The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-09
CHANGES N
PACKING PLANTS
Good That Has Come From
Refrigerating Cars.
BETTER MEAT FOR ALL
Has Also Improved the Mar
ket Conditions.
BETTER MEAT FOR ALL

William E. Curtis. writing IN the
Chicago Record-Herald. says:
J. Ogden Armour has given me some
very interesting information concerning
the rise and progress of the packing
business.
Under the old methods of packing
beef and hogs" said EIr Armour, 1.-The
entire edible product, with the excep-
ton of that sold as fresh meat, was cured
and sold in the shape of hams, bacon,
sides, dried beef, corned beef, etc. The
first decided change in the method of
handling meats for shipment was the
adoption of the Appert process of can
ming for their preservation. This pro-
cess gave largely increased radius
to the shipment of meats over that pre-
viously accessible and greatly extended
| the territory in which business could be
done
Following this came the travelling
refrigerator car, which enabled the
packer TO ship fresh meats over the rail-
roads of the country and they were thus
enabled to establish branch offices in all
/ the larger markets and ship the fresh
beef for distribution TO the CONSUMER.
This same priciple of refrigeration wss
| extended TO steamers, when it became
possible TO ship refrigerated meats to
| Europe and markets were still further
| enlarged for us Before the great
! introduction of canning and the use Of
/ the refrigerator car il was the custom
OF the eastern packer TO buy cattle and
hogs on the hoof and to ship them east
alive. A sharp pencil quickly figured out
however, that it was more economical
to slaughter the cattle in the west and
ship only the edible portion of the meat
to the east where it was turned over
TO the butcher for distribution Paying
freight on the water contained in the parts
thrown away was found to be expensive.
The utilization Of the nonedible portion
at the packing house soon became a
necessity in order to make a profit and
now the finished charges are increasing
enormously the voiumne of manufact-
ture at the point of origin.
These economies gave the western
eastern packer in marketing his goods
and securing trade. This course. result
ted in cheaper beef TO the eastern con-
sumner and was Of great economic bene-
III. My father saw the possibilities in
its early days and did not wait until
economic conditions forced the utilizs-
ton Of by-products. He began a search
for sub articles as could be made from
the refuse and built plants for their
manufacture. With this advantage over
competition he was enabled TO pay more
for hogs and cattle and yet sell the pro-
duct for less money than those not max
ing use of by-product utilization BY
steady, persistent pushing for trade and
constant additions to his branch hou-
ses he was enabled to develop in COM
paratively short time. a very large bust
ness When the refrigerator car system
was first inaugurated the railroads could
not supply the necessary equipment. y
much better refrigerator car is needed
for the transportation of meats than is
required for less perishable products
Instead Of waiting for the railroads to
build cars in which to ship the product.
this delaying the development Of the
DANlLfcs lie bulAA inc iClllScIdlOI cars
himself. so that he was not hampered
by lack of transportation in taking care
OF the rapidly increasing demand for
dressed beef in the eastern markets.
Both the live stock grower and the
consuming public have been greatly bene-
fitted by the introduction and develop
ment of these methods in the packing
business Today the grower Of live stock
in the corn belt or in the grazing section
knows that he can feed any number Of
cattle Of any grade and ship them 10
any of the large packing markets any
day and sell them for cash. taking only
the ordinary commercial risks connected
with stock growing. In the old days
i. was different. He had to ship his
cattle to market and perhaps wait a
number of days before they could be
sold. The demand was limited and the
range of distribution for the product
was small The live stock business is
now a stable. profitable part OF agrieul-
ture
The manufacturing and mining sec
tons Of the country. as a rule, have not
produced food sufficient properly TO feed
the lsboriug. population. Under old con-
ditons. with limited transportation from
western ranges very high prices for
fresh meats were paid by the consumer
and only restricted consumption OF the
best food was possible. Today with the
new methods. fresh meats can be I
secured in New England or in the min
ing sections OF the country upon the (
basis of the Chicago market. Plus the /
freight rate.
The mill worker. the miner and the |
sailor are enabled TO live better at /
much lower average cost than under the |
old spstem and many people now ind |
employment IN the manufacture Of by |
products. where under the old system. /
opportunities for such employment were /
rare. These changes have been gradual.
but persistent. They ase based on sound I
economic foundation and have therefore
cone 10 stay.
The packing and dressed beef bust I
ness Is nor a monopoly b. any means
continued Mr. Armour There are al
most one thousand different firms in the
United States engaged in that business.
as shown by the census e ls9o-snore
than ST any date for the l.st afty years.
except in lSs0-and the capital invested
now amounts 70 nearly Scoo Ok. ooa
Besides these packing houses the
farmers all over the country kal millions
Ct stock for their own use. Some 81
Them. near the markets. velc tho car
cass OF portions OF il 10 butchers. Ac-
rs,~.7frr 1