The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-24
ONE OF PoRTLAND's GROWING IN
DUSTRIES.

The Pork Packing and Lard Rendering
Establishment of Messrs. True & Leigh
ton at East Deering.
Those of our readers who are interested in
the egrowth and. development of our home
manufactures, and who fully appreciate the
immense Importance to Portland OF such es-
Establishments, will thank us for the following
description Of the building occupied, and the
pAkesses employed by Messrs. True & Leighton
in the prosecution of their business OF pork pack
ing, lard rendering and sausage manufacture,
which under their intelligent management is
rapidly becoming one of Portlands most I'M
portant industries.
The principal works OF this firm are situated
just beyond the Casco Iron Foundry, in East
Deering; and being in close proximity to the
main road into town, and long side the track
of the Grand Trunk, the facilities for receiving
and shipping are excellent, and altogether
more advantageous site for this particular bus
mess would be difficult to find. A substantial
platform runs by the side of the track, upon
which the hogs are driven from the cars upon
their arrival from the Union Stock Yard OF
Chicago; this, as are also the capacious pens In
the rear of the buildings,is whitewashed, Civ
ing general air of neatness to the establishment
From the platform we follow the broad trail
of hoof prints to the aforementioned pens in
the rear where the doomed porkers are confin-
ed awaiting the knife, each carload being
kept distinct, and the order in which it is re-
ceived designated. Animals Immediately re-
quired for slaughtering pass from these pens by
an incline to the first floor and by second
incline to pens in the second story whence they
go by platform on the out side of the building
to the sticking pen'
About dozen hogs are received here at
time, a boy secures chain about the hind leg,
the hogs are whirled into the air by steam
power, transferred to large hooks running free
ly upon a stout iron bar, which is gently inclin-
ed. and while thus suspended are rapidly dis
patched. By the ingenious arrangement OF the
bar and hooks, the hogs from under the hands
of the butcher, with every kick hurry them
selves toward the scalding trough. The carcass
ses are thrown from this trough by an arrange
ment like huge grapple worked by powerful
levers, upon bench, upon each side OF which
stand men who rapidly remove the bristles the
more difficult part of this work being accom-
plished with very sharp knives gambrels are
then deftly inserted, heads struck off, and the
carcasses suspended conveniently for the oper-
atoms of splitting and removal of intestines,
weights being SO arranged that the sides are
held a part meanwhile. Cold water is then free
ly applied, and the carcasses by means OF
wheels and travelling pulleys, rapidly trans
ferred to an immense cooling room, where 800
are often suspended at time After hanging
over night they are slid down to the packing
room. So perfect are the arrangements for
facilitating the process of Strengthening, scald-
ing, &C., that, when in full operation, but
minute elapses from the admission of the hog
to the slaughter pen to his suspension in the
cooling room. The fat from the intestines,
&C., is carefully removed and subsequently rem
dered with the heads and feet into lard oil. A
ready market for this fat before being render
ed may always be had in New York. By an
elevator pieces of fat suitable for conversion
into lard are brought from the packing room to
the floor above where two huge iron tanks are
used in the process. These rendering kittles
or tanks are of the enormous capacity of 49,
600 pounds. After rendering the lard is pump
ed by steam into what is known as the refn-
ing tank, descends to coolers on the first floor,
and later on into the tierces, tubs, and various
other vessels in which it is marketed. All the
leaf lard and trimmings of fat are thus treated.
The tierces, &c., having been filed are remov-
ed to large. adjoining refrigerator, to cool
preparatory to shipment. A second capacious
refrigerator at the end of the main building is
used when required.
The carcasses upon being received in the
packing room have the hams removed by one
man, and are then passed to other men who
remove the sides, from these the sides go to
the workman who strips them for clear pork
and backs for the Portland and Bangor mark
cts The sides designed for bacon for the New
York market are differently treated preparato-
ry to dry sailing. For that market, they are
freed from bone, the lean meat from spare ribs
being allowed to remain upon the fat, and the
whole side shipped after having lain twenty
days in dry salt. The hams pass from the pack
ing room to the cellar where the process Of
sugar curing them is in progress. This room,
some 200 hundred feet long by 80 wide, is de-
voted altogether to the work of sugar curing
the hams. After the hams have remained in
pickle sufficient time to be thoroughly cured,
they are removed to the smoking house which
is on the opposite side of the railing and we'll
away from the main building as q precaution
against fire. Before the hams are shipped
they are tested to prevent shipment of inferior
goods In the manufacture of sausages, which
is carried on in q separate apartment, steam
driven chopper and stuffer are employed, and
the present production is 900 pounds per day.
Later in the season the production will be in
creased to ton day. At one end of the main
building is a roomy store house for barrels oil
pork awaiting shipment; at the other end is
an immense bin, in which an entire cargo OF
Turks Island salt, recently imported by Messrs
True & Leighton for use this winter, is stored.
They have added new and costly apparatus to
the equipment of the establishment during the
summer, greatly increasing the facilities for
rapid work and satisfactory products. The
hogs are obtained from the Union Stock Yard,
Chicago, and six car loads, or about 500 hogs
per week, are at present received. The pork
and lard are sent into Portland and distributed
to the wholesale trade by teams belonging to the
firm When in full operation force of forty
men is required in the various departments.
Connected with their retail store, Nos. Ii
and 10 Silver street, is we'll arranged packing
department for the filling Of orders during the
fall and winter months. We hold that the ad-
vantage to our city of well conducted manufac-
turing establishments, such as this of Messrs
True & Leighton, discussing large amounts in
wages which enter into circulation here, can
hardly be overestimated, and we sincerely wish
that the example of this enterprising firm
may find numerous imitators among our cap
italists.
UNION STREET SEWER.