Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-07-31


with brushes. The ends Of the blades are
turned inward the sixteenth Of an inch, form
ing scrapers. Ono end Of the axle Of each
wheel is set in a mitered or movable bearing
and balanced with weights. Through this
narrow avenue OF revolving scrapers the
body is quickly drawn, emerging with most
Of tho hair removed from the hide The
movable bearings and flexibility Of the blades
render tho apparatus self adjustable 70 ami
mails Of all sizes and varying shapes Tho
lean pig is well scraped and the skin Of the
prize porker is not bruised or scratched. Tho
mechanical scraper will do the work Of moro
than 100 men. and turn tho carcasses out
winter and more uniform in color than the
best hand scraping OF course, there are
parts which the machine cannot reach
and from which the hair has not been re-
moved These spots are attended TO by
gang Of men who take charge Of the body
as soon as the machine has finished with it,
Each workman has certain section of the
carcass allotted him, and he attends TO this
and nothing more. He then passes the hulk
along to his neighbor, and in a twinkling the
pig which we a moment ago saw squealing
in the pen with the chain about his leg slides
out Of the hands Of his post norton dressers
clean Of hair from head to foot and peat and
white enough to hang in front of a butchers
shop and tempt the appetite Of passers by.
What nexti The headsman. At the end
of the dressing table stands a man
with a short but razor like knife in
his hand. Grabbing the hairless ear
Of his porkship he throws the white
body into just the position which suits him,
makes three slashes with his knife, and
piggy's head hangs only by shreds Of skin on
one side Of his neck. There arc few men in
the world who can do this trick precisely as
it must be DONE It requires but n simple
twist of the wrist, and yet the beheader draws
S. a day as a skilled workman. Every car
cass is decapitated precisely as every other
carcass is decapitated There is not the vari-
ance Of hairs breadth. These three slashes
with the razor knife make the shoulder
pieces, and pig shoulders are worth money.
There is only one joint through which decap-
itation can be quickly and neatly accom-
plished, but tho headsman must find it. This
man cuts OFF pigs heads faster than most
men could cut of pigs tails and makes
cleaner job Of it. If he did not he could not
hold the honorable position of executioner
in chief TO his excellency Phil Armour, the
prince of pork.
Senator Hiscoclr admitted TO me that not
withstanding his interest in the fate Of the
hog he stopped at this point and refused TO
follow the process further. am not going
to ask my readers 60 60 with the victim into
that department which Lady visitors usually
pass with their smelling salts in use As fast
as tho heads lop to one side a workman nffixes
gambrels 70 the 'ham strings" pulls lever,
hoists the carcase to another overhead rail-
way, and starts it sliding toward another
pnrt of tho shop. Here sight is lost Of our
noble brute. With his throat cut, his hide
scalded, his skin scraped, his hair off and his
head hanging by the gills, he now goes to
have removed that for which he has lived
and rooted and fought throughout his whole
career-his inner self 1t would be tedious
! to watch him as be goes through the multi
| tude Of processes designed TO enhance, his
value and usefulness in tho world which he,
martyr like, has died TO bless. Shortly his dis
membered parts viii be found in the four
corners Of the globe. Tho West Indies and
! Central America like his bacon, Europe is
fond of his mans, his fat sailed down goes to
tho mines and tho ships, his feet go into kegs
of "souse,n Of which tho whole civilized
world is fond, his intestines make cases for
the toothsome sausage. parts Of his head go
to the soap works and other parts TO the glue
factory, his bristles find their way to the
brushnaler's and the plastered walls Of our
houses. his blood is made into fertilizer to
enrich perchance the very fields of which be
gained his fatal fairness, and in one way OF
another every mite and atom Of him con-
tributes to the glory of Chicago, within
whose gates his sudden and numerous taking
oR makes scene which attracts and charms
grave senator's and all lovers of the beautiful
and useful WALTER hELLMAN.