The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-04
THE OLD MAN In CHICAGO.
SOME OBSERVATIONS REGARDING
the LOCATION AND BUSINESS
or THAT CITY.
A Place fsiuah and sisd--The stock Yards-
Psrk.Packinz and How II IL Conducted
The Gable Street-Car System--Peiitical.
Correspondence Of the Richmond D,sps,cb.l

Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatcbj
CHICAGO, October 20, 1888.
I have turned up at Chicago, the third
greatest city OF the western world, rs
chimed by it, people. Certainly they have
here a great many souls to be saved-run-
ming theatres on Sunday, as they DO, under
Bob lugers0lps .'free conscience" and,
likely enough, Billy Malone" fair count"
The progress OF wealth OF this city, when
It's location IL considered, Is great mys-
terry unless all the surroundings OF Lake
Michigan are alike fat and swampy. |
Every foot of iand-surface here has
watery aspect, and every drop OF rain that
falls adds enduringly 10 the glossy mirror
OF mud or water that with rarest excep-
ton abounds on 1t. Fortunately Tor peo-
ple not accustomed to such exhibitions,
number OF Cbicago's principal streets are
raised and well paved-some with wooden
blocks and some with stone blocks and
concrete--but even these have that s'ush
and splash that they have sometimes In
New York.
Tue WEATHER.
But the weatber-ah, the weather-we
NAV add TO the above generally-preyailing
state Of things, Ia the most searchingly
penetraiiye wet this world can produce.
One OF the morning papers com
mences an article with these words:
"a week Of inexecrabe weather
when one would think that every
body that could do so would stay at
bome,n will give YOU some idea OF
the weather that is prevailing here, and
especially. could add by way OF benedic-
ton. II thew have cold OF the first magpi-
tude. that home would be almost an I'M
earthly blessing. II ever poor wicked
ness was handed over, body and hbre, 10
that mysterious agent OF human afl1lction
deuominsted "a bad cold," am the man.
Not muscle or bone but what cries out
continually, like so many OF Balaam
dumb animals, for mercy, but their cruel
master IL memorable. But pardon THIS
depression. Twas about telling you OF the
city OF Chicago and its wonders.
THE sToCE-YARDs.
Yesterday / visited the stock-ysrds and
Armour's great packing-houses. Having
business connected with them, wanteGto
inspect the entire works, and soon one oil
the principals put nv friend and myself IN
charge OF an intelligent Waterman, Mr..
Dennis Hurley, who conducted us 10 some
two and half hours, tramplng through
the various departments OF slaughterlrg.
cleansing, cutting up, rendering, cooling,
sailing, packing, canning, seasoning, anO
branding, and various other divisions o.
the work OF this eighteen acres Of
human industry in the destruction OF
animal life. Yesterday they were to Kill
1900 hogs, and proportionate number o.
beeves. did not hear the number OF cat
tie stated, but they were slaughterlns
beeyes at the rate of about one minute
and hogs at about ten TO the minute foI
this one establishment.
CHICAGO PACKING.
was told the actual product Of packing
Mt Chicago H. about 100000 OF hogs and
1000, 900 head OF cattle. Curious and skill
full as much OF the work was. there was al
aspect OF unhesitating cruelty about IL thal
restralns me in recounting the scenes o.
wholesale destruction Of even animal lie.
The poor hogs squaled and squealed, bul
their great chorus OF squealing was not hearc |
by the butcher who plunged his knife To
their hearts as they were swung past him
(suspended by one OF their hlnd-legs from
an elevated iron railway as II he were Deaf,
ing time to minstrel music. As they passed |
on sluce Of blood descended into the phi |
below. They followed quickly oneanotbel
down an inclined plane to point where the |
shackles were loosened-over the great val |
Of boiling water, into which they were
plunged and tumbled over and over. |
They then passed-at the expiration OF
q minute, perhaps-through rollers pro- |
PEELED by machinery, each rollei
having number OF fans or nexlDl'
hands that pulled off the hair from the
hogs as they were borne along on sliding |
81, hn enrnnlpfp6 x
terror cleansing. From here they were
conveyed to the different divisions OF the
workroom until each hog was converted
into the final classification OF swine food
noticed that man with one stroke OF
huge blade severed each ham from the hall
hog as it was extended on his block. Thus.
as fast as you could note down the hogs,
assuming they bore so many names, they
were converted from living creatures into
the numerous forms OF mercantile pork
allowing some little average time for coal
ing and smoking OF that part that was foi
bacon.
THE BEEF DEPARTMENTS.
The beef departments were alike sys-
tematically and vigorously conducted.
have not time to describe the ingenious ap
pliances resorted to to facilitate these
works. The poor, unsuspecting beeves
were enticed into small pens. In which
they could not turn round, and marks
man, from platform above, In an instant
dispatched each animal by shooting him
with a small rife ball in the forehead.
Each animal dropped simultaneously with
the report of the rifle, and as unmurmtu-
ingly ~ II bis consent had been given
not moan or shiver, or even athroat-gurgle,
was heard. 1t would take day to tell OF al
the processes OF this establishment, where
everything Is clearly conducted and every
particle OF these animals Is utilized. Even
minced meats are put up, and variety o.
canned goods too numerous TO mention.
THE PERSONNEL.
noticed In the Office Of a Photographic
gallery pictures OF all managing employees OF
the establishment, With Mr.. Philip Armour
In the centre. The faces (about 200 N
number) were strikingly intelligent an0
good.looking. Perhaps II Is this packing
Industry that has built up Chicago, Just a.
iron manufactures would build up Rich.
mond II similar enterprise were invoked
In Der behalf. Oh, what chance
there Is for men having the mean,
To build steel-rail mill At Rockets, where
transportation by railroads and by naviga-
ole waters with the entire world Is fur
nished to them. and TO which the material,
can be easily transported. A far-seeine
and discreet railroad president told me
some months since that such y mill would
be . great thing for Richy1ond and foi
those who would undertake il. and that
Rockets would be the best location foi
II. Well. don't chide me for thinking
Of Richmond. 1 can't help il. Favored
by nature and endowed with wonderful
advantages, 1t requires more than human
philosophy TO divine the cause OF Rich.
mond's "too-slow" progress, good.
though, It has been OF late.