The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-03-08
The "Sorter.o


A little attention to matters of detail
may instruct the uninitiated in some OF
the technicalities of the livestock trade,
and also impart a little local "~color"
and interest to the matter-o'-fact market
reports.
Take, for instance, the grading" of
hogs, or what is known to the trade as
Sorting" which is very little understood
except by persons actually engaged in
the business. The newspaper reports
may state, as they frequently do, that for
some specified reason buyers of certain
grades of hogs gave a "good sort or .
nbad Sort" a ''close sort" or a "liberal
sort" but, no matter what variations the
sort may assume, the phrase is Greek and
the meaning a perfect mystery to those
untutored in the classic language Of
"swinedom."
To begin with, then, suppose q case
where the buyer for q packing-house
buys one, two, four, or ten carloads Of
nogs from a commission salesman on the
condition that such hogs are to be assort-
ed to suit the requirements of the house
for which the purchase is made, a fea-
ture of the deal that is explicitly under
stood between buyer and seller before
. closing the bargain. To facilitate this
sorting there are several "sorting- pens"
popularity called "mills," established in
close proximity to each scale, and it is
here in these mills that the really impor-
tant branch of the hog trade of the
Stock Yards is carried out, for it is surely
here that, good or bad, prime or inferior
hogs are selected by the man who does
the sorting in his capacity of "hog-
s~orter." The privileges and scope Of this
latter office, when abused or not thor
oughly understood by the incumbent,
very often lead to a good deal of "kick-
ing'' on the salesman's part at the severi-
ty or "~closeness" of the sort; and in like
manner the covetousness of the salesman
sometimes takes the form of a mild or
determined attempt, rs the case may
i~nfrequently leads to an exhibition of
the disputed point is finally settled by
the buyer, who usually suggests a com
promise as the most amicable course.
This is the serious side of the sorting bus.
iness; but it has also its comical side
when viewed witha quiet desire to see it
in all its phases, and although it some
times has to be accredited with some of
the most stormy scenes that occur in the
| Stock Yards, it also furnishes instances
where genuine humor comes into play az
one of the readiest auxiliaries of trade.
The s~orter's pole is generally about six
| feet long, and about as stout as q billiard
cue at the thick end, and is used much
after the manner of that instrument in
the hands of a billiardist. The posing
and f~gure-cutting of some sorters when
operating in the mill very forcibly
reminds one of the posturing of a dancing
master, though the chief actor in the
business may be ignorant of the fact.
There is something irresistibly ludi-
crous in the sight of a man posing, setting
anu ''bracing up" with a billiard cue in
hand to @carrom" off the end of a hogs
snout with scientific dexterity, while he
accompanies the action with a wild
exclamation of "By one or "In one"
Just as the grade and quality of the hog
warrants him in shouting. In this con
nection it is stated that certain hog.
sorters at the Stock-Yards always carry a
lump of chalk in their pocket to rub on
the point of the sorting pole SO as to
insure a better "grip'' for it on tho hog
snout. The Tribune cannot vouch fol
the correctness of this statement, but
nevertheless it would not surprise it il
the least to see chalk come into genera.
use as an adjunct of the sorter's craft, il
the latter wishes to achieve any degree Of
comparison with the shrinker in hi
efforts to get his business "down fine"
A rather good story is told of q we'll.
known commission man at the Stock
Yards who does a good deal of sorting
himself preliminary to offering his hog
for sale. Being at church on,
Sunday after a heavy weeks worl
Morpheus claimed him for q shor
flight through dreamland before the ser
vice was half over; and it may be sale
that the overworked livestock broker wa
not unwilling to make the trip. BE spec
away on the wings of sleep and com
menced to dream of the mill and all it
exciting associations, when suddenly
sharp rap on the elbow from a jingling
box in the hands of the collector at tn
offertory brought him to his feet, thougl
not to his waking senses, and he shOute'
at the top of his voice: GIN two an b.
the York hog" much to the amusemen
and surprise of the startled congregation
As the construction of a ~sorting-pel
may not be familiar to the general publ
t may be described here. The pen usu
ally arranged for asserting and selectin
the different grades of hogs is a long, nal
row alley, about twelve to sixteen fee
wide, between two close-boarded fence
about the regulation hight of hog-pe
fences. Off this long alley there are tw
Or three catch-pens connected with tn
sorting-alley by a gate which opens int
the long alley, and thereby catches G
receives the hogs rejected by the sortel
those he selects being allowed to go 'by
the gate. When hogs are brought to tn:
mill to be sorted, they are all driven I
the farther end of the long alley, an
then the sorter takes his position betwee
the hogs and the gate of the catch-peI
the latter being held by the broker
man, who strives to "catch in" or le
"by" every hog as directed by the Dorte
who plainly orders the g%ate-holde1 in
loud, clear voice to catch in or let b
such hogs as his judgment leads him
accept or reject. A good sorter is SUI
posed to be able to tell at a glance as tt
hog approaches the ca~tch-pen gate whic
one to put in and which to let by, and
! is right at this moment that the pole
, used to "head'' or punch" the rejecte
hog into the catch-pen. He may new
secure as much newspaper notoIlety
i, the shrinker, but for all that the sorter
: the man hat separates the breakfa
{ bacon from the mess pork and CONVEX
!. the mixed droves into every grade know
! to the provision trade Chicago Tribun
i An Original Offer of Marriage.
, There are so many people In th