great speciality of the firm
is compressed cooked corn beef, but it also cans
cooked fresh beef in vast quantities. This
fresh beef 80 canned will keep for years, and,
like the corned beef is favorite article for use
on picnic, hunting, travelling or Campaigning
excursions.
The estimation in which these goods are held
is shown by rival manufacturer, that out of
80 600 cases per month used i'll England 80 900
were made mere. Az Une far1S Exposition III
1878 gold medal was won, and at the Centen-
NAL in 1876, and the American Institute Fair
in the same year. the highest medal was
awarded to this firm. The Emperor of Austria
bestowed gold and silver medals and diplomas,
while from many other sources bronze and
other medals, diplomas, ETC., have been re-
ceived. The preserved beef put up by Libby,
Mcneil & Libby, has been made a ration in the
British army, and was used for such when the
British troops called upon the Ameer lately, in
Afghanistan. In a letter to the New York
Sun the English correspondent of that paper
said
America is sending John Bull increasing
quantities and varieties of food, too. On every
hand we see American fresh meat, hams, ba-
con, lard, cheese, apples and canned goods.
There is scarcely good provision store in
Sheffield where American compressed corned
beef is not to be found--mostly from Chicago.
I see the name of Libby, Mcneil & Libby
everywhere on these goods. have been in
scores of large towns in England, and these
goods seem to have gone everywhere. 1t
seems almost incredible to what an extent
American food has come to be used in this
country, and it is all within few years.