The Delta independent., 1920-08-13
DELTA'S PACKING PLANT
is MODEL OF NEATkESS

Few people realize what a valuable
asset the packing plant just opened
up by the Colorado Packing Corpora
tion, is. Yet it is a big proposition
and one deserving of far more recog-
milton than has heretofore been as
cribed to it.
We have told from time to time of
the immense buildings, the main build
ing 72x190 feet, supported entirely by
trusses; of the two-story warehouse.
the platform for loading. etc, but
never until we paid the plant visit
on busy day, with the hum of end
less machinery, the hustle and rush
of busy day, did we fully appreciate
the situation.
We are pushing individual, and af-
ter standing at the door with our edi-
torial tongue hanging out for a while,
We boldly entered and by skillfully
asking a question here and there
from employees when the floor boss
wasn't looking. wised up, bit before
We ran afoul of the superintendent,
Mr. Otis Schlaff. Well, he wasn't
very angry and pretty soon he took
us through the place explaining the
various processes through which the
fruit and vegetables pass.
On the day of our visit there were
lis girls and women at work, but Mr..
Schlaff explained that some days the
number was only about half that
many. Each worker has a peeling
receptacle, which is nothing less than
a small sized sink, white enameled
and fitted with a tiny faucet. One
thing we liked, too. was the stools
provided for each worker. with a sure
enough back. 1t was nice looking
bunch of ladies, too, and all neat
enough to work anywhere Some of
our best girls are there earning money
with which to go to school this year.
which is a lot more honorable than
lounging at home sponsing off of pa
and proudly boasting that their only
accomplishment is to make fudge
The refuse from the fruit or vege-
tables is dumped into a carrier run
ming underneath the table, while an
other carrier automatically operated,
runs along the top. and on this The
kettles of fruit are placed ami carried
to the filling table.
many II uAtc anu NSSCtdoiSS are LII
ed by machinery. but on the day of
our visit apricots were being canned
and the cans we're filled by hand,
then placed n-another carrier and
run under large kettle of syrup
This syrup was 40 per cent sugar
The cans then passed through steam
box, then out and into the capper
This capper is a modern wonder, and
will cover 10000 cans in an eight
hour day.
From the capper the cans are car
ried to a large steam vat and cooked.
then disgorged onto carrier and in
to the cooler. They are then placed
in large round steel baskets and Ia
ken to the warehouse. They are then
skillfully piled and within the next
few weeks labelling machine which
has not yet been uncrated. will put
on the finishing touches to Deltas
home products. This machine is to
be driven by an electric motor,
One piece of machinery worthy of
note is an immense tomato filler into
the hopper of which the tomatoes are
dumped when prepared. and automati-
cally placed in cans. This machine
will fill 10000 cans in a 10-hour day.
| In the rear of the factory building
are four large retorts in which beans.
asparagus and such vegetables are
/ cooked under PAT pounds steam pres
sure for 80 minutes.
Each can Is stamped with a code
so that those in charge can read the
year, month and day and the kind of
fruit contained therein.
Apricots are canned in three grades,
40 per cent sugar. 80 per cent sugar
and pie fruit without any sugar at all.
| Next week canning of cling peaches
and Bartlett pears will begin.
| The second floor of the warehouse
will be occupied by empty cans. A
pit has been dug and cemented for q
boiler room. so that proper heat will
be supplied for the plant during the
winter.
In the rear of warehouse is a ce
ment loading platform with capacity
of four carloads.
Taking 1t all around. this part oi
Delta's industries promises to be one
of the most important in the city
The plant Is capable of putting out
from 10000 to 10000 cans of fruit ol
vegetables in an eight-hour day, al
though it is not as yet running to ful