The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-10
An EmplOye of Swift & Co.,
Chicago Packers,
Says 1t is Demanded by All the
Best Hotels.
BRINGS BETTER PRICE
Explains the Process to War
Investigation Commission.
Denies that His Company Uses
ANY Chemicals.

Washington, Jan. 10.-Fred W.Wilder,
general superintendent for Swift & Co.,
of Chicago, appeared before the war in
vestigation commission. The witness
said he had general charge of all the
packing. canning and slaughtering of
cattle for the Chicago plant and gave
general account of the practical work.
ing of the meat business. He said that
all the cattle were bought from COM
mission firms at the stock yards and
there given an ante-mortem inspection
by a government official and then
driven to the abattoir, being well cooled
before killing. A skinning gang of $50
men, he said, would butcher about 40
cattle an hour. The cattle were then
subjected to a poStmortem examina-
ton also by government inspectors, who
examined the lungs, liver and intes-
tines. The company has had as many
as twenty cattle week condemned at
this inspection, being 20 out of 5000
The condemnation was mostly due to
tuberculosis.
The condemned animals are tagged
by the government inspectors and the
carcass goes to the refuse tank, where
the only use made of it is to take the
grease for lubricating purposes and the
remainder for fertilizers. The good
meat is stamped by the government in
spector and certified for the market.
The beef is cooled for 48 hours before
shipping, the temperature being run
down gradually from 40 to Sc or SO de-
grees. The shipping cars are thorough
ly washed and are cooled by ice and
salt. The temperature in the cars is
from 80 to &c. Export beef is enclosed
in a cheese cloth bag to keep it clean
and to prevent chatting. There are
icing stations every "a hours on each
railroad shipping line and the cars are
reiced that often.
The witness said different cities took
different grades of beef. Boston de-
manded the best beef in the country
and Baltimore about the cheapest New
York stood between the two. Part of
the beef ordered by the government
during the war was sent from Kansas
City, although most of it was from
Chicago. The contract with the gov
eminent called for the best fat steers
not less than 600 pounds for dressed
carcass. These specifications We're COM
piled with. Referring to the much dis
cussed beard on the refrigerator meat
Mr.. Wilder said the large wholesalers
who supplied the best hotels in Chicago
aged all their beef before selling it
and got an advanced price for it after
it accumulated the beard. He said the
meat was better in every respect after
being aged.
AS to complaints regarding the army
contract beef. he said the Manitoba
shipment was the only one condemned.
This was shipped July 80 and was not
thrown overheard till September Is.
Witness had been in the export business
ten years and in the Liverpool and
London trade where the beef was from
ten to eighteen days in transit he had
never lost one quarter of beef. Witness
denied that any chemicals were used
in preserving any of the meat sold by
his firm and said that in addition to
other objections, it would be useless.
would be a detriment to the beef and
an extra expense. The beef for export
was not the best beef but a fair quality
Dr. Conner sought to bring out how
they determined Gin half minute"
whether beef is or is not or has been
tubercular. Colonel DENLY, presiding,
objected that the government inspec-
tors were the ones who were RESPONSE
BILE. "AI right concluded DR.. Con-
nor, IT will wait to examine the govern
ment of the United States"
Edwin Buckingham, for eighteen
years employed in the stock yards of
Swift & Co., also testified the beef was
absolutely pure and had never to his
knowledge been chemically treated He
said all the beef furnished for the war
was in good condition; that his duty
was to supervise preparation for ship
ment and that beef after reaching him
had not been treated in any way and
nothing was done save to cut it up
John ]. Murphy, who supervises the
handling of the refrigerator cars and
for fifteen years has been an employe
of Swift & Co., testified to the same
general effect.