The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-06-20
CUTTING UP A STEER
The Carcass as II Is Prepared TO-DAY
for fhe Market.
Every Ounce OF the Animal Goes
Ont of the Slaughter House n
Commercial Commodity The
Profits OF Both the Whole
sale and Retail Dealers.

In recent interview with New
York wholesalers representative of the
World learned the following facts re-
garding the treatment of beef animal
in preparing it for the market:
"Such beef as I handle,' said the
dealer, will weigh 800 pounds. that is,
two sides will weigh 400 pounds each.
This is dressed beef, all of which is cut
up and sold. There is no waste. The
fat und bones are sold. Such extras as
you see on the butchers stalls. as
brains, tongues, liver, tripc, oxtails,
etc, do not come to us as dressed beef.
These are special lines, handled by spe-
cial men.
"Thcrc is a steer.' and the dealer
pointed through the glass door of Il re-
frigcrator as big as asnall house. that
weighed 500 pounds when laid on these
scales to-day. I paid cents a pound
for it. Don't. believe these II and 12
cents stories, for they are not true. 1t
cost me S72 at the warehouse. l hauled
it here, must pay my men to cut it up
and deliver it ard all that. What will
I get for what cost me s72?
"The rump will weigh 40 pounds, for
which | will get 10 cents pound, or
81: the round, Immediately below it,
will weigh GO pounds, at 1919 cents, Or
$3.50; the sirloin, SO pounds, at an aver
age of IA cents, for there are at least
three cuts Of sirloin; it depends on the
butchcr-that makes s11.20; the porter
house in a steer of 800 pounds will weigh
60 pounds, and 20 cents is the market
price, or S12.
Next comes what we butchers call
the eye of the rib and what is known
on bills of fare us prime rib roast.
There will be 100 pounds of this at Is
cents, OF s15. Next is the chuck, really
y fine portion of the carcass, but a
sufferer through it's name. There is 90
pounds of this, and it brings to-day 10
cents. or 50. Immediately adjoining it
is the neck, 80 pounds, much Of which
is sold as chuck. The price is five cents,
or s1.50.
"Below the neck comes the loose flesh
that is called in the slaughter houses
the hanging piece and in butcher
shops the 'brisket.' 1t is good boiling
beef, but is much in demand for corn
cents pound, or s2.75.
"The section marked ribs, plate and
navel is the cheapest meat on the steer.
1t is for corning and soup meat particu-
larly, will weigh 50 pounds, and sells
at ~ cents, or s3.4O. The shoulder
piece, beneath which lies part of the
brisl1ct, is sold with the slim, and is
generally called soup meat. It will
weigh IS pounds, and sells at ~ cents,
or 50 43.
'"rhe fanks weigh IS pounds and are
mostly fat, selling in their entirety at
six cents, or s2.10. The hind legs Weld
35 pounds of meat at 4H cents, or s1.5S.
81 have now accounted for pounds
of meat. The remaining 85 pounds is
fat and bones. At least 10 pounds Of
fat is thrown III with orders, people
having learned to expect it, and 319
cents pound for fat and 35 cents per
hundred for bones will yield 80 at the
outside.
"The total receipts from the steer
that cost me s72 will be s75.26, a profit
of only 1926, or would be a profit if I
ran business that entailed no expenses
whatever.
81 am not a slaughterer now, but
know enough of the business to know
that the slaughtcrer loses nothing. A
steer goes into an abattoir on the hoof
and every ounce of him goes cut a com
mercial commodity. A 1,20O-pound |
steer will net 800 pounds of beef. The
hide is sold to the tanners. A limited |
c,f+ +.,;1 4< {,,.1
ana special dealers buy the tongues,
and in Chicago go to the Gamers of
"lunch tongues" There is limited
demand for brains All livers find a
ready sale, and the lining of the paunch,
known as tripe, is growing in such
favor that it is all disposed of to deal
ers, who pickle it.
.From the pure fat is extracted the
highest quality of oleo oil. This is
generally exported to Holland, where
it enters into the makeup of the gilt
edged Dutch butter that commands
fancy prices in England. From other
fats come the lower grades of oleo oil.
From selected bones is secured by
boiling gelatine, which is the basis of
all cheap jellies and marmalades.
Stearine, used as a base Of chewing
gum and for many other purposes, is
the product left from the process of
out oleo oil.
Gall hoofs are boiled, and the valu-
able commodity known as meats foot
oil is secured. The horns are sold to
of combs and fancy
goods The hoofs after boiling are
also used in the making of horn orna-
nents. Everything that is left, blood,
entrails, ETC., is made into fertilizing
not the least valuable COM
modify turned out of the abattoir. have
no positive figures, but I believe that
the 400 pounds of 'offal,' the term used
Is applying to everything except the
actual beef, will net the killer from $40
20 s22. The wholesale slaughterer
loes not get any the worst of it at any
stage Of the game.
'Nominally, the retailer makes much
arger profits, but his expenses are
leavy. The trouble is that owing to q