The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-11-12
Slaughtering Hogs.

At an extensive stockyard in Chicago,
the business of killing and preparing
meat for market has certainly been
reduced to a science, and at no other
place is slaughtering carried on with
such rapidity and skill. The ordinary
methods for slaughtering cattle and hogs
by farmers and small butchers, is familiar
to every one who knows anything OF
country or village life. In New England
in The olden time, when the farmer hada
"beef critter" or a few hogs to kill, it was
considered the best part of days work,
even with the neighbors to help. Here
it is very different. From the com.
mencement of the days business until
its close, an endless stream of hogs is
kept pouring up an inclined plane to the
door of the packing.house where they
are wanted. As they enter, men stand
in their midst with chains having spring
clasps at the ends. These are sprung
upon one of the animals hind legs in q
iiffy, and before the hog knows it, small
stationary engine has lifted him into the
air and he is squealing vigorously. The
upper end of the chain is attached to
puily which runs overhead on an iron
railway, and carries the animal along
toward the scalding vat. On the way he
passes the sticker, who, with one lunge
Of long, sharp knife, ends his life.
Almost instantly be is dropped from the
chain directly into the scalding vat,
whirled over a few times, and then lifted
by hidden machinery at the bottom OF
the vat up to moving belt, which
carries him toward the scraping machine.
The principal and mechanism of this
machine are almost identical with that
of a corn shelter. Revolving wheels
with flexible scrapers are so placed and
punched as to hit the surface of the
hog on all sides at the same time:
The animal enters snout first and
emerges as cleanly scraped of bristles as
ho could be if the work were done slowly
by hand. lie is the attached to another
pulley and passed along to q skilled
workman, who, with three strokes OF the
knife, disernbowels the animal. a stream
of water plays upon him for few
seconds and then an elevated railway
carries him off toward the cooling room.
The time of the whole process is consid.
erably less than four minutes, on an
average, each day and week and month:
The two men who arc most skilled and
who receive the highest wages for their
important but disagreeable work, are
the sticker and disemboweler. Very
rarely do either of th .se workmen miss
their aim or stroke. But it requires
cool head and a steady hand to do the
work quickly and we'll at the same time
A steady procession of swinging hogs,
dead and dying, is kept passing through
tho ROOM from morn till night and no
blockade of freight is allowable. Not q
moment is lost, not particle of strength
is wasted. There is no heavy lifting of
dead carcasses from the beginning to the
end Of the room process. Machinery
takes The place Of human labor wherever
it is possible and the work Of nimble
finger, and sharp knives rapidly COM
pletes the job. 1t is process which in.
flicts tho least amount of pain and
suffering upon the animal to be slaugh.
tered, and one which never fails to i'm
press :he beholder with an enduring
sense Of astonishment.