The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-20
READY FOR FOWLS
KANSAS PRODUCE COMPANY PRE-
PARED FOR BUSINESS.

Occupied by the Large Concern-Mr. p
Experienced Man at the Business =
Chickens, Turkeys, Geese and Ducks
Will be Handled BY the Company.
For the last three or four weeks there
has been under way in this city the es-
| Enlistment of one Of the largest poul-
try handling concerns in the west. The
affair has been arranged very quietly,
and nothing has been said about it, as
The management desired TO make no
blow about what they were doing. or in
| tended to do. But the enterprise is of
no small magnitude.
| The manager Of the concern is Mr..
P. D. Platz, who mas been handling
| poultry ever since he was a small boy.
| and knows every crook and turn of the
| business. He was connected with the
Northwest Produce company, who pur-
chased the old Zephyr mill which burned
| before that company took charge of the
property. This company is composed OF
English capital, and they already have
a large station in San Antonio, Tex. II
was intended TO ship dressed poultry
from this point to the European market
and after the burning OF the building
contract was made with Baden, the pro-
duce man Of Winfield, to furnish dress
ed poultry until the first of January.
Mr.. Platz took charge of the poultry
after being dressed and prepared it for
Oh ~;
ceeded time and again IN sending trial
shipments across the Atlantic, laying
the goods down in Liverpool in fine mar
ketable condition. This feat speaks ex-
cellently of his ability, as jacob Dold,
Phil Armour, and other large pork
packers have frequently tried this as an
experiment and failed, some of them not
even succeeding in handling car load
lots in Washington, Philadelphia or
New York without a loss.
Mr.. Platz shipped from Winfield,
within thirty days time ending January
l, about one hundred and fifty tons of
dressed poultry, shipping in car load lots
and landing his goods in Liverpool in
good marketable condition. The Eng
lish people are noted the world around
in anything. Mr. Platz did everything
ne could to stir his people up and get
them to doing something but their pom
derous slowness became too irksome,
and he decided to form a new company
of new blood from among the business
men of this city and the Kansas Pro-
duce company is the result. Several of
the most prominent business men of the
city are interested in the project and the
stock of the company is all Wichita
money.
A visit to the company's establishment
revealed several things. 1t is situated
in the building of the old cracker fac
tory on North Fourth avenue, which has
stood idle for so long. In the front of
the north room a large office has been
petitioned off with a private office ad-
joining. The remainder of the ground
floor is taken up by stacks of egg cases, |
racks for dressed poultry and a large re-
frigerator. Ore refrigerator is already
put in, ii is of one car capacity and
built with every available convenience. |
1t will contain when full about 81. 600
pounds of dressed poultry. AS more
room is needed, three others of the same
size will be built. and space has been al |
ready arranged for them
The entire building has been secured, |
but as yet only the first floor and cellar !
is occupied; the remainder Will be put 10 |
Use within a short time for storage OF |
crates, egg cases and other bulky ar
ticles connected with TIE business.
In the cellar large number of chick
ems, turkeys and geese ere already TO
be found. When the poultry is purchas-
ed OF the raisers they are placed in a
coop and weighed just al tie rear door.
IN farmr or poultry raiser is paid for
mis- or her goods and the fowls are one
by one dropped into a hopper arrange
ment beside the scales. \ large shelf is
just beneath these upon which they
aiight from short inclined plane, and
they find themselves in the cellar
This part of the establishment is as
large as the building. ard affords the
very best place ina ginable for the
fowls. during cold or hot period; being.
dry and comfortable for them at all
times. Poultry fences are being arrang-
Ell all over the cellar to separate the
different groups of fowls, and 10 facili-
tate driving them out Of doors into the
pens outside, for upon the north side of
the building extends yard for about
fifty feet. and running along the full
ength Of the building This IS surround
I'd by high board fence. Upon the
lorth side are sheds for the fowls 10
'un into for shade o. shelter 4 large
gate opens al either e1.I and a wide
driveway runs between the building and
he six large pens upon the ether size.
separated by high poultry netting, and
he entire affair cova-ed by pc.1'ily ret
ing, thus preventing even N eagle from
sea ping. Beside these ia~ga. airy runs
/ barn is to be butt as soon as the
ground thaws sufficiently 10 allow posts
o be put in without the use Of blasting
powder.
AT one end of the driveway Is a chute
nto the killing room where fowls from
my pen can be driven The same as tat- ,
le. Mr.. McAllister. who is che CT the
fhcials OF the Missouri Pacific rcd .