The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-13
What the Butchers Saw.

! To the Editors Of the Valley Virginian
The recent appearance of communications in
| two of the city papers, purporting to emanate
| from oppressed citizens, whose prophetic powers
| enable them to foresee in the near future the
| swift and complete destruction OF our cherished
| little city. unless certain Jonahs, who have
the misfortune to be engaged in the bntcherinG
business, are speedily thrown overheard, tndu-
ces me to come forward and make a COMPLETE
eepose of the mysteries of that class
in the hope that may be able to allay at least
some OF the alarming apprehensions with which
these gentlemen are disturbed.
Will not attempt to answer Seriatim the Char
ges preferred by "Housekeeper' and Live and
let Live The facts they assume are so absurd
| and the deductions and calculations so prepos-
ferrous, that to detail them would be to invite rid
icule, and as propose to give to the public q
plain statement of facts, 1 shall content myself
with simply abiding to them as they may occur
to me in the preparation OF this communication
And now to the facts: There are in the city of
staunton ten butchers. They sell from two to
four beeves each per week. They pay for cattle af
ter the expense and trouble OF hunting them up
through the country, from ~ to 81 cents per
pound, gross. The cattle are then driven, ten or
| twelve miles it may be, to the slaughter house
and butchered. Good cattle will weigh, when
dressed, about one-half live weight. Now let us
Without counting the expense of Strengthening,
the butcher has on his bench 500 pounds of meat,
average gross price This meat is retailed as fol-
lows about one-fourth, comprising neck. shank
&c.. at four cents per pound; one-fourth brisket,
shoulders &C., at cents; one-fourth, called
rack, at eight cents; one-eighth, ribs and round
at at 10 cents Th oin and choice pieces at
1S5 pounds at cents.......... ..........$5 90
tx :. :. p 8. ..''...'.'...........;;d 90 So
6aI 10 ....'..'-' ''i g ~ *
6ae az ".......... ........ -. az
making a total of s6 5sA
Deduct cost, 30 90
Net profit, SO 56A
Surprising then that every ounce OF meat is
sold, our most prosperous butchers amasing
wealth at the enormous rate of $26.25 per week,
whilst Is the lesser ones are becoming oppulent
fifth quarter"hide tallow &C., which,in reality
may be assumed as the net profit for after taxes.
aseertained $6.56A, very little of it remains IN
deed the butcher is satisfied il he clear The
fifth quarter" and when he sells by the quantity,
it is generally furnished at actual cost.
word now as to the damage this grinding mo-
nopoy is occasioning the city. One would sup
pose from the article of Live and let Live" that
our female schools were first-class menageres,
where beef is the chief item OF expense. We are
left to infer that the cost OF hoard and tuition is
regulated by the price of fresh meat and that the
prosperity OF these institutions is measured by
butchers within or heartlessness. 1t is poor
rule that doesn't work both ways and if the
Knights OF the Knife to be charged with the
entire responsibility OF these schools, no little
credit rebounds to them, for know of no class
that has been SO progressively successful as these
same female colleges.
Again, told that dire desolatlon threat
ems the city in consequence of the exhorbitant
price asked fer meat, as the hotels thereby
compelled to advance their rates, and strangers
are deferred from stopping among us. 1t may be
'of interest to others well Live andle Live
to know that during the summer, beef was fur
nlshed the proprietors OF Millboro Hotel, Hot
Springs, and other resorts by the Staunton butch
ers at precisely the price hotels
were paying The idea, however, of pleasure or
health seekers giving Stanton the go-by because
OF the price Of beef is ridiculously absurd that
it needs only to be mentioned to excite laughter.
Beef can be purchased here at least rs per cent
cheaper than in Richmond and other places, and
we have yet to learn that those cities have
been catalogued ae dangerous by the travelling
public
During the past two or three weeks good deal
OF unnecessary interest has been excited on the
beef question, and our citizens have not stopped
to consider whether not the wholesale charges
made against the butchers have been supported
by actual facts. We ask of them consideration of
the above statement SO imperfectly set forth, and
are willing to abide their decision. Is there
single business man in Staunton, striving to make
an honest living, who would be satisfied with
less return for his outlay OF time and money?
A STAUNTON BUTCHER.