The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-13

In the pens around the building stand
cattle, sheep and hogs, patiently await
ing the hour when they will be led to
the block to furnish Christmas steaks,
muttons and spare ribs. And pedigree
and blood is not sacrificed for a money
consideration for the cattle show
backs as broad as billiard ia
bles and an elimination of horns,
while in the hog pens no traces of
the 'razor backs" were visible. Nearest
the hank of the river, in long substan-
tial building, is situated the engine
rooms and ice plant. This is perhaps
the most interesting department, or was,
at least to the representative of the
JOURNAL Here is located the smoke
consumer where powerful fan sends
the smoke far up one chimney to the top
aud by a clever contrivance forces it
back only to be burned" over again in
another furnace.
Here, too, are located three powerful
engines with 10 foot boilers and 200
horse power capacity, pumping up
water from the river and forcing it
throughout the entire building.
Just across the hall is located the ice
plant, from where every day. in the
proper season, Mr.. Wolff sells about
eighteen tons to Topeka people This
room and the contents are as neat and
clean as pin, but the Arctic favor of
the atmosphere doesn't justify a lengthy
visit.
The various cooling" rooms are not
cooled with ice, however, but by brine
forced through pipes all over the build
ing, which. in the warmest weather, are
covered with icy frost.
pleasant, as we'll as effective, feature
is the "runs" of the fire department.
which is composed entirely of men in
the plant At a given signal they break for
the various hose reels and it is astonish-
ing what rapid and concerted action is
shown.
Another interesting department is
where the hams are stored away. This
is clearly, cozy room, in whose sacred
precincts no meddlesome house fly is al
lowed to stray owing to proper distribu-
ton of fine wire netting. Before reach
ing this room, however, there is pick
ling process, of from 81 to 20 days, and
the demand has been so great of late
that several new watts have just been COM
pleted.
In the beef cooling rooms hang many
halls of dressed cattle that are indeed
inviting in appearance. They are es-
pecially for the Christmas trade and
many a Topeka family will enjoy a
juicy steak or roast from this collection.
Another department shows s'cords" and
"cords" of bacon stacked away. This,
however, is mostly shipped to Texas, Mr..
Lee, who kindly acted as guide. explain
ing that a great many car loads had been
shipped south lately. But this floor.
which is the basement, has a storage ca
pacity of 100000 pounds, including the
new basement, which is practically COM
pleted- Not the least important branch
of the industry, aud to one who has
nerves, the most interesting, is the kill
ing and scraping department Hogs are
run up an incline direct from the pen,
half way up an expert sticks them, they
are swung of on an endless chain and
almost in the "swInkling of an eye" they
have been 'bathed," scraped
aud cleansed and are rushed off
to the cooling rooms. 1t is rapid systema-
tic work that only trained labor could
perform. Here the men work hard but
they are contented and well paid and
will each have a Christmas dinner fit for
king.
The plant, from the outside, bears a
modest unassuming appearance but the
inside is revelation in many ways rot
the least of which is cleanliness.-this
being one Of ME. VOLTS hobbies