The Opelousas courier., 1897-12-11
HUGE SLAUGHTER q
VISIT TO A VAST ESTABLISHMENT in
THE CHICAGO STOCK YARDS

Every Part of an Animal Utilized-Suc-
cessive Processes of Butchery.
Through the courtesy Of Mr.. P. J..
Okeefe, II 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 ere killed but is used in
the preparation of some one of the
products of this great firm. For in
stance, q 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 a delicious soup. The
hair from the hide goes to the curled
hair factorf and the switches, Or tail
ends, find ready market among the
hair mattress manufacturers.
The slaughter house is a large
building by itself, SO divided that the
work Of killing and dressing the differ
ent kinds of animals is done in a 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
ere dispatched. Theyare 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 n the slaughter pen the
hog soon reaches the butchers knive.
At n side Of the pen is au immense
revolving wheel upon which is hooked
one end of q 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
device switches it from the
hook on the wheel to another which is
attached to q wheel on q runway
has q slight drop, and the hog
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 k~een-edged
knive, he finishes his work and is
ready for the next victim.
The hog continues to move slowly
the runway; by the time it has
the end it has ceased squeal-
and is quite dead. Here it is UNI
1ooked and plunged into an immense
7at Of hot water, where it is left for a
minutes, and then, by mean Of q
huge scoop, it is lifted onto @ slowly
table, along which passes an
endless chain, to which, by a ring in
The nose, the hog is attached and
up through a large cylinder
ike machineknown as the scraping ma
chine. This is q wonderful invention.
It is made up Of blades mounted on
and so arranged to allow
with almost every portion of
animal in the 10 seconds it occu-
pies in passing through.
After the hog has passed through
he scraping machine it is one o
aid upon a table, where it is gone
by hand scrapers, to remove any
that may have escaped the ma
,hine, and is then thoroughly washed
~ means Of a hose carrying a large
of water.
The hog is then carefully looked
,ver to make sure that everything SO
ar has been properly attended to.
Then the head is almost severed, be-
left hanging by a very slender bit
# flesh, and the animal is once more
upon the runway, this time
to leave it until it arrives at the
table. Passing along on the
unway, the hog goes to another room,
where it is dressed. The leaf lard is
irst removed, the head comes off at
he next table, and the tongue is cut
and the last operation before the
utting table is hat of splitting the
which is the exclusive work Of
ne man.
The hog next moves slowly along
he runway to another room, where, in
bunch Of five, it is weighed, and
hen goes to the cooling room, where
/ generally remains for "a hours.
Altogether, from the time the hog
caves the pen until it reaches the cool
ng room, it passes through the hands
+ 20 men, each one of whom has some
work to do.
After cooling for "a hours, the hogs
re run on rails to the cutting tables,
there they are soon divided into the
arts that make hams, shoulders,
hort ribs and other cuts well known
0 the handlers of meat. These are
onyeyed by chutes to the curing cell
srs. where the bacon is picked, the
ans smoked, etc. After remaining in
be cellar for the necessary length OF
ime, they are ready for shipment.
The part Of the building where cat
10 are slaughtered and dressed was
ext visited.
The cattle are driven from the yards
n to an inclined roadway, leading to
pens adjoining the beef house,
rnmain In these nana until the