The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-09-10
The Cattle of Uruguay

letin, issued at Washington. D. c.
something over hundred years ago
the hacendados Ganchmen) of Gr-
uguay complained 10 the government
that over 100000 head of cattle
/ were being killed annually for their
hides alone! The carcasses were
| thrown to the dogs, or left on the
rolling pampas for the vultures to de-
YOUR Beef in Uruguay was so plenti-
full that it was something of a nuts
ance evidently. OF course that day
has passed, but they still have cattle
enough down there to convert some
100000 head into 113,000,000 pounds
of jerked beef in one year. most of
which is sold to Brazil, Cuba, Porto
Rico, and other tropical countries.
Think of the juicy tenderloins of 700,-
600 head of cattle going into jerked
beef!
Again, there are many thousands of
Uruguayan cattle annually converted
into extract of beef Perhaps but few
people know that the first great fac
tory for the production of beef extract
known to the world was established at
Fray Bentos, little city on the Uur-
quay River, about 100 miles above
Buenos Aires, the cosmopolitan capital
of Argentina. and that it is still doing
business at the same old stand al
though the stand has grown enor-
mously larger since the time it be-
came the pioneer in the beef-tea in
dustry. The worldwide reputation
of this concern is perhaps largely due
to the high grade of the cattle of Uru-
quay, as well as to the clearly and
scientific manner of the preparation OF
the product The writer of the arti-
Gle in the Bulletin states:
Fray Bentos has been called the
greatest kitchen in the world. On
some days, 2500 head of cattle are
slaughtered. then treated so as to get
the finest meat from them, the bones
and ribs, the intestines, tails, sineWs,
hoofs, and other parts being reserved
for their various uses. But this spec
ial meat is subjected to scientific pre-
paration; it is cooked, to be sure, in a
real Kitchen and with the best posi-
bic care and attention to detail. There
are chemists, laboratories, engineers,
and authorities on technical matters
all engaged in cooking the beef so as
to turn it out in the most acceptable
form as the well-known and popular
extract The company is organized
with system of help to the employees,
for improving their physical, material
and moral welfare. 1t maintains an
almost model city around its factory,
and has a reputation for enterprise
and fair dealing which gives it an
enviable place in the business world "
OF more interest to the people of
the United States, however is the fact
that Uruguay has upwards of 100000
head of cattle and 29000,000 sheep on
its fertile plains, and that it will very
soon be taken into serious considera-
ton as a source of meat supply for
the great republic of the north Dur
ing the first four months of 1914 the
United States imported meat to the
value of $1,230752 from Uruguay. If
the months of March and April may be
taken as criterian the annual i'm
portation Will amount to about $1,000
900, and the trade is as yet in its first
stages. With the rise in price of re-
frigerated beef Uruguay can be de
pended upon as being an important
factor in the markets of the world.
and instead of converting its fine cat
tie into jerked beef. new Tefrigerating
plants will be sending chilled or fro
zen quarters to New York by the ship
load The demand exists now, and
the only question is how much can
Uruguay supply? With 37,500,o 900
acres of its territory devoted to pas
ture and grazing the sturdy little
country ought to cut some consider
able figure.