The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-10-20
BY MRS. A. L. MURRAY.

More than a hundred members of the
Hammond Woman's Club experienced
one of the most delightful events in
the club history last Saturday after
noon. In place of the regulation meet
Ing in the club rooms the women met
at the corner of State and Holman
streets where a special car was in
readiness to convey them to the fac
tory of the Reid-Murdoch company. At
the plant the company was greeted by
groups with special conductors Super
intendent Apoll, Assistant Superintend-
ent Geo. Lewke and C. W. Schlustmeyer
in charge.
A Mammoth Kitchen.
All departments were visited.
Through the fragrant spice and extract
rooms-past the shining big brass pre-
serve kettles-into the pickle building
to the syrup, salad dressing and pea
nut butter departments-to the box
factory-the printing press-the bot
tie roome the sealing and labelling de-
partments--down to the stock rooms
In the basement-even to the furnaces
the women went, looking, questioning
and approving. 1t was all worthy of
appreciation. Everything was orderly,
immaeulately clean and smelled good.
SpotIess-ImmacuIat
A rev hgufeS Will give an Idea OF
the magnitude of the plant. During
the salad dressing season three thous-
and dozens of eggs are used daily
Forty thousand bushels of pickles are
in brine in the picking watts during the
winter. Five hundred acres of toma-
toes and two hundred acres of cab
bage are contracted for each summer.
One hundred metal casks of olive oil
are imported from Spain in a year.
! Salt is bought by the load. No
water is used except from the COM
pany's own wells An account of the
immense stock is taken twice every
week. The milk bill is five dollars a
month. Milk bill9 For the eight cats
which keep the plant free from mice
Pickles Most Appealing.
! In the olive department thirty-two
cans are filled in one minute by ma
chinery. Seven hundred and fifty doz-
EN- bottles of olives are filled in one
i day and six hundred dozen bottles of
pickles.
| 1t would be difficult to say which de-
partment appealed most to the visitors
The pickle department was perhaps
the most commented on. Indeed forty
thousand bushels of pickles are a sight
to bring forth exclamation. Preserves
though. dear to every housewife
and it was the privilege of the women
to see kettle Of jam started In the
preserving department there are
| twenty shining brass kettles, each
| holding forty gallons and heated by
steam jackets In one minute from the
| time the fruit and sugar were placed in
! the kettle it was boiling. a man stir
red it occasionally with a wooden pad
die. when asked how he knew when it
was done he replied "oh when it
drops thick from my paddle" just as
any housewife would have done.
\ SumPtuous Spread.
| After the tour of the factory had
been made the guests were taken to
the labelling department where a very
them Mr.. c. =. Schumacher. Supt of
Miss Clara Green had arranged three
long tables in a most tasteful manner
with the club colors, yellow and white
as the color scheme on the tables
were all the appointments of well
ordered tea tables with plates of waf-
ers and bowls of olives relishes
mincemeats, jams all the delicious
products of the Reid Murdoch com
pany. After the visitors had tasted
and exclaimed and tasted again. they
were further surprised by being pre-
sented with souvenirs of three tiny
pots of jam daintily wrapped in one
package.
! 1t was delightful visit and the club
| is indebted to its president Mrs. Ralph
| w. Ross for her idea of visiting the
Reid Murdoch factory and to the man