The Detroit times., 1910-02-04
JUST ONE TURKEY
IN COLD STORAGE
Trip Through Murphy Plant Reveals
Absurdity of Wild Stories of Big
Food Supplies Held Up.

A trip through any OF Detroit Colu
storage plants just now Is not very
heartenipg thing Despite the many
statements that have been made OF
bLlging warehouses filed with goods
held FOR high prices. the actual con-
dition. as evidenced by real tour OF
inspection, Is that the warehouses are
almost empty.
Great chilly rooms seem all the
larger because of the vacant space
where meats. butter. eggs, vegetables
and fruit might be. indeed, If 1t were
not for the approach of spring the
outlook would be far from encourage
ing Constant shipments from the
smaller towns of the state make up
for the daily Withdrawals to a large
extent. but even SO the supplies have
materially decreased OF late. Only
apples continue to hold up to normal
in supply.
The modern cold storage warehouse
is a massive brick or concrete struc-
ture equipped with huge freight ele-
vators and divided into big. bare rooms
in which different foodstuffs are kept
at varying rates of temperature.
Meats must be kept at 10 TO II de.
grees. apples at 81 IL degrees. since
they freeze at % degrees, while other
things require other temperatures
Black pipes In which cold brine cir
culates are the means OF controlling
the temperature.
But the various lots are not thrown
together promiscuously. In each room
the different lots are kept together and
properly stamped. merchant who
has put 200 crates OF eggs in cold
storage does not get merely 200 crates
OF eggs when he makes his with
drawal, but the very identical 200
crates that he placed there A card
index gives ready reference to the
whole stock on hand as well as 10 the
stocks held by different customers.
Varied are the functions OF the cold
storage warehouse: in a way. 1t is the
bank in which perishaSiv food pro-
ducts are deposited as money is de
posted in a bank, to be withdrawn
when required. The small local
butcher or grocer may take his re-
serve stock. His meats are frozen
and held in safety, his eggs and but
ter are kept as they were when stored.
And when he is ready he checks them
out again
In another way the cold storage firm
is like bank, it carries its custom
ers TO a large extent by advancing
them money on their deposits Of pro-
duce. In fact. very large part Of the
surplus stock of food packed away In
these houses is carried on advances
from the cold storage houses or banks.
That is one thing that makes stor.
age far from a cheap proposition for
the Spectator. He CANDLES on mar
gin that eggs or butter or cheese will
go up in price, but he must pay cart
age. interest. insurance and storage
while he holds the goods in storage.
On a crate OF eggs containing 10
dozen. the storage is FIVE cents per
month
Naturally break I'm the market
brings out the goods which have been
held on margin. They are sold just
as stocks are sold by bank or broker
when the price has tumbled TO point
that seems dangerous, the Spectator
getting the balance back after all the
charges are paid. That is why cold
storage spectators are often losers.
For the purpose Of protecting itself,
as we'll as serving its customers, the
cold storage firms candles" a large
number OF the eggs stored. The can
die test shows the conditions OF the
eggs Instantly Sometimes the ware
house firm acts as commission
agency, but the rule OF the trade Is
that no commission other than the
storage charge be asked in such cases.
Meats require cold storage for u
certain time 10 be At to eat" stated
c. Hayward Murphy, OF the Murphy
Storage e. Ice Co But, as a general
rule, meats should not be held more
than six months. There are a great
many untrue and very harmful stories
In circulation in regard TO cold stor-
ege conditions and false impressions
have grown up. We want the truth
known. II is best for the public and
for our business"
There Is just one turkey in the
Murphy warehouse-and that is big
bird that Secretary Murphy won at a
rattle. Inspection Of various floors OF
this plant showed comparatively small
quantities OF butter, eggs and similar
commodities. The same condition pre-
walls in the other cold storage plants
Where there is capacity in big room
for thousands OF crates OF eggs, only
q hundred or so are 10 be seen. The
same is true OF butter and OF other
a ,,x.fe In