The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

slssSF. sHsssseA HE action of the execu-
j: ]: ] !. ]. ]. ].
Et@==IS tive committee of the
81 FE national labor organ
So ization known as the
Ea - Amalga mated Meat
80 - SSA Cutters and Butcher
Ii, s.sL - saslil$ Workmen of America
in ordering a strike
among the employees of all the meat
producing establishments in the coun-
try brought with it an enforced realiza-
ton of the magnitude of the industry.
This fact was demonstrated primarily
in the widespread discussion which in
stantly arose upon the immediate eff
feet of the order on the food supply.
AT the bare mention of stockyards
and packing houses the ever ready
mental apparatus hastens to suggest
Chicago. Although the assembling of
the raw material and its subsequent
conversion into food products are car
ried on extensively in many other To-
calities. Chicago is the center of the
meat producing activity of the country,
and its Union stockyards are still enti-
tied to a prominent place on a revised
list of the seven wonders of the modern
world.
The designation "stockyards' con-
veys little idea of what this enormous
aggregation of structures devoted to
the preparation of the meat supply &C
tually means The district includes i'm
mense packing houses, an exchange
building, banks. two daily newspap ers
devoted wholly to the interests of the
yards. the business Offices of hundreds
OF Arms. horse exchange and hun
dred and one other interdependent
businesses. Altogether the inclosed
space within the stockyards proper
covers more than 400 acres. of this
200 acres are reserved for yardage
alone The remainder is occupied by
the various packing houses and their
business satellites.
These stockyardS are entered through
a massive stone gateway. over the por-
tails OF which is inscribed the legend
"Union Observation-Disclosures 1866"
On entering, the visitor is impressed by
the orderly arrangement Streets in
tersect at right angles through the
blocks of pens. and each one of them
has its separate gate entrance. At con-
venient distances feed and store houses
<e located. and at suitable intervals
immense scales are placed. with little
omces beside them The pens them
selves are substantially built, and every
detail that can in any way contribute
TO the expeditions handling of the
thousands of animals received daily is
carefully provided This is the part of
Nhe StockyardS cOnIroued Dy the Union
etOckyards company. a combination
which represents an enormous capital
Around this central Enclosure. which
IS the original foundation of the pres
ont overgrown bovine suburb. are the
Buildings occupied by about forty
backing houses They have been ar
r1nRed in rather close proximity for
,-pe sake of convenience. and they cover
at least 800 acres. Among these vast
packing establishments the Armour
buildings alone cover more than forty
acres This single instance furnishes
suggestion of the floor space devoted to
this particular branch of the business.
The Armour plant alone has a door ca
pzcity of 125 acres. of which fully thir-
ty acres of area are given to cold sto--
age At all of the packing houses there
are also extensive pens for stock. from
which they are removed as required
&tp the main buildings, At Armour's