Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-11-15
KANSAS CITY LIGHTS.
THE ARMOUR PACKING
COMPANY.
The Gateway of The Western Farmer And
Stock Grower : How The Killing
Is Done.
THE CoNVEN TIoN HALL.

Is OOuSs
THE CONVE TION HALL.
Special Correspondence to the Evening Capital
The killing is all done in the upper
stories Of the building. This requires a
great deal more of machinery and ac-
companying expense, but better facili-
tates the work. The skins drop down
seven stories and are tanned on the lots
below.
The lard is purified in va,s in the upper
stories OF Armours, where it is cturned
with paddles and made as white as snow.
II then passes through pipes and is drawn
off into cans and kegs below. The cleo
tric light capacity OF the plant is enor-
nous.
One can understand this when we tell
you it is equal to that of well lighted
city of a, 900 Inhabitants. or in other
words. the electric light plant here would
be sufficient to light a city three times as
large as Annapolis. There is a govern
ment Inspector employed in each depart
ment OF the plant.
Perhaps one of the most unique and
interesting parts of the plant is that where
200 hogs are killed daily at this plant,
it seems fabulous. but when we tell you
we saw hogs sent into the refrigerating
room ten minutes after they were alive
and squaling, now all scrAped, cleaned
and dressed, you may credit the fore
going statement.
The hogs are ushered into their death
trap under protest, and g,unt and quar-
rel TO the last OF his hogship. Strung up
by the hind legs they are sent along a
cable to the apartment where the stick
ing" is done. With the blood stream
ing from them they are rolled into vats
of scalding water, hoisted by machinery
to the seventh floor, and as they ascend
the machinery scrapes them clean. At
the seventh floor they pass along the cog
before an array OF skilled workmen, each
OF whom does some part in the work of
cleaning and dressing the hog.
There appears to be an "endless chain"
OF these hogs. All animals killed here
are in good condition, and most of them
are fine specimens. Even the cattle kill
ed for canned goods is not the poor class
one would expect this line to be. Any
visitor fIom the East who fails to see the
Armour Packing Company's plant. miss
es great sight indeed. and an object
lesson from which much valuable infor-
nation is to be obtained. A cordial in
vitation is extended by the company to
the general public to visit its plant dur
ing working hours. and courteous guides
are furnished for the purpose Of showing
the visitor the evolution OF the hog, the
steer, the sheep and the chicken into the
varied and manifold products that the
great Armour packing Company places
on the market.
1t must be remembered that this won
| derful packing house is the gateway
through which pours the contributions of
the western farmer and stock grower,
whose supplies keep the company 5 Chin
| neys smoking. The finished products of
this great Armour Packing Company are
enjoyed by you. and all Of the carnivor-
Gus public.
CONVENTION HALL.
Kansas City promises to be a city OF
conventions, and to this end she has pre-
pared herself by building the largest audi
torium in this country.
Convention Hall, for SO it is called, is
a marvel in size and architecture, and a
monument to the enterprise of a great
city which has on big boom in the clos
| ing years of this famous nineteenth CEN
tury.
Convention Hall was built by the peo-
pie OF Kansas City. A series of enter
tainments were held for which 25 cent
tickets were sold. Everybody patronized
and the funds were soon raised to build
the hall, which cost S4oo. 900. Its seat
ing capacity is 23, 900, and its most unique
feature is there IS not stair in the build
ing.
Although there are three galleries, the
ascent is made by an incline, a winding
entrance, reminding one of burro trail
up mountain pass. The Kansas City
convention hall has the distinguished
honor of being the only building in the
world in which one can 90 from pit to
dome on bicycle. Although such an
immense building. occupying four blocks
and seating IS 900 people. three times as
many as Annapolis inhabitants. the Con-
vention Hall can be cleared in a few
minutes. as there are any number OF ex-
its on each of the four streets by which
it 10 bounded.
Its interior is white with brown trim
mings. Its acoustic properties are per-
feet. Anywhere in the building the
speaker or singers on the stage can be
heard with distinctness. In Convention
Hall all entertainments are held, and it
is usually filed when anything is going
on there. To see the lower floor, boxes,
stalls. loges and galleries filed, to gaze
on IS 900 people assembled in one build
ing, to look out over this sea OF human
faces is indeed thrilling and awe inspir-
ing. Chicago has made several attempts
to build such hall, but before compile
ton the structure has burned down or
collapsed, as il did recently. Kansas
City. therefore, bears the palm in con-
vention halls, and in this, as in several
oih.r things. outranks the Windy City.
It was our good pleasure to see Con-
vention Hall in almost every phase of
entertainment, and thus get an idea of
its usefulness. One of these was the
Megaphone Minstrels. given during car
nival week by I25 Of Kansas City's So
ciety business men, who were well train
ed by their musical director and many
OF whom did themselves credit in rag.
time melodies and the cake walk. The
Megaphone Minstrels are plways a fea-
ture of carnival week. and their announc-
naent means a crowded house and a sue
cessful entertainment. The "Karnival
4 K~.- Ral Maer,nb 80. ote1 h.f1 -.