The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-18
TWO GREAT SLAUGHTER
HOUSES IN CITY OF CHICAGO

Today I spent Two hours each In
eeing Chicago's two greatest slaugh-
er houses. Both are world-renowned
nd Justly 20. ! did not rec all OF
ither. but found some very definite
npressions based on first-hand
newledse.
l. Armour = Co.'S Plant
The hrst Of these was the plant OF
re Armour Packing company--the
irgest In the world. IL covers ninety
isht acres Of ground. has $4,000
quare feet Of moor space. employs
1,oe0 workmsn in the plant and
$50 In the once. Last year it, vol
me OF business was nearly $780,
10000 more than the year before.
nd far psased The billion dollar
nark. III plant ID capitalized at
100000. and u valued at $11S.-
10000. Tho net profits last year
Dove the regular dividend amounted
310.oooJ0ee--A margin that small
aAtch-lees than one-hfth OF one per
lent On the volume or business
A lot has been ssid in this country
bont the iniquity Of big business"
have long since learned to appre-
0int was wonderfully reinforced by
fhat saw q thu Armour plant
e4f. pork. mutton. ana all meat pro-
ucts are high today. but 1t staggers
10 imagiu&tion 10 consider how high
1ey wouldsb - but Tor the great pack
nG houDs1 where the slaughtering
Ind preparation of meat for the peo-
len consumption have become a fine
N based IN the principles Of science.
The FIRST impression Of the great
liant 10 that here q great mind has
cen At work. That impression will
70 with you as you take your leave.
p one corner Of one of the buildings
cu will be shown little engine Of
hirty-hve horsepower. Fifty years
Eo \ was ample to supply all the
[ower needed by Armour g. Co. To-
|ay $4,000 horsepower groan under
helr burden. Fifty years ago. beef.
|ork mutton were the desiderate OF
foduction, They are today. but 200
ind more by-products have been dis
overed and beef. pork and mutton
oday sell for less in the wholesale
1arket, though live stock prices have
rebled In tho meantime. than they
ID q half century back. By-product
tiiixation IL the explanation of cheap
oeats and packerg millions at once.
hey do not lose anything-not even
be sQueal OF the slaughtered animals.
khich IL preserved on Photographs
md sold the public.
1t La q krueAomA process--this of
Frovtding the worlds meat, but since
must be done. the packers make 1t
=. civilized as possible. Your first
scent into the mortuary business Is
the pork department. Here i5,-
- AZ a.,
nd one man sticks them all, Each
|oE 10 presented to him. head down.
anging by one leg He sewers the
rtery of the neck and the travelling
rack pitches him (the hog) into the
utomatic scaiding vat just as the life
las passed out Before the hog is
eady to be shipped many hundred
men have done a small part OF his dis
nemberment. The minuteness Of the
operations and the magnincence OF
he business stagwer the mind.
Much the same may be said OF the
attic and sheep department The
Attle are given knock out blow
nd. while stunned. pitched out by
Using platform upon the floor. where
man In waiting hangs each one by
both hind legs to a moving linel
Fhere specialized strokes soon trans
inmate with life into the various
uts Of beef. The sheep are slaugh-
cred after the manner OF the hogs
,hree thousand five hundred cattle
Ind twelve thousand sheep are butch
red each day.
/ haven't time to tell OF the various
Departments, laboratories. factories
connected with the giant establish
nent and which utilize every vestige
IL every animal whose life Is taken.
( 10 the most marvellous piece Of
Nlciency have ever seen. Every
nAn 10 at hin place. There seem to
u no bosses, % smoothly, noiselessiy
|o~s everything operate. High spe-
|ialiaation and ideal organization ex-
balm II all.
I must say a word about the in
Dection matter and what I may be
privileged to call adaptability. You
he'd never he afraid to eat Armour
Co.'S products. A government In
pector 10 present in every direction.
me surprisin9 thing Is the number
b. animals held up--some before
iauGhtering. some at one stage OF
he process OF dism emberment and
Icme At another. Every gland and
pther possible lurking place OF dis
ass II subjected to scientific scrutiny
by An expert II gives you a mighty
comfortable feeling after you get out
Ade and think II all over The pre-
udice against Western beef" as It
called, should give way to vigor-
bus demand for II. or at least for
conditions OF slaughtering and in
pection on the same basis OF santa
ion and effciency.
The adaptability of the business IL
Equally celebrating and marvellous.