The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-11-17
Cheap Beef for New YORK..

L = WI aoyH oSO q DcXdu StuluX
Chicago dressed beef in large quantities
in the New York market. This firm
sells its beef to anybody who wants to
buy quarter OF an animal or more. Its
customers are of three classes-dealers
who sell cuts to the smaller hotel, res
taurant and boarding house keepers;
keepers of big hotels and eating houses,
and retail dealers who slice beef for the
multitude. Besides this firm itself, the
dealers chiefly interested in this depart
ure are the wholesale men who do their
own Strengthening, and the first of the
classes mentioned above. Both agree
that the wholesale price of beef has
fallen since the Chicago experiment was
begun. Slaughterers say that the fall in
price is from one dollar a hundred
pounds on prime beef to four dollars q
hundred on lower grades. Middlemen,
who deal in both Chicago and New York
dressed beef say that the fall has been
from three to four dollars a hundred
weight all around. Retailers in the
meat shops along the avenues and
throughout the city say that they are
buying beef cheaper than formerly, but
are selling at the prices that have ruled.
in the hope of getting back a part of
what they claim to have lost in retailing
beef during many months past.
A representative of the firm that has
begun putting Chicago dressed beef on
the market in large quantities was
asked recently what his firm claimed
with regard to theeffect of its operations
here on the price of beef. We claim
simply to sell at the market price," he
said. 1.-THE Chicago venture is making
the market price. The drop has already
been three or four dollars hundred,
and there may be further fall. Two
other firms, both larger than the one
that have begun operations here, and
the three representing capital of some
ten million dollars, are soon to begin
selling Chicago dressed beef in New
York. The result will undoubtedly be to
do away with the business of slaughter
ing western cattle here. They bring
forty dressed cattle in car as against
thirteen to sixteen live cattle, and save
the shrinkage in weight Incidental to the
wear and tear of the trip on the live ami {.
mails. The hides, tallow, horns and
hoofs are worth more in Chicago than
here. 1t will be impossible for men to
kill western cattle in New York and
compete with the sellers of beef dressed
in Chicago. This movement means
cheaper beef to the consumer, but there's
no telling how long the retailers will be
able to keep up the price in their shops
before the public finds out what's going
on" A Washington Market wholesaler
slaughters his own cattle. He said re-
Gently that the price of prime beef had
fallen from fifty cents to one dollar q
hundred, and that of lower grades still
more: This result he attributed to the
bringing of Chicago dressed beef to this
market in large quantities, but he be-
lieved that the consumers would not be
satisfied with that grade of beef, and
that prices were not likely to go any
lower unless other causes prevailed.
With regard to the quality of the Chi
cago dressed beef, the firm that is bring
ing it here claims that it is better than
that of beef killed in New York, because
the cattle are in good condition when
driven to the slaughter house, and the
fatigue of the journey by rail has not
told upon them. The firms representa-
tive said: 1.-The cattle are bought, for
instance, to-day in Chicago, and are
driven half mile to the slaughter house,
Tomorrow they are killed, and to-mor-
row night the beef is shipped for New
York in refrigerator cars. Forty hours
later they are in Jersey City. The cars
are run on to barges and brought to our
wharf here, where they are opened for
the first time. The quarters of beef are
then put in refrigeratOrS cooled down to
thirty-eight or forty degrees by using ice
only. Each refrigerator is about forty
by twenty feet in size, takes hundred
tons of ice. and will hold thirty tons Of
beef. The beef is never frozen, and we
cl him that it is in prime condition when
it reaches this market. For more than
three years we have been selling beef in
London that was killed in Chicago. A
member of the firm of Drohan & Co. said
tie Chicago dressed beef was such as he
would be satisfied to place on his own
table ut his residence. Mr.. Payne said
that the effect of the atmosphere of the
refrigerating cars on the beef was bad,
and the beef was in quality far below
that killed here.and kept in refrigerators
that are frequently opened to admit fresh
ar. A retailer from up town who stood
near said that he preferred to give 81 so a
hundred more for beef killed in New
Y ork than for the Chicago dressed beef.
A Washington Market retailer was asked
about the western dressed beef. 1--WE
d mt sell it." he said. SIT doesn't keep
good on the stand. Its presence in the
market makes no difference in the retail
price"
A man who has long been in the
wholesale beef business in Washington
Market said: The bringing of western
dressed beef to this market is the be-
ginning of big fight that's sure to ee-
suit in cheap beef. Five wealthy butch
ers have agreed 20 put in 100000
e,.ch to run an opposition to these three
Chicago firms according to their own
methods. They will Kill in Chicago.
and with their $4,000. 900 working capi-
til will make competition lively. Then
tile railroads will take hand. Bringing
live cattle from the west to New York
is profitable business for them. This
d.essed-beef business requires only one
third as many cars, and takes off all the
p.ofit the railroads make in feeding and
caring for the live cattle on the way.
Probably the first move of the roads will
B., to put up the rates, for dressed beef.
ahen there will be a war in rates, and
between the Chicago shippers of dressed
beef, the New Workers who will be