The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-07-28
IN A GREAT PACKING HOUSE.
A Sample of What We May Some
time Have Near This
City.
Where Every Particle of a Pig is
Utilized Except His
Squeal.

Since it is reported that there has
been some correspondence between the
Armour Packing company. of Kansas
City, and the Great Falls Water Power
& Townsite company. readers of The
TRIBUNE may listen to a few words about
that great industry which has done 30
much for Kansas City.
Meat packing goes right on though
times arc hard, for people must have the
products all the time.
With some very extensive enlarge
ments during the past year, Armour now
has at Kansas City the largest plant mot
excepting Chicago's plant for the
slaughter, dressing, curing and shipping
of meats and meat products. Beside
Armour's there are seven or eight abba
toirs of large capacity which do a bust
ness OF similar character, but of less ex.
tent at Kansas City. Armour's floor
areas aggregate more than forty acres.
The following items of, first, original
cost Of the plant; second, value of goods
on hand at any time, and third, the an.
nual payroll are each counted only in
millions of dollars. They employ an
average OF 5000 hands, GOO of these are
in the %ofices) on the grounds, all these
are exclusive of a large army of buyers,
agents and representatives in other parts
of the United States and of the world.
The present capacity is 5000 beeves,
10000 hogs, beside quantities of sheep,
veal, poultry, etc, every day Of ten
hours.
Every twelve seconds II bovine is
changed from the pen to the form of
various products numbering away up in
the hundreds. including refrigerated
beef, canned beef, tallow, neatsfoot oil.
leather, sausage, butterine, Armour's ex-
tract Of beef, plastering hair, gelatine,
glue, etc. Not an atom OF a bovine
creature but becomes an article of com
merce.
With the porkers, it is reported in
Kansas City, that every part is utilized
but one, and they want help from Edi-
son to store it up and utilize the squeal.
1t does indeed take a stroug heart to
look upon this wholesale slaughter, but
death is made as rapid ard painless as
possible. Cattle appear to be stupeiied
10y some unknown agency when they en-
ter the Strengthening pen and submit to
death as quietly as can be imagined.
One thing which will attract the visitors
attention, the struggles of Mr.. Porker
are actually utilized to advance him
along the elevated track from the place
Of sticking to the point above the scald-
ing pans. To ship the meats about
forty cars daily are required for fresh
meats and an equal number for the
canned meats, so that some days 100 ears
are required for the total output of tho
institution.
The manufacturing department is not
to be ignored. Surplus steam from the
many boilers and engines is condensed,
and the distilled water obtained is used
toward the manufacture Of 80 tons
daily of the purest of ice. This ice is
used for purposes of shipping and sale
with fresh meats. Besides this the ice
machines exert a refrigerating influence
in the cooling rooms equal to $50 tons of
ice daily. This process is really tbs
making of cold" as no handling of ice is
tCiuilcu dit ~ hdubitHS " uCdtb 10 e
quired throughout the whole process,
this part being done exclusively ~ me
chanical processes.
Live stock are driven from place to
place through the city by means of ele-
waited runways or shoots. These shoots
run in all directions like telephone wires.
OF course all the tin cans, boxes, crates
and packings require to be made on the
grounds,
Naturally in s"ch a completely of in
dustries a great variety Of trades and Of
persons are to be found. Scores of boys
do certain parts OF the work. A large
number Of girls are employed in packing
and labelling canned goods, Office, laun-
dry and kitchen work, etc, all of which
are Il part OF the great plan. A very
large number Of colored men are found
10 all parts of the establishment, and
they harmonize well working side by
side with poor white trash"
They appear contented and happy
wading in gore, drowning the clash of
discordant noises with their songs of
mirth, great, strong and defiant heroes
of the dark continent. half naked, blood
stained and knife in hand. could not APP
pear more formidable in the savage
haunts of Kailir land.
Kansas City, Kan, a suburb of the
Missouri city, but a separate corpora
ton, is not a dead town on account Of
prohibition. The liquor business is car
ried on in Kansas City, Mo-, but as
gambling is not allowed in Missouri, the
gambling and lottery business find
a broad field in X. c., Kansas.
"REALIsT."
The P.blic Library.