The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-19
FACTS AS TO CANNED BEEF.
PROPOR TIONS OF THE BUSINESS
CARRIED on IN CHICIGO.

ms n Luxury, but Declared to Afford
More Nutriment, Pound for Pound, Than
Fresh B~eef-Proress Of Preserving Meat.
CHICAGO. March 10.-The subject OF canned
beef is one that has for months been Of great
interest to millions OF citizens Of the United
States. but it is also ono that is very little un-
derstood outside Of the great packing houses
in which the work Of canning and preserving
is done. Most Of the canned meat furnished to
the world comes from Chicago. In this city
fully so per cent. Of the meat preserved and
canned in the United States Is I turned out. The
| great firms OF Armour 4 Co.. Swift K Co. Nell
son Morris Il Co. and the Anglo-American
Packing Com pany-commonly known as The
Big Four "-transact the largest share OF the
business. In their Chicago plants alone some
thing like 10000 men are employed constant
", and a fairly good idea OF their transactions
may be gained from u few statistics.
The annual product OF the Chicago packing
houses is, in round numbers. S150.Oo0,UoO.
They pay in wages $15. 600. 900 annually the
amount Of capital invested In their plants is
about S21. ZOO. 900: they receive. slaughter and
ship, either in carcasses or In cases. canned or
preserved. $500. 900 head OF cattle annually.
not to mention the 100000 hogs. 100000
calves and 2.500.0 900 sheep. The beef canning
industry Is not 50 very old. II vas begun
something like twenty-five years ago by
| " W. vi a NclD bblul II
firm had in view the saving Of a large
proportion OF the meat which had been up to
that time either unstable or OF very little
value. The business has grown to an enor-
nous extent. the firm having during 1898
consumed more than 100000 pounds OF
meat in its canning and preserving depart
ment. At least 5000 men are employed in this
department. and the list OF articles now manu-
featured by the firm numbers in the neighbor-
! hAAl 81 - nnn ran-ip1 oil Tho xr,,, ~, ,,,,a
soap and extracts of beef to pepsin
As the firm OF Armour & Co. has been es-
peciallv mentioned. chiefly because It is by far
the largest OF the packing firms. it will be used
"a the basis Of given in this ar
ticle. 1t would he impossible in a single ar
! ticle to describe anything like a fair share Of
the by-products manufactured from beef. 1t
may be said. however. that some OF the figures
are surprising. The Armour plant in Chicago
alone covers with it's buildings and grounds
100 acres. Its cold-storage buildings and chill
rooms occupy forty acres, As the residue of
the product in 1898 the firm manufactured and
turned out not less than b.5OO.000 pounds Of
glue. 10000 tons OF fertilizers. grease. &c. and
an enormous quantity tthe figures are not OBJ
tainnblel OF bones. hoofs and horns. Not a
single pound OF all this residue is lost. Every
thing. in fact. is utilized.
A short visit to the great Armour plant can
uholu llIllt NO uulIOu as W us eAtetlt. lot
weeks might be probably spent in investigat-
ing the methods employed in canning and
preserving meats. Through the courtesy OF
Arthur Meeker. who is the stock yards depart
REPRESENTATIVE Of THE Sun saw this week the
entire w9rking system Of the great canning in
ehisf re H5 emiGnE9; ef T Bnt lit thts i% nfm m rs fne
could be gained from a casual inspection. the
explanations Q: the expert being necessary to
Beef canning as a process said Mr.. Meeker.
lis almost exactly similar to that used in put:
ting up corn. peas; asparagus. tomatoes and
other fish. and is what is known as the Appert
process. which was invented in 1909. 1t has
been well known to scientific. inquiry for the
entire period since the date Of its invention.
hut It's commercial use has been limited to the
past thirty years by manufacturers and d ealers
in canned meats. SO far nothing has been dis
would be dificult TO supersede the Appert pro-
cess, as Their" never has been any com plaint OF
bye by t fhf.e process' Y! .n have S9nt onrse Gt ssf bee put e up
gagged IL the business Of putting up canned
aged about 10000 900 pounds per annum The
first year we were engaged in this manutac;
pounds. and last year the canned goods OF, diff
fercnt kinds manufactured by us reached an
1T should be understood that canned roast
and canned corned beer are not, put up as
steaks or roasts fresh from the block. You viii
find that yon must pay all the way from II to
H. The or sa sSGp p q Gents sas meat |" Rso1 and d SfsP|Ss s ens: u 6Bar
canned roast beef and our canned corned beef
a aTe msn oi aSonfS ce nfs a put poun SP e Nc s reaso 51r as
c rSIs Of Soef at f tSnf nr to- get i sHt ! msst choice p dot
as makeshift and, others as a necessity. It. is
used very much in logging camps. by
Ties. 4r and, IN i hStopflit II is " d%csisned 5oe for
use where fresh meats are not readily
miles up the river Nile. in Africa to the plains
Us Used sdT very f %n" 'S SSS'b by AIRHsF nsSi e an 81 d ihfS snf
nations and upQn merchant, ships from every
tons Of the beef from which meat used in can
commercial, standpoint. OF course we do not
use the tSnderioin, the porterh9use. the round
ff rSm The eh fore His au ar q tee rom TSmsi the H Isgn %sat s i S1s
and when it is cooked, 1t is quite palatable
"nS + rS Ssfitalp 81 tR Rs b ns5r!'iOas as that in any
th sw What arr as d the snte aod products Of beef sold in
of course 9%r s" canned "Sfu corne d b s@,f and %ide To"sa b sTs:
but "hob besides sic these ,eo.T we put up OK to1Gues
bcneh chicken and turkey. ,potted aud deyilled
and vegetables; 'boneIesss pigs feet .'f EnsI i
s slsSn' ' Fran k PdsPsFeG and u Brat v1ssn" s saa:
sass; col w " !, solocna9 ons sSussa ami oxford ford
sausage: pork and beans. and some few
other articles which l do not at this moment
recall. Many Of these articles are rare delica-
cieSN | may especially mention the OK tongues
andtunch tongues and the, different styles Of
canned fowl. Fancy lunch tongues and OK
tongues sell as high as 30, or even As. cents a
pound. The finest quality OF goods is used in
preparing them. and Of course they are. more
expensive than the same. goods in a fresh con-
dltion at the meat markets. Their purposes
are entirely different from those OF the
canned roast and corned beef. which are In
ended as substitutes, for a more desirable
rticle, II is not likely that soldiers. sailors.
miners, prosnertors, or anybody else would
eat the canned beef in preference TO the fresh.
il the latter were obtainable. We do contend.
however. that for the price the roast and
corned beef put up, and canned in Chicago are
as wholesome food as can be furnished any
whore. The canned meats. including all the
articles ! have mentioned. are all manuiac-
tured by the Apnert process, which. indeed. is
the only one in general use anywhere.
Will, you describe the process with some
particularity z"
~ can in a general way. Suppose we take
corned and roast beef-the same process will
AnnlX to either. And In ORDER to give a fnir