Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-19
AUGUSTA 4 LOCALS
R. NJ. WH|TSoN OF
SWIFT & co. SPEAKS
BEFORE R0TARIANS
Gives Splendid Lecture on "The
Meat Packing Industry in Am
erica" at Meeting Friday
Evening at Augusta House

There was large attendance at the
regular meeting of the Augusta Rotary
Club on Friday evening at the Augusta
House, 60. members and seven guests
being present, and all listened with
pleasure to an illustrated lecture upon
the subject. THE Meat Packing Indus
try in America" given by II. NJ. Whit
son of the advertising department OF
Swift & Co. of Boston. Mr.. Whitson
was brought before the Rotarians
through the courtesy of r. w. Pope,
local manager of the company. and the
lecture proved to be especially inter-
esting Preceding the lecture. the Ro-
tarians and their guests sat down to
supper Music for the meeting was fur
nshed by Dennis orchestra.
In opening the lecture Mr.. Whitson
stated that there are over 1641 packing
establishments in the United States
having federal inspection AS Ga per
cent of the population in the United
States lives east of Chicago and 20 per
cent. of the live stock is raised west of
Chicago, that city is the logical center
of the packing industry, particularly so
when Chicago's excellent rail and wa
ter shipping facilities are considered
the stock yards of 1861. which were de-
signed primarily to supply the 100000
hungry Chicagoans with fresh meat,
and the enormous yards as they are TO-
day He stated that under the modern
plan as practised by large packers the
cattle are brought into open competition
and are dressed by the thousands IN
stead of one or two at time.
Shn hnt 40
preston of the visitor to the stock
yards is one of vastness. for extending
as far as the eye can see are pens of
sleek looking cattle. He stated that live
stock shipped into the Union stock
yards is consigned to some commission
firm, members of the Live Stock Ex-
change, who charge the shipper small
commission for making the sale. Pic
lures were shown of the cattle brand
inspectors and of the buying of cattle.
and some interesting views were shown
of champion beef steers.
The ante mortem inspection was
spoken of by Mr.. Whitson and he
showed q view of a shipment OF d.
gester tankage fed hogs. From the
stock yards proper the speaker turn
ed the attention of his listeners to
the largest plant, that Of Swift IL Co..
who make a special feature of show
! ing visitors through the establishment
He stated that it was over 80 years
ago that Gustavus Swift borrowed S2o
from his father to buy heller, nav
ing an idea that if he bought q heller.
slaughtered it and sold it In town ne
| could make some money-and ne dld
| He made so per cent. on the $2O Tor ne
made all the profits, the stock yardS
companys, commission mans, pack
ers', transportation company's, whole
, saler's and retailers. picture OF
swift" dollar showed that four hfths
of the whole went to pay the farmers
for the live stock, and the smallest part
/ two and one-half per cent. went 10
the owners of the business as their
profit.
| The Rotarians and their guests by
means of the lecture and the pictures
were taken through every part or the
| Swift & Co establishment. They
were shown the final U. s. inspection,
the splitting of the backbone of the
| hogs, the pork cooler, the sugar cur
| ing of Swift's Premium hams, the
! inspecting and branding of Swifts
Premium hams, and the interior OF the
smoke house. Among the other inter-
esting features in the establishment
brought to the attention of those pres
ent were the making of sausage the
| office of the physician, a Safety FIRST
meeting the cafeteria, the loose wool
storage room, the refrigerating ma
chimes and the chemical laboratory.
Needless to say, every part OF the
splendid lecture was enjoyed by all.
| After the meeting Mayor Swift ex-
pressed the wish that every man, wo-
man and child in this city could nave
been in attendance to see the pictures
and listen to the talk.
The next meeting of the Rotary club
will be the annual meeting and Will
be held Friday, June /, at the Augusta