St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-10-23

EArAeLes KEPT FOR YEARS.

EArAeLes KEPT FOR YEARS
neneAts DERIVED from Present sys.
TEN Of Cold Storage.
The almost perfect system to which
cold storage has been brought in this
city and its suburbs is known only in
general way to the average citizen. 1t
will doubtless cause surprise to per-
sons who are not familiar with the facts
to learn that quail they eat for break
fast has been dead in some cases for one
or two years, and that quail and other
game birds, fish and meat are frequent
" frozen for q year or more, and then
sold in as good . condition as they were
the day they were put into the greatice-
house.
The business has grown to such de
mensions that it is estimated roughly
that market men. shippers, and others
interested in the trade have $15. 5.O0O,O 900
invested in the business, exclusive OF
the cost of the buildings. Large struc-
lures, usually located adjacent to the
markets, or the railroad depots, are in
demand for cold storage warehouses,
and there are several on upper West
street, more near Washington market,
others located near the Fulton market,
and under the arches of the Brooklyn
bridge, that seem particularly well
adapted for the purpose. Except in the
case of fruit and such vegetables as are
destroyed by freezing, it is said to be
seldom that provisions are sold to the
consumer upon arrival in this city.
Prices, of course, have much to do with
the sales, and when there isan overstock
of chickens, eggs, beef, fish, meat. or
similar commodity, it is packed away in
O cold storage warehouse. where it Is
held until prices justify q sale.
As regards game, it was only last
winter that emissaries Of the state
game warden came to this city to find
out why certain restaurants were sell
ing venison, pheasants. quail and every
other sort of game out of season. The
deputy game wardens had quail for
breakfast in September, when the law
said that they should not be killed un-
til December; yenison for dinner when
deer can only be hunted in January,
and woodcock and snipe. They made q
lis: of the restaurants where the game
had been obtained and arrested the
proprietors. The proprietors gave the
names of the men from whom they
bought the game, and these were found
to have obtained it from the warehouse
men. 1t was learned that some Of the
game had been killed more than q year
before, during the regular season.
There were expressions Of conscious
ness and wondcrment on the faces of
the game wardens when they departed
for home. In their reports they said
the law had not been violated.
I'VE certainly have developed the
business" said one of the warehouse
men recently, Ito q point that is un-
equaled in any other part of the world.
Europe has nothing like the cold ware
house system of this city. Even royal
persons have to take their vegetables,
meat, fruit and game in season. Here
we do not. The cold warehouse system
has been growing SO slowly and yet
surely in this city that it would be con-
silered hardship by citizens II they
had to do without It. We have developed
a pampered taste that requires fruit at
Christmas-commodi that in the
good old times we could get only when
nature provided them, months after
the time they are grown or killed. Rich
men want trout at all seasons of the
year, when it is known they can only
be obtained in the spring. Young chick
ems cannot be obtained except at their
weight in gold during the winter. If
they are grown during the cold months
and killed just before being used. By
means of the storage system they cost
little more on New Years day than they
do in May. Spring lamb that was OBJ
tainable formerly only in May and
June is carefully packed away in the
spring, and sold the succeeding winter
and weeks before the earliest spring
lamb of the following season is born.
"Bluefish can be obtained only at GER
tain seasons, vet they are on sale all the
time. The same is true regarding bass,
mackerel and other fish. Oysters and
CLAIMS are also kept for months at a
time, and frequently from one season
to another"
There are about Is large cold storage
warehouses in this city and q greater
number of small ones. In Ill they en-
ploy nearly a thousand MEM. Y.
Commercial Advertiser.