The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-16
How Hides are Taken Off and Sailed.


In the abattoirs of this city the fayers
of cattle use in taking off the hides knife
with straight back and a keen edge,
broad at the half, but tapering up almost
into point at the end. The hoofs are
first taken off at the first joint, piece Of
the loose flesh at the throat cut out, an
incision made in the neck, and the knife
run down through the middle of the belly
and the center of the lower side of the
hair and tail. The animal, which up to
this time has been lying on its back, is
inclined little to one side, being support
ed in that position by prop under the
downwardly y-inclining forequarter. Be-
ginning at the neck, the fayer runs his
knife carefully along until the hide is
taken nearly off the side which is upper
most, then the animal is rolled over on that
side and propped mp as at the beginning,
and the same faying operation is repeated
on the part which was downward at first.
Next wooden support, about four feet
long, six inches deep, and two inches wide,
having large iron hook in the middle
adapted to be fastened to rope for hoist
ing purposes is run through incisions made
in the hind legs just above the first joint;
the rope is adjusted to the hook, and the
carcass lifted up by windlass, when the
projecting ends of the joist are supported
by cross beams about nine feet from the
floor, and the body hangs suspended there
from. One of the workmen now grasps
those portions Of the hide which have been
taken off the sides of the animal near the
neck, and another takes large butchers
cleaver, and using the back, not the edge
Of the instrument, by repeated blows
frees the skin from the rest of the carcass,
while it is pulled off by the first workman.
Great care is exercised in the process of
faying, as the workmen are subject to a
fine for each cut and score on the hide.
When freshly taken off the hide is
worth about eight cents per pound. In
this state it is sold to the salters with the
pates and tails on. The salters place them
in beds of about 600 each. The floor of
the salt room is generally cemented, and
the bottom layer of the hides is laid with
the hair side down; the salt is then sprink
led on the flesh side, and another layer is
put down in like manner until the bed is
complete The hides are usually left in
the salt from ten days to two weeks.
The salt used must be of good quality and
ground rather fine, as in case a lump Of
even the size of an egg is left upon the
flesh side it will eat into the hair Of the
hide placed above it and very seriously
detract from it's value. 1t takes about
$50 bushels of salt, worth from thirty two
cents to thirty-fve cents per bushel, to
each pack of 600 hides. When the hides
are taken out of salt they are we'll shaken
and folded, first doubled lengthwise, and
then wrapped up in four or five fold. In
some cases salters contract their hides to
tanners by the month or year, and settle
ments are made at the end Of each month
on the basis of the average ruling price
during that period. 1t is now, however,
becoming customary for them to sell each
lot to the tanner or dealer who will pay
the highest figure at the time of delivery
In some of the abattoirs where the
butchers do not do their own sailing, the
salters hire the pens, and make no charge
v to the slaughterers, but receive the hoofs
of all the animals killed in lieu of other
compensation. In the Jersey City abat-
toir the salters pay $1,000 per annum for
each pen, affording accommodation for
} fifteen animals at a time.-Shoe and
Leather Reporter, Ne0 York.