The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-25
How Uncle Sam Buys His Supplies

the chief subsistence OTnceT, ana us
business is as carefully done as that
Of any great factory or trust. The
purchases are in bulk and the prices
are cut to the minimum. Competitive
are gotten as to everything n
the government buys where it can the
best and the cheapest.
California products, FOR instance,
are shipped down by sea 70 save the
cost Of railroad transportation over
the continent. Some goods are
bought in Europe and shipped, direct
to Panama Tropical fruits come
from Jamaica and the other Islands
Of the West Indies, contracts for fresh
meats are made annually at Chicago
on the basis of a percentage above or
below the sale of live animals in the
stock yards as reported in the
DrOver's Journal. and by the Specifi-
cations only the highest class OF meat
can be sold. The meat is SO care
fully packed and shipped that Of the
1000, 900 pounds not twenty pounds
livered as fresh as though it came
from a first-class butcher shop in
Chicago.
n greatest ARE is taken as to The
shipment Of goods, all perishable stuff
coming in cold storage chambers,
and that in such a way that the loss
is borne by the shipper. Many Of the
supplies are bought in bulk and put
up in packages here. Some are
manufactured on the ground. and, in
fact. a mighty business is carried on
at the lowest possible cost.
The government has a chemical
laboratory to test its purchases, that
it may know whether they are up to
sample. 1t weighs everything. and it
has weights and measures sent down
by the bureau Of standards at Wash
ipgton. Some OF the scales are so
fine that they will weigh a pencil mark
or a hair. In fact, / pulled out an
eye-winker and laid it upon one OF
them. The test was made inside
glass and the needle indicated that 1t
weighed one-teH- thousandth Of a
gram.
The Government Colo Storage Plant.
But we can see something Of this
feature Of Uncle Sans business here
at Cristobal. Let us first enter the
cold storage plant. This is made OF
cement and it covers acres. The
building is one Of the largest in tho
world, and it is SC arranged that the
goods % be taken from the ships
to the cold storage chambers and
from them direct TO the cars which
carry them to the retail stores and
the consumers. There is n train
which goes out every morning.
Before entering the colo storage
plant. we are warned to beware Of the
cold. 1t is hot here in the tropics and
the freezing chambers are almost as
cold as the pole. The men bring us
overcoatS, ANA we jump from the heat
to the colo Our first DOR is a vege-
table cooler, the temperature Of which
is fifty degrees below that on the
outside Of the building. We are in g
long hall about fifty feet wide filled
with bales and boxes OF vegetables
and fruit. There are tables at the
sides at which men are sorting pota'
toes, ~cabbages. cucumbers and celery,
picking out the bad and throwing
away anything hat is decayed or no.
up to sample. There are also pine
apples and grape fruit from the Wes'
Indies, and as we pass the men tel
us that they are now selling $4,000
oranges and grape fruit every week
I ask what the grape fruit Is worth
and the cold-storage man replied:
w are now selling them for
cents apiece, although the price quot
Ell at home is s cents and upward
Further on they are sorting lettuce
and lemons. The lettuce comes from
New Orleans, the lemons from ia
maica.
Eggs, Butter and Cheese.
Passing through rooms kept cool b.
the dry air system, we enter stOrag'
halls devoted to eggs, butter an'
cheese. The cheeses are kept b!
themselves. They are OF all sorts
from some as big as a wagon vince
to other no larger around tina tn
palm Of your hand. This is KEEP
cool by the brine system. and tn
pipes which line it are covered will
, snow.
:, a little farther on is the egg cooler
, which is also lined with brine pipes
, It is filled with crates Of fresh egg
which are now being sold at the rat
Of 10000 a day. Every 8 has t
be tested before it leaves this col
q room, and over there at the RICH
yru nay see the process Of testing.
: is done by means of a box, in whiC
d an electric light shines. The box
8 closed except for a hole the size c
an egg in one side. The man take
8 an egg and places it over this hole
II it is good the light shines RICH
through and makes it look like q
y egg OF real gold. If it Is bad the eg