New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-10
FREEZING MEATS AND FRUIT.
A GREAT BUSINESS OF RECENT GROWTH.
THOUSANDS OF TONS OF POULTRY AND GAME
KEPT FOR YEAR Oh MORE IN
THE "CooLERs.n

THOUSANDS OF TONS OF POULTRY AND GAME
KEPT FOR YEAR Oh MORE M
THE COOLERS"
Two friends were dining In a private house in this
city recently, one as the guest Of the other. The
delicious flavor of some rcebIrds on the table called
forth praises from tho guest, who said that no
surprised to find rcebrds In the dead Of winter
tasting II they had not been killed more than half
day MY friend' said the host. those rice-brds
were killed fifteen months ago. Tho friend nearly
fell out OF his chair IN surprise at what seemed %
incredible statement, but the host only told the
simple truth The birds had lain for fifteen months
in cold storage warehouse. The growth Of this
business is not the least interesting Of the complex
features Of commercial life In the metropolis FIFTEEN
years ago all the produce of pershable nature that
to this city and failed TO find immediate sale
had to be packed away In ice and sawdust IL such
methods PREVAILED to-day sawdust would bring pretty
figure the market and be profitable outputs Of tho
lumber yards Of Maine. About dozen years ago
the ice and sawdust partially suppianted by
refrgerators and the plan has proved SO successful
that every year two since has seen the erection OK
one or two warehouses TO accommodate tho increasing
business There now in this city eight establish
ments Of the kind with aggregate capacity OF
Is 900 TONS besides numerous small private concerns
belonging to the produce merchants. In regulating
the price Of produce these play important
part and without their assistance 1t would be simply
impossible to handle the enormous supply OF meats,
fish, fruits ETC.. that find their way to the city, The
freezing of poultry is the chief feature Of thesa
establishments
IL do not remember said wholesale produce NOR
chant in west-st near Reade-st, recently, " such
run of poultry in this city as We
had from last Thanksgiving till the middle
of December. Our house had at one time
and half millions Of pounds stored IN ono OF me
city eezers, and many other poultry men reported
like oversupply When the Philadelphia. Baltimore,
Boston and other markets break everything pours into
New-York But for the freeezrs there would have
been a great loss to the shippers. AS it was many
merchants laid in large supplies at cents pound
the storage cost them IL cent pound month
and next June they will sell this poultry for 20 cents
a pound Freezing improves the quality by making
the flesh tender"
@what do you keep IN your freegers p was asked OF
the manager of big refrigerator warehouse.
Everything he replied, from crate OF eggs 70
carload of bed. Big beefdealers hAs
Swift and Eastman have oooiers
their own; we store great quantities, howeveri
for smaller firms We freeze more poultry than any
thing elsa Much Of it directly 70 the eezers
from tho stations. Carload after carload comes
nom the West Iowa leading all the States. IL Is
slightly frozen when it starts and Is shipped IN
insulated barrels II IL thaws out during the "Trip,
by cutting Sits in the barrel we can freeze IL again
as hard as a brick In six hours"
aHow much game do you handlei' asked the re-
porter.
zone Arm stored here last season 2,ioo pairs
OF prairie chickens, 1853 dozen golden plover, lSoo
dozen English snlpe, $4,000 pairs Of grass poVer ana
coo pairs OF canvSback ducks The wholesale dealers
who I'LL orders lor gase from Long Branch ana o,her
fashionable resorts all draw the freezers for their
supplies
The freezer man went on TO describe the metnoo
he used Said hs Ours Is the old system, whero
We merely use ics and SALT but several OF the re-
fr4gerators generate their cold from ammonia. VS. -
can reduce the temperature to within degrees oh
zero with automatic valves and the use OF ammonla
fine others saw they tan get II as low as 70 degrees
below The ice and salt In the shape OF prime IS
forced into galvanized iron pipes five or SIX
inches In diameter which run through an tno
rooms. Some rooms have a few pipes ana some :
great many, according we want the Temperature.
The manager showed the reporter one OF me rooms
where he atmosphere crisp and dry and the mer-
curry registered eight degrees above zero Inc walls
and ceiling were lined with pipes and the moisture IN
tho air had crystallized so completely around mem
that they were nowhere visible. lt looked rs the
whole room had been plastered with thick rima
of ice and snow. . - LA A..
california and foreign fruits arc stored said the
manager I'm temperature Of 80 degrees