The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-15
THE WAY TO KILL BEEF.
ARRhNG AND WORKINGS OF
THE VALENTINE ABATT0IR.
The Establishment Is Now In Full Opera
ton In Richmond and IL Marvel ms
Compared with tho old Methods.

con,ared with tho Old Methods.
The Richmond abattoir a complete ana
modern plant for the killing aud handling
OF beef is an enterprise recently put III
operatlon by the Valentine Meai-Ju'ce
company IN connection with their meat
Juice business.
The abattolr is well located a few hun
drcd yards above Bacon's quarter
branch. 20 the right OF Brook turnpike.
Yesterday afternoon number Of promi-
nent gentlemen were invited to witness
the operations. and were taken out In
carriages. After they had Inspected the
buildings. and watched the rapid con-
version OF live animals into beef, they
were given an elegant lunch.
Those who were interested spectators
of the operations were: Mayor r. NJ.
,rayior colonel w. v. Cuisha~, Or. ".
r. Oppcnhcmor. r. y. Chaiiin, James
T. Gray. V. Y. Valentine, John ;. har-
wood. John Easicy, Peter H. Mayo
Charles y. Boiling. william Ryan, Johh
e. Frischkorn. Dr. X. a: patterson, .,
p Wnddnl James II. Barton, James
n Boyd Or. w II. Taylor :. II. HAYES
Thomas \. Carter. and several newspaper
representatives,, ,
THE site occupies six acres OF ground
and is admirably located on top OF the
hin. with excellent drainage in every dl-
rcct'on.
rso mans Of the building were drawn
nv an accomplished Chicago architect
ana the arrangements were made after
The most modern ab0ttoirs i'm the West,
wt.h such improvements as suited the
particular business Of the Valentine Meat
Juice Company.
LEAN MTAT.
They use in the mcat-iuice factory
nothing but lean meat and every other
part of the animal is utilized ior some
nurpmic. The hearts. liver, and tongues
are sold TO the butchers for home con-
SUMPTION; the horns and hoofs 20 to
hutton and backing manufacturers, the
ehin-boncs and tbias to make knife
bandlas. the heal-bOnes TO sugar reiincr-
les for use In Clarifying sugar; the hides
20 TO the tanners the tripe are SOFA
10 soaSoast towns for craD-bait; the en-
trails. cleaned and saltcd down. 20 10
sausage manufacturers. for holding sau-
sage, and the contents of the pouches go
TO the manure pile and as such is sofa
for agricultural purposes
The other products are ncats'-ioot oil,
taIIow. and grease. After these are eN-
tractcd. the remainder in the way OF
beef fire. and bones. go INTO
nne grade of fertilizer. the former be
ing mixed with the blood which is also
dried, 10 make the fertilizer known
ms Actin. which sells for $50 per ton. so
rand is the work that I'm twcnty-four
hours from the time the animal Is taken
from the pen he Is reduced to this rather
degraded condition.
on March Sd the first pick was stuck
I'm the ground. and three weeks after
wards the large twO-stOry brick bulldlng,
with chimncy-stack was built and az the
end of forty days the first operations TOOK
place
THE CLEANLINESS,
The most striking thing 10 the visitor
10 the Richmond abattoir IS the absolute
sweetness and cleanliness of everything
no dirt, no unpleasant odofs
The floors arc composed OF granolithic
pavement, with cutters of the same ma
tcrial. and the most complete water APP
paratus for cleaning is everywhere at
hand Although fourteen large ami
mails had been slaughtered at j. o'colck'
there was 40 sign or stain when the
visitors arrived at 4. everything being as
clean as new pm
The visitors were started at the pens
mcnt. Let US follow them. They view
cd the long pens first in rear of the
abattoir where several hundred cattle
can be accommodated at one time. The
gates are so arranged that when
a pen Is opened. the gate.
swinging back. closes the gang
way except i'm the direction the ami
mails are desired 10 go. and the most
complete arrangements for feeding, water
ing. and putting olt fire, have been
provided From In ,se pens reach sys-
tenn of lanes with gates, and scales, so
that the ANIMALS can be sent in any di-
rcction desired and each one weighed.
As soon as weighed he is numbered, and
this number follows him until he is made
into the products of The mCat-Iulce fac
tory and the abattoir, and as nearly as
possible his cost ana profit is
recorded.
ONLY BULLS.
The cattle hscd are .bnlls. because
these animals give the largest quantity
OF lean meat-the product required for
making meat juice The animals are
secured in Chicago. and they are as
rule magnificent specimens, weighing
from 500 TO 300 pounds.
Following the lanes, a bull is driven into
the slaughier-pen. "A close stan lust large
enough TO accommodate him. A blow from
a hammer IN the ndlluS OF Il man Stdll-
ing on a platform above his head, stuns
the animal, 10y an automatic arrange
ment. the side Of the stall is drawn up
out Of the way. a shackle is attached 10
the hind legs of the beef: he is hoistcd TO
an upright position, head down, his throat L
cut. and his carcass rapidly skinned and
cut I'm two halves. aud run on an overhead
railroad, into another large room. whore
1t Is cut up. In the meantime, the blood
has been secured in vat In the floor;
the oTal has been cleaned. and disposed
OF as above indicated.
The lean meat ia cut away and goes
into chopping machines and is reduced
10 fine particles This is sent 10 the fac
tory, and after the meat juice Is extracted,
il is returned to the abattoir as meat fibre
and goes into the fertilizer known as
Actin.
UNDER PRESSURE.
In the meantime the bones. the fat.
and refuse have been placed IN tubs, and
railfoadcd TO an elevator 10y which they
are hoisted TO the second story, and there
40 into an Immense iron vat and are
nut under steam pressure at forty pounds
To the inch and cooked for seven hours.
The grease Is thus extracted. and after
COINS through a powerful press IL placed
IN an enormous revolving drior. from
which it comes out an almost imPalpahle
powder the disiniegration of the bone
being almost perfect.
Even the washings Of the abattoir go
though large catch basin in the yard,
where By making the sewage 70 under