New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-02
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THE TRAFFIC IN MEATS.

FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRTBuSBI
CHICAGO, Aug. 3l.-The subject Of meat exporta-
ton 10 the East is at present exciting much at
tention among Chicago packers and butchers and,
Judging from the extensive preparationsbeing made.
the Chicago meat shippers preparing to open
wide the gates and give the New-York. Baltimore
and Boston butchers some very sharp competition.
THE TRIBUNE correspondent in his tour among
packing house men met B. =. Hutchinson. the yete-
ran packer, better known all over the country AZ
Old Hutch" and conceded to be the best informed
man on general produce and finance IN Chicago.
He is generally a very hard man TO interview, bat
the correspondent stirred HIM up by remsrkingi
" see that the New-York butchers considerably
agitated over the recent large shipments Of fresh
meat TO that point from Chicago Do you know
anything about tie matter ~
DO I II know that it will only be few years
before there will be cattle shipped east Of Chi
cago to be slaughtered; all will be killed here, and
the dressed carcasses sent East"
why is that p
There are many reasons. To begin with, they
haven't the facilities East tina, we have for killing
cattle; we kill them cheaper and can ship their
carcasses East and sell the meat lower than tho
New-York butchers can, and furnish better
meat and make a good profit at the same time
What is the character Of the meat usually
shippedl"
"The very best; they get much better meat IA
NewYork than we, as a rule, eat here in Chicago.
where the cattle are killed.
why is that ~
The people in Chicago appear to expect thai
they can get choice porterhOuse here for l5 cents
pound, where we can get from 20 to 25 cents In
New-York"
Then the people Of Chicago. as a rule, have the
worst meat left for their own consumptionP =
Yes, hat is a fact. OF course they can get good
meat when they want to pay for it,"
What is the amount Of dressed meat shipped
East from Chicagoi"
"Oh, cannot give you the exact igures-lt is an
enormous amount, however and is increasing at 8
remarkable rate
(which firms are the most extensively engaged
in making these shpmentsp n
quite a number are engaged in the business st
present on a small scale and elaborate arrangements
are being made by several Of tho heaviest hrms to
60 into it; but just at present Swift Il Co.. Of the
Chicago Stock-yards, and O. II. Hammond & Co.. Of
Hammond, Jnd are doing the larges. Eastern busl-
ness"
From what you have seen and know do you
think that the business can be made pay per-
panent tlingp
" feel sure that 1t will be profitable because ne
can give the people Of New York and other points
better meat than they obtain from their own
butchers, and, if need be, cheaper"
Is the manner Of shipping meat calculated to
land IT at its destination in good shapeW
Meat when taken from refrigerator car after
a thousand-nile trip is sweeter more palatable and
in every way better than fresh-killed beef; 1t has
an opportunity to get settled seasoned. you
might say
How do the railroads treat you on freight
charges
They have been pretty reasonable thus far bat
! rather look for general advance at an early
date"
Discussing matters in general, Nir. Hutchinson
considered the present crop and financial outlook
TO be exceptionally good. All crops. except corn.
will BE- satisfactory Cattle and hogs rule high and
are in large demand all shipped to tho Chicago
yards being taken promptly az good fgares.
At Hammond. Ind, on the Indiana ami ulinois
State line aud distant about twenty miles from
Chicago. are the slaughter houses Of G.. H. Ham-
mOnd X Co. They are extensive buildings ana have
been there number OF years. Besides killing FROM
900 70 900 cattle per day. large oleomargarlnc
factory 5 operated at tue place.
NJ. VI. lOWle, the local manager. and member OF
the urm. was zen by thc sp0uGent OF IHE
1RIBUNE, and questioned regarding she Ia stern
business, SO tar rs ii had come under his obserYa-
tlon.
1t is growing all the time" SAID he. Take ou-
company. for instance. We began Shipping dressed
cattle 10 Boston feW years ago Oh 70 small scale;
now "e are running our mouse t0 IL lul capaclty
and killing aud shipping rom 300 10 900 cattls
daily We OWu a large number OF reiI gerator cars
IN which we slip tue meat. We cauuOt keep up
with the demand. however. and are now al work On
a new house. which shall have dOubl. tie capacity
OF our present one. Ii VIII be comple-cd in a couple
# months, and then 1900 cattle day wIll DO
killed here aud shipped East.
"Wh1t points does most Of the meat 90 - ?"
"Our company has Slipped almost entirely 20
Boston heretofore, but when "ur new house gets 20
,uunng we snail ship largely 10 New-l York and Bal
tlmorc. provided We can get reasonable rates from
the railroads
How have rates ruled hcretofores
Not what they should have been; buu We hays
lately been successful In obtaining more reasonable
rates. and If they ara kept az fan figure we snail
DO an Immense business"
What doe n cost 10 ship car East"
"A refrigerator car with about tn tons OF dressed
meat can DE- sent from Hammond to Boston Cor
In what condition does tie meat gcacr ally
First class"
How about statements made by Eastern butch
ers that retIiScTatOr meat will not stand over
couple OF days exposure after being unpacked-
that 10 spOns qulckly.'
Its an nonsense. Only the very best meat is
shipped East and l contend that 1t ~iU remain Ia
good condition twice as long att'r Dells unpacked
and exposed tEan Will iresh-kilied meat 10
does not spoH near 50 ra2iliy., es2eSi.
trouble with the Eastern butchers Is that they are
Ye.y Jealous 0i this refrigerator mcati tney that
the eutcrpri.ing Western p3chiue-hOu~. men are
putting on their market better meat ib3n they can
furnish, and that II is sold just as cheap. 4 NOT
cheaper than theirs. We expect the opposition Of
all these m.n and that Of certain RAILROADS which
nave in interest ih Eastern slaugnier-hou>esj but
We do not lear them. We shall 90 right ahead aud
land III New York and Boston better meat than the
local butchers can supply. and VII irave 10 the
nleai eating public all differences for sett.ement.f
O.her packing house men "a no were seen, had sub
st1nuaiy Tie same views as Messrs. Hutchinson
and lONie IL plain to see that elaborate p,ep pa
Tatious being made 10 Chicago foT toe sup.Esnt
OF meat East, vi b tim faith IN Its success.
CONDITION OF The NEW-YORK MARKET.