The Portland daily press., 1889-04-04

an inspection Of the Chicago stock yards
and an establishment like that Of Swift IL
Co., can give one true idea Of the real mag
nitu6e OF the enterprise, and cause him to
appreciate the grasp Of execution ability by
which It iss managed and controlled.
swift IL Co., for whom am the Portland
agent" said Mr.. Peters to the PRESS .repor-
ter "are probably the largest dressed beef
dealers in the world. They have invested
in their business fully SS,0O0,000. Besides
their Chicago houses they have 135 branch
houses located in different parts OF the eoun-
try. Their slaughter and packing houses
are situated short distance west OF the
great stock yards, and comprise three I'M
mense four story buildings which are lifted
with electric light apparatus and all the la
Dor saving machinery required in the busi-
ness. There are " acres OF floor in these
three house. The firm employs right there
900 hands and has a weekly pay roll Of
$4,000. The daily products OF the estab-
lshment is $500 cattle, 1000 hogs,
and 1900 sheep-the total having an annual
valuation of some S46,000,000 In transport
ing this vast amount Of fresh meat all over
the country 1900 refrigerator cars, built for
and owned by the firm, are in constant use,
ana sometimes when there Is an increased
demand from any one point the refrigerator
cars OF some OF the transporting companies
are brought into requisitiOn. Almost sur
rounding the packing houses of Swift q Co.
are number Of pens into which are driven
thC Cdtttc, outcp duu HOSS purchased eac0
day in the open markets In the stock yards.
The animals are fed and watered and al
lowed nights rest This restores their
blood and temperature TO their normal con-
ulti0n, ana removes any tendency TO fever
lsh condition brought about by the excite
ment OF the unloading from the cars and the
driving into the sale pens. Experience, II is
said, has taught all dealers In meat and pack
ers OF provisions that the flesh Of animals
killed while In an excited condition does not
kpQn n I0nO tuhfla Trash and rafucaa N
so well when salted as that Of animals
slaughtered under more peaceful clrcum-
stances. This applies to cattle, sheep and
hogs alike.
The next morning begins the slaughter Of
the beasts purchased the day before. The
pens, which are large enough to contain
three or four In a line. When the pens are
hlled man armed with double headed
hammer, very much like that used for break
Ing stone, passes along overhead. He take
sure aim as the bull0ck's forehead Is raised,
the hammer descends and the animal falls
ssenseless to the floor. The beast never
knew what hit him. In a few seconds the
gate Is raised, an iron chain Is attached 10 a
leg and the animal is dragged by a steam
windlass upon the floor Of the slaughter
room. II is turned up by the hind legs, and
raised about three feet from the floor. A
workman armed with keen knife sewers the
artery at the heart and slits the throatits en-
Tire leugtll. On goes the carcass 10 the next
operator, who at one stroke, disembOwels It,
Then with remarkable rapidity the hide Is
removed. The carcass Is then thoroughly
washed off and then split in two down the
back bone. The feet are removed, and the
two halves Of what a few moments before
was chewing its cud, are showed into the
cooling room. where they hang upon hooks
until required for shipment. The blood Of the
animal Is converted into fertilizers. The
horns 90 the comb maker. The inteStlneS
are thoroughly cleansed and put to various
uses, and tine hOOfs, some of the horns, feet,
heads, bits Of hides, etc, go to the glue
house and are manufactured into different
qualities Of glue. Nothing is allowed to go
TO waste.
The slaughter of hogs and sheep Is car
ried on with the same amazing rapidly.
Swift IL Co.'S cooling rooms, devoted to the
exclusive use OF the shipping Of beef, are
four in number, each Imeasuring tl29 feet
square, and each having a capacity Of 900
carcasses, or a total Of 5000 for the four
rooms.
During the year 1887, the enormous num-
Der Of 1881, ,407 cattle were killed by the fol-
lowing great cattle dealers of Chicago, as
here stated: Swift & Co., 557 ,46S: Mr.. Nor
ris, 49,. .50.7; Armour u Co., All, 600; Ham,
m0nd ~ Co., 210.320; Libby, Nc Neil & Lib
by (canners), 126,112 Such is the magnitude
of the business. and such In brief are the
steps In the preparation Of the beef which
today supplies the trade in our own as well
as in the other large New England cities"