The San Francisco call., 1906-06-04
BAD MEAT
FRESHENED
WITH PAINT
Packing-HOuse Secrets
Revealed by Ex-
Manager.
Oil, Brushes and PreServ-
atives Used to De- :.
ceive Public.
TaintedHams Given Coat
ing Of Liquid Known
as "Smokelin."
Special pispatch to The CAL.

CHICAGO. June 3. = How the big
packing companies supply managers OF
their branch houses in various cities
with the necessary materials and para
phernalia for "doctoring up" spoiled
and tainted meat in order that it may
be sold for human consumption is de-
scribed by w. A Reeves. a former
branch house manager for the Armour
and other packing companies. He de-
clares that while the packers impose
upon the retail dealer and the public
generally they are ably assisted by GER
tain Butchers in every section of the
country. who are willing TO handle any
thing so long as they get it cheaply
enough These dealers are known in
the vernacular of the packing business
as dumping grounds"
When the branch house. according to
Reeves. has sent out the same quarter
of beef two or three times to honest
retailers who refuse TO accept il at any
price. it goes as a last resort to the
dumping ground at bargain prices
and is then disposed of to the ignorant
and unSOphisticated consumers in some
form or another. usually sausage. after
with 'freezaline" or other preserva-
tives
NO MEATS THROWN AWAY.
INSTANCES.
Reeves. while / was running the
branch house for the Armours at Free
port. when two fore quarters of beef
were shipped out three different times
and each time returned. They were
past hope of doctoring up by US. and
nothing ever goes back TO the packing
house. while the manager is expected to
dispose of everything he receives. Those
beeves went to the local dumping
ground
I'VE had another dumping ground
at Rockford. The man there runs four
retail markets. On one occasion we
had twelve fore quarters of beef the
stencil from which was fearful The
Rockford dumping ground man bought
them at cents a pound
Frequently in the summer time the
blow flies get at hams and other
smoked meats which are left exposed.
The retailer sends the hams back to
the branch house. and then the doctors
go to work. A bucketful of brine. a
scrubbing brush and some sweet oil,
all furnished TO the branch houses by
the packers. will do wonders for the
rejected ham. The ham is washed and
scrubbed in a brine. then it is hung up
to dry, and nice coat of sweet oil
gives it a brand new and appetizing
appearance. whereupon it is sent along
to the next butcher.
n DLOWN4
I'm the case of rejected beef or pork
all that is done at the branch house is
to trim away the infected parts and
send the meat out TO try it's luck once
more. As a last resort there is always
the dumping ground The cheaper
grades of ham are not smoked at all.
because smoking and drying mean
shrinkage. and shrinkage of any kind
is directly opposed to the business prin-
ciples of the packers.
In order that the public may at least
live under the impression that it is
eating real smoked and cured hams
the hams are left in pickle several days
and then painted a seductive brown
with a preparation known as smoke
lin" or liquid smoke" Very few OF
the cheaper grades of hams. picnic
hams or California hams (the latter
being shoulders) ever saw the inside OF
a smokehouse-
AS far as the alleged filthy conditions
under which sausage is made in the
packing houses is concerned. Reeves
said he never had seen decayed meat
used. but he had seen dirty meat which
had lain on unwasned floors thrown
into the hoppers-