The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-10-09
HUGE SLAUGHTER HOUSE
VISIT TO A VAST ESTABLISHMENT m
THE CHICAGO STOCK YARDS

Every Part Of an Animal Utilised-Suc-
cessive Processes of Butchery.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. P. J..
O'Keefe, one of the head clerks at the
Armour plant, the writer visited every
part of the vast establishment at the
Chicago stock yards. Here are en-
ployed about eight thousand men, and
no part of the cattle, hogs and
sheep that are killed but is used in
the preparation of some one of the
products of this great firm. For in
stance, a steers head and hoofs are
used in the manufacture of glue, the
horns are made into knive-handles,
the bladders are dried and sold, the
stomach makes tripe, the tallow is re-
fined, and the sweet fat is transported
to the oleo factory to be transformed
into oleo oil and subsequently into
butterine. Phosphate is produced
from some of the bones, and. the tail
is the basis of delicious soup. The
hair from the hidego to the curled
hair factory, and the switches, or tail
ends, find a ready market among the
hair mattress manufacturers.
The slaughter house is large
building by itself, so divided that the
work Of killing and dressing the differ
ent kinds of animals is done in sep
arate room, yet all are SO connected
by runways that an animal, after it is
killed, may be hung up and trans
ported to any part Of the building
without being taken down or leaving
the original hook upon which it was
first suspended.
An unearthy and indescribable
squeal, such as nothing but a hog in
distress can give, gave warning of the
approach to the room where the hogs
are dispatched. They ore driven from
the yards up inclined roadways into
the pens adjoining the slaughter
house, and after having ample time to
cool off, are moved into the slaughter
pen. Once in the slaughter pen the
hog soon reaches the butchers knive.
At one side of the pen is IN immense
revolving wheel upon which is hooked
one end of short chain. The other
end of this chain is attached to one
hind leg of the hog. AS the wheel re-
wolves the animal is lifted off the floor,
and when the chain reaches the high
est point in the wheels revolution an
automatic device switches it from the
hook on the wheel to another which is
attached to a wheel on a runway
which has slight drop, and the hog
commences slowly to move toward the
executioner, who stands on a rack
about 10 feet from the wheel. AS the
hog approaches, the executioner turns
him with his left hand until he is in
the proper position, and then, with
one quick thrust of his keen-edged
knive, he finishes his work and is
ready for the next victim.
The hog continues to move slowly
along the runway; by the time it has
reached the end it has ceased squeal-
ing and is quite dead. Here it is I'M
hooked and plunged into an immense
vat of hot water, where it is left for a
few minutes, and then, by means of q
huge scoop, it is lifted onto slowly
moving table, along which passes an
endless chain, to which, by ring IN
he nose, the hog Is attached and
pulled up through large cylinder
ike machine known as the scraping ma
,hine. This is wonderful invention.
It is made up of blades mounted on
cylinders, and so arranged to allow
contact with almost every portion of
he animal in the 10 seconds it occu-
'ies in passing through.
After the hog has passed through |
he scraping machine it is once more |
aid upon q table, where it Is gone |
'ver by hand scrapers, to remove any
'ristle that may have escaped the ma
hine, and is then thoroughly washed
" means of hose carrying large
-olume of water.
The hog is then carefully looked
yer to make sure that everything so
ar has been properly attended to.
hen the head is almost severed, be-
ng left hanging by a very slender bit
f flesh, and the animal is once more
uspended upon the runway, this time
ot to leave it until it arrives at the
utting table. Passing along on the
unway, the hog goes to another room.
here it is dressed. The leaf lard is
rst removed, the head comes off Of
ne next table, and the tongue is cut
ut, and the last operation before the
hitting table is that of splitting the
nimal, which is the exclusive work of
ne man.
The hog next moves slowly along
lie runway to another room, where. in
bunch of five, it is weighed, and
len goes to the cooling room, where
generally remains for "a hours.
Altogether, from the time the hog
ayes the pen until it reaches the cool
g room, it passes through the hands
20 men, each one of whom has some
articular work to do.
After cooling for "a hours, the hogs
e run on rails to the cutting tables.
here they are soon divided into the
irts that make hams, shoulders.
ort ribs and other cuts well known
the handlers of meat. These are
nveyed by chutes to the curing GEL
RS, where the bacon is picked. the
ms smoked, etc. After remaining in
g cellar for the necessary length of
ne, they are ready for shipment.
The mart of tho buiId;oo ,rLo