The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-21
SEVEN-YEAR GROWTH
A HUGE Business That Started
in a Small Way.
DEATH COMES EVERY MINUTE
To the Hogs That Are / riven Into the
Corrals of This Large Pack
ing Establishment.
DEATH COMES EVERY MINur


10 be able to Kill a few cattle every day.
In a couple OF years they thought them
selves exceedingly prosperous. and built
a new slaughter house. This was en-
. larged ami enlarged. and yet did not meet
the demands of their trade. Then Mr..
Frye went East and spent some months
studying the more modern methods OF the
great slaughter houses OF Chicago. Cincin-
natl and other places. He returned with
an ambition TO build one as good and as
complete as any of them. though not, at
the start. quite as large as some, those Of
Armour & Co. for example. He saw thai
beyond certain limit freights would be
against them. at least for some time: but
he planned his establishment. all the same,
with an eve to meeting the increased trade
OF some years TO come. He built his new
stock yards and new packing house by the
si8e of the old one on the Grant street
bridge, filing Il with every modern appli-
ance for labor saving and expeditions
work. and built a spur crossing Grant
street from the Northern Pacific railroad.
SO that he could load his own cars with
his product at the doors of the packing
house. He built It. as has been stated, with
aa eve TO future requirements and il is
surprise and a pleasure to him, as Ii should
b. 10 the people OF Seattle with an interest
in home industries. that the vast building
IL already occupied with business in every
corner Of 1t. 1t is an establishment for
the city TO be proud of. inasmuch as II IS
row doing the largest business of any
packing house on the Pacific coast.
The yards north of the large building
solidly built, comfortable sheds. scrupu-
lousy kept-are calculated to accommo-
date 200 head Of cattle, 1000 sheep and 500
hogs. The packing house building Is
erected on piles above the water Md is 50
feet front by 240 feet long Varee stories in
10Th frnr fc = he Il fer, .aY4i or71
the bay end is where the sIaughtering is
done. Over the entrance there is a wide
roof extending far enough to shelter the
row Of teams backed up to receive their
loads Underneath this roof are steel rails
on which run hangers to carry the meat
from any part of the building and drop IL
into the wagon. These rails run clear
across the front to the south end, around
anc down the stage for the shipping of
cars. This rail arrangement runs through
every department Of the building so that
from the time pig, for instance. is caught
by the leg and hauled up to be killed, TO
the moment he Is placed in the wagon as
cured bacon, there is no lifting or hand
ling.
This is a little stock of hams we kept
ON hand" said Mr.. Frye to the Post-Intel-
lfgencer reporter. as they entered the first
room on the left OF the entrance
"A little stock?" queried the reporter;
about how many?"
'Oh, about 5000 pounds" was the indif-
ferent reply. This Indifference was
thought 1t the moment to be nut on for
the occasion. but in view OF the vast
amount of stock afterward shown Il was
undoubtedly perfectly natural. And any
way, Mr.. Frye Is not that kind of a man.
He IS thorough business man, peculiarly
single-minded and direct In his manner
In little room next to this two men were
rendering lard Two cauldrons OF 500 gall
Ions each, and several lesser fellows with
a large press. are used. and the product
runs to the floor below into boxes contain
Ing a dozen cans. which are set on the
floor OF one of the many cold storage
rooms. where the clear amber liuuId Quick
ly cools 10 snowy white
Perhaps we would better begin AT the
beginning. observed Mr. Frye. "snd see
the hog killed" This takes place on the
outside of the bay end Of the building.
About 100 hogs were in a large pen. A man
drove these into a smaller pen. out OF
which was one still smaller next to the
building. This was the cell OF the doomed.
and would hold about dozen big fellows
But IL was with difficulty that so many
could be crowded in. In fact the hogs
seemed to have presentiment OF what II
signified. for they piled on each other like
| logs in a freshst jam before they would
enter the little trap door. When dozen
were in. the trap fell. and the assistant ex-
ecutioner entered the pen. Deity hook
ing a chain 10 the hind leg OF one OF the
sanesling porkers, he called Hoist" and
up goes the pig. He seems too surprised
| TO squeaL II Is position before unknown
| In all his experience. The modern Dig IS
very short-lived animal. anyway. He
corneth UP ike flower. and IL cut down
/ premsturely at the age OF or months
| So along the rail he swings silently along
| 10 whare the man with the cleaning knife
| stands. The man shakes hands with him
| With the the left hand, strokes
| the knife carssslngiy down his
| throat then plunges IL IN. ard the
pig never utters a cry-seems too sur
| prised 70 DO more than lift sigh as he
swings onward 20 the side OF his butcherei
| brother After hanging there n moment
| he swings onward and down an incline.
| which ends in a nice warm bath. There Is
| a machine In the bath that rolls him over
| and over. AMI then dumDs him out on
/ table constructed like the deck % ship,
/ soping both ways, with scuppers on the
sides A shower bath az cold water plays
| upon him while the men az the table take
/ hts coat OF. When this Is satisfactorily
effected. he IS caught BY the hind leg
( again. automatically hoisted. and passed
/ 20 a man who gives him a cool spraying
/ then 20 another who tenderly takes his
! SaHrS on. 70 aDekGSF VINO FtifeN - 1Efk2 81
/ the paln in his stomsch-aud the stomach.
| too. Il stu another. ghom se tries 70 pass.
/ too: 20 sull another, whom he tries 20 pass.
/ bat loses by head; and the head r. pass
/ ed 20 = boy. who relieves Il OF the part
where humans store paresis. while the body
I gees marching on right 10 the end o. the
| lire. where II Is teudsrly split down the
/ back.
| All thts has taken jest minute sixty
| hogs are killed every hoar for Ave hours
every day. This Is In the afternoon In
/ the morning beef and sheep are killed on
the north side OF this large slaughter
I house There IL nothing modern Ia their
/ slaughter. TIE cattle are knocked down
and the. bled and skinned and ire sheep
ret their threats cut and go through ths
| dressing Just as shey Do ia the country
/ butcher shop. About hundred OF them
are gently guided into the NtrTaua Of
mutton every day Ia this slaughter house.
I ana sosae-cattie 20 ths way OF all
flesh thar Is grass On the tracks over
/ hsaa theYe IS accommodation for 80 TO
cool 0~ tn the sweet cool salt breeze. az
ter which they are ran along the track
into the cold storage room. For hogs
there Is room for SO 20 hang. They pass
out % their cool room into one where they
are cut W. In this there are three large
watts q running water. capable Of holding
a. 10 az hams. where they stay fer
short time for the purpose Of thoroughly
cleansing them. Next 20 this Ere the
sz.cke houses There ars four % these.