The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-06
A Fearful Arraignment
Of the Amour Packing Co.

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In the current number Of Every
bodys Magazine, Mr.. Upton Sinclair
presents an array Of facts and figures
regarding the killing Of diseased ami
mails at the Armour packing houses
which are as revolving to every sense
Of morals and decency as they are
startling in the criminal conditions
which they describe.
Mr.. Sinclair shows by the afidavits
and statements Of employees Of the
Armour Packing Company that the
carcasses Of animals AFFLICTED with
'1umpy jaw" tuberculosis, gangrene,
and cholera, are regularly worked up
into food for consumption by the public
at large, and that the condemnation
Of meat by government inspectors Is
IN many cases openly disregsrded by
the packing house authorities.
He quotes the testimony Of a former
superintendent Of the Armour slaugh-
ter houses to the effect that he had
"seen cattle come into Armour's stock
yard so weak and exhausted that they
expired in the cOrrals, where they lay
for an hour or two. until they were
afterward hauled in, skinned, and put
on the market for beef or into the cal
ming department for cans. It was the
custom to make a pretense Of killing
in such cases. The cOagulated blood
IN their veins was too sluggish TO
Gov, and instead OF getting five gal
Ions Of blood, which is the amount
commonly taken from a healthy steer,
g mere dark-red clot would form at
the wound. In other words. the Ar
mour establishment was selling car
rion."
This same man further makes afi-
davlt that
whenever a beef got past the yard
inspectors witt a case OF lumpy Jaw
and came into the slaughter house or
the "killing-bed," / was authorized by
Mr.. Pierce to take his head OF, thus
removing the evidences of lumpy jaw,
and after casting the smitten portion
into the tank where refuse goes, TO
send the rest Of the carcass on its way
TO market
In cases where tuberculosis became
evident TO the men who were sldning
the cattle il was their duty, on in
structions from Mr.. Pierce, communi-
Gated to them through me, at once to
remove the tubercles and cast them
into q trap-door provided for that pur-
pose.
have seen as much as forty pounds
OF flesh afflicted with gangrene cut
from the carcass of a beef, in order
that the rest Of the animal might be
utilized in trade
One Of the most important regula,
tons Of the Bureau Of Animal Indus
try is that no cows in calf are to be
placed on the market. Out Of q slaugh-
ter OF 1000 COWS, or a days killing.
perhaps one-half are with calves. NY
instructions from Mr.. Pierce were to
dispose Of the calves by hiding them
until night, or until the inspectors left
Of duty. The little carcasses were
then brought from all over the pack.
ing house and skinned by boys, who
received two cents for removing each
pelt. The pelts were sold for fifty
cents each to the kid glove manufac-I
turers This occurs every night at
NJ. Armour's concern at Chicago, or
after each killing OF cows.
mr.. Sinclair writes that man AFTER
man In the Armour packing plant told
him that they had seen rats, perhaps
poisoned rats at that, ground up into
sausage meat, and he concludes his
article as follows:
Writing in a magazine Of large cir
culation and influence, and having the
foor AL to himself, Mr.. Armour spoke
serenely and boastfully Of the quality
e his products, and challenged the
world to impeach his integrity, but
when he was brought into court charg.
"a with crime by the commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania, he spoke in a diner
enf tone, and to q different purport;
be said guilty" de pleaded this to-
. criminal indictment for selling pre-
served" minced ham in Greenburg,
and paid the fine Of $50 and costs. He
pleaded guilty again in Shenandoah,
Pa. on June Is, 1905. to the criminal
charge OF selling adulterated block
Welrst; and again he paid the fine Of
$50 and costs. Why should Mr.. Ar
mour be let on with fines which are
or less consequence 10 him than the
price Of a postage stamp to you or TO
me, instead OF going 10 Jail like other
convicted criminals who DO not hap
pen 10 be millionaires?
ITS now up to Mr.. Armour 70 show