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TUESDAY, JULY IT.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE
PACKING INDUSTRY AS
SEEN BY THE VISITOR
QUESTIONS BROUGHT ABOUT BY
RECENT NEWSPAPER CRITI
CISM AND "THE JUNGLE.”
THE RAW MEAT PRODUCT
Proceue* Employed In Slaughtering,
Dreasing a"d the Refrigeration of
the Meat We Get from the Western
Establishments.
(By JAMES J. CHAFEE.)
The Southern people, absorbed as
they are for she most In peaceful ag
ricultural pursuits, have hut small op
portunity to look Into the great man
ufacturing establishments of the
North, and except In those cases
where Augustans are fortunate
enough to he able to spend
a part of their time fn greater
Industrial centres, they have only a
fcearsay knowledge of the methods
and practices employed by the im
mense industry which feeds millions
upon millions of persons every year.
It has often been said that the north
and the south do not understand each
other, a statement that would seem
to bear some truth when we hear of
Mr. Theo. Prices recent remark ovei
the wires that "all Southern men are
liars." While Mr. Price should cer
tainly be an authority on the subject
of lying, it Is pleasanter and more
polite to attribute his remark to a
mistaken impression. On the other
hand, however, we, in this locality
have during the past few weeks
heard, and believed many statements
regarding northern business methods
that on second and more serious
thought appear almost impossible of
comprehension. Many persons In this
section have read with mingled
wonder and disgust Mr. l T pton Sin
clair's novel, “The Jungle.” They
have read of alleged conditions in
the great packing industries that
would turn the slomaeh of a hungry
cur and force a decent house eat to
subsist In the future upon rats alone,
whether she might find them alive or
dead. They have read of murderous
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The first operation after the cattle e nter the killing room. The knocker
is seen here preparing to strike a steer.
mixtures of filth being stuffed into
cans and sausage casing, of disgust
ing substances tit only for the sewer
being made into lard and of unnat
urally born calves labe'.el chicken.
And also for a great industry they
have believed all and exaggerated
th horror to thir frinds.
It is thus the purpose of The Her
ald to give to its readers first hand
some idea of what any visitor may
see In a tour of one of Cnicago's
great packing houses. That the al
leged conditions in those establish
ments have been ridiculously exag
gerated is apparent to one even with
out a knowledge of their methods.
Notwithstanding this belief, how
ever, The Herald’s correspondent
started for Chicago with strong preju
dices against the packers, having abs
tained from the smallest morsel of
their products for six weeks previous.
The fact that after half a day’s in-
Tutt’sPills
After eating, persons of a bilious habit
will derive great benefit by taking one
of these pills. If you Have been
DRINKING TOO MUCH,
they will promptly relieve the causes,
SICK HEADACHE —.
and nervousness which follows, restore
the appetite and remove gloomy feel
ings. Elegantly sugar coated.
Take No Substitute.
«v gjimf , < -'*'
The four great plants of Morris & Co. are shown in this photograph, th e Chicago plant in the lower picture
spection of the plant of Nelson, Mor
ris & Co., the same representative
went direct from the killing floor to
the company’s case and heartily en
joyed a meal consisting largely of
their product is significant of the
tact that some mistakes must have
bepn made hr recent critics.
Though parts of other establish
ments were visited, the plant of Nel
son, Morris & Co., was for several
' reasons that chosen as the subject
|of inspection and this article. The
I career of the chief owner of this huge
concern, sometimes justly called
I' King of the Parkers,” Is an interest-
ing one. He is now the only one of
the original “Big Four” left. Born
in the Black Forest in 1839, he came
to this country at the tender age of
112 years, going to Chicago from Con
necticut in 1854. Not. having money
! to pay his fare he walked a part, of
the way. He obtained a job driving
1 cattle at $5 per month, and saved $35
j the urst year. Some time later
while still working as a driver he be
gan to speculate In dead hogs for
grease making purposes, afterwards
buying and killing a few cattle which
he sold in his own shop. He began
business at the present location of
the yards in 1865. His butchering
business grew until in 1879 he found
ed the Arm of Nelson, Morris & Co.
Mr. Nelson Morris has always been
a live stock man first and a packer
second, and has spent thousands of
dollars in experiments for the benefit
of the live stock Industry. He was
first to introduce cotton seed in Texas
for feed and first to bring pure bred
stock to Texas and attempt to breed
up the old Texas steer. The experi
ments showed him that Pollod-Angus
and Galloway were the two breeds
best suited to that country, and on his
ranch near Midland, Texas, he now
has the largest, herds of these animals
in the country.
The result of Mr. Nelson Morris ex
periments in Texas has been the
gradual abolition of the old Texas
steer and its replacement by prime
beef cattle. Grass fed cattle from
Tpxhs are becoming rarer every year
though a few years back, nothing else
was shipped out of that state. A per
petual supply of fed stock Is now avail
able and as a result, some packers
have found it possible to romnienee
slaughter at Fort Worth, Texas.
Few persons realized the immensity
of the modern packing establishment.
Shortly after present firm had been
established the Fairbank Canning com-
Ipany, a part of the firm of Nelson
] Morris & Co., sent out its first can
of goods. Since then the establish
jment has been constantly growing and
| packing houses have been opened at.
Kansas City, St. Joseph and St. Louis.
| The combined buildings of these four
: points cover a space of 150 acres.
From that time to the present the
firm has grown rapidly. Repeated
additions have been made to the Chi
cago plant, and in adldtion packing
houses have been opened at St. Louis,
St. Joseph and Kansas City. The com
bined buildings of these four points
covers a floor space exceeding 150
acres. The Chicago house alone is so
large, it is said, that were a man to
walk through, opening each door that
he came to. It would take him a full
working day of ten hours, or some
thing over, to do it.
The development of the packing in
dustry has been probably the most
significant thing connected with the
rapid growth of Chicago. It is the
only great industry which is distinct
ly American, and with the probable
exception of the steel industry, it is
the largest of all that. America has
either originated or adopted from oth
er countries.
The existence of the packing In
dustry as it is today is almost entirely
due to the work of four men, Nelson
Morris. Philip r>. Armour, Gusfavus F.
Swift and O. H. Hammond. Of these
four, the pioneer, and the only sur
vivor, is Mr. Nelson Morris.
The packing house Mr. Morris open
ed June 17th, 1879, consisted of four
departments—the fresh meats depart
ment, the hide department, the oleo
department and the canning depart
ment. The packing house he runs to
day consists of seventy departments,
each one of which has been made
necessary by the changed conditions
surrounding the slaughtering and sale
of animal food products. These de
partments may be named as follows:
The slaughter and sale of fresh beef,
pork, mutton, veal and poultry.
The curing and sale of hog meat,
and beef.
The canning of all kinds of meat.
The manufacture and sale of chip
ped beef, mince meat, sausage, lard,
oil, stearine, lard compound and of
supreme shortening.
The manufacturing of oleo oil, beef
(stearine, butterine, tallow, tallow oil
and stearine, fertilizer, plum pudding,
[glue and beef extract.
The preparation of bones, pigs feet,
tripe, hog bristles, horns, hoofs, sau
sage casings, hides, sheep skins and
feathers.
Operation of a refrigerating plant.
The grading and storage of poultry,
eggs and butter.
The manufacture of renovated but
ter.
The operation of refrigerator cars;
the building of refrigerator cars; the
manufacture of ice; the collection and
distribution of natural ice; the man
ufacture of electric power; the manu
facture of gas; the operation of a
j building contractor’s business; elec
trical construction; operation of a car
penter shop; operation of machine
shop; operation of cooper’s shop; op
eration of paint shop and wagon
shop; manufacture of tin cans; bor
ing and maintaining artesian wells;
a hospital; a fire brigade; a police
force; an architect’s office; a lawyer's
office; a chemical laboratory; a print
ing shop; a lithographing establish
ment; the manufacture of cheese
colth bags; the export of live stock;
a barber shop; a restaurant; a laun
dry; a hair factory, and an ammonia
factory.
The East St. Louis house was built
June, 1889, and was again a model.
Nine years later the packing house at
St. Joseph began began operation and
was In its turn held up to the pack
ers of the country as an example of
what a packing house should be. All
three houses were, however, eclipsed
when, in 1905, Morris & Co. opened
their plant, at Kansas City, wflfn® they
had erected at a cost of $2,225,000, af
ter having saved $375,000 by doing
all their construction work, from cel
THE AUGUSTA HERALO.
lar to garret, through their own con
struction department.
The combined capacities of the
four packing houses is about 9,0tt0
cattle and 20,000 hogs a day anil about
15.000 men are employed in the 200
different houses the flint operates in
the United States. In addition there
is not a city of any size in Europe
and few in other parts of the world
in which it is not represented by its
own house. The total business reaches
$150,000,000 per year. From the Chi
cago packing house alone over one
humVed Morris refrigerator cars,
which if placed end 'to end would
make a train over a mile In length,
are shipped every day. The canning
department making Oil varieties of
canned meat turns out. ’2,000,000 cans
a week and the power plant uses more
than 2,100 tons of coal every seven
days. In the general offices are be
tween six and seven hundred em
ployes and in the Morris stables
throughout the country are 2.500
horses mostly Clydesdales and includ
ing the famous six horse team which
individually and collectively have over
50 blue ribbons to their credit.
The packing business haR been
made possible by the saving of labor.
Thus the work of killing a steer which
used to be done by one man Ih now
divided among 17 and of killing a hog
among no less than 132. In this way
extreme skill and rapidity is acquired
It takes 32 minutes to send a steer
from the knocking pen to the cooler
under the modern system. A hog
would take approximately the same
time.
Passing from the above brief gen
eral description of the immensity of
the plant, which was necessary to give
the reader some Idea of the hulk of the
business and its product, the meth
ods and system employed In the
actual slaughter of live stock will be
noted. The yards wherein the dally
shipments of live stock to the plants
are confined must first be considered.
It is at the yards that much of the
recent criticism has ben alined.
In Packingtown there are more than
300 acres of these enclosures from
POLITICAL NOTICES.
For Council.
I HEREBY ANNOUNCE MYSELF A
candidate for City Council from the
Third Ward, subject to the rules and
regulations of the White Primary.
JAMES T. BOTH WELL.
June fi, lbuw. J6tf
For Mayor.
I ANNOUNCE MY CANDIDACY FOR
the Mayoralty, subject to the rules
and regulations of the White Pri
mary Committee, and request the
support and votes of my follow citi
zens. Respectfully,
W. M. DUNBAR.
JuneOtf
For Mayor.
UPON THE REQUEST OF FRIENDS
I hereby announce that I am a can
didate for Mayor, subject to the
rules and regulations of the White
Primary committee.
W. B. YOUNO.
M29tf
I hereby announce myself a candi
date for City Council from the Fifth
Ward, subject to the rules and regula
tions of the White Primary.
J. C. PLATT,
Announcement.
RESPECTFULLY ANNOUNCE MY
candidacy for Council from the
Second Ward, subject to the rules
anl regu’atlons of the White Pri
mary. If elected I promise to faith
fully perform my duty without dic
tation from any faction whatever.
Respectful lv
HAMILTON H. WALTON.
M27tf
I ANNOUNCE MYSELF A CANDl
date for Council from the Second
Ward, subject to the rules of the
White Primary Executive Commit
tee.
EUGENE L. JOHNSON.
M27tf j
PRICES CUT DOWN!
Everything in Summer or hot Weather Goods
cut way down under value. We have too many
goods on hand and have to let go, so we will sacri
fice the prices. ONE dollar will do the work of TWO.
Bargains on Every Counter.
250 Silk mixed, tape border $1.50 Umbrellas - - 98 c
100 stout Serge Umbrellas, 75c Roods, at - - - 50 c
$ ] .00 for our Fancy and White $1.50 and $2.00 Parasols
Childrens Parasols at LOW PRICES.
Hosiery Bargains.
15c for Lace lisle hose, never sold under 25c.
Tan lisle hose at HALF PRICE.
Linen Sheets and Pillow Cases
$2.50 each. Linen H S sheets, 10x4, goods worth $3.75
50c each. Pure Linen H S Pillow Cases, rub dry towels
and wash cloths, U dimity Bed Quilts.
Hammocks, Linen Lap Robes, Underwear
SPECIAL VALUES FOR NEXT WEEK.
5c for all Best, solid and fancy Chambray.
5c for all Manchester Linen remnants of Chambray.
5c for all Best Arlington Domino, Amoskeag Ginghams
25c for Children’s Gingham Dresses.
25c for Boys’ Wash Pants and 50c Blouses.
You Save Money on What You Buy.
P. D. HORKAN & CO.
which miles of elevated “runs” lead to
the killing pens of the packing houses.
A ride through this department
showed the pens to he in good condi
tion, bearing evidences of having hepn
recently cleaned. Rrick has been used
in paving them and a force is kept
sweeping and Hushing them with plen
tiful supplies of water at frequent, in
tervals during the week. The ab
sence of any particularly disagreeable
odor was noticeable, there being noth
ing more unpleasant to the noßtrlls
than is found in an ordinary stable
yard. Watering troughs were also In
evidence.
From these pens the cattle are sent
through the runs to the top floor,
where the killing pens for beef are
located. In this section of the beef
department, as in all otherß of the
packing plant, each man Is a special
Ist. As the, steers make their exit
from the run and enter the killing
room they are taken In charge by
“penners.” These men work the cat
tle into various Rmall pens at. one
side of which is a stall large enough
to admit two or three steers. When
the steer reaches this small compart
ment he is less than 40 minutes from
the chilling room, where the beef is
stored In Its final stage after slaugh
ter. Above these stalls, of which
lucre are a dozen or more, runs a
walkway upon which the ’’knocker”
does his work. Walking back and
forth a foot above the heads of the
cattle is a strapping laborer who
weilds a heavy sledge hammer, firm
blow Is usually sufficient to stun a
steer. A moment after the blow de
scends the outer side of the stall is
raised by the "galleyman,” the floor
tilts and the senseless animals slide
two feet lower to the floor of the kill
ing room.
A shackle is attached to the hind
feet, and the body swung clear of the
floor read for the "sticks.” The sticker
does the bleeding, lie Is an expert
and never misses the Jugular v»ln,
one swift stroke sufficing to pierce it
almost to the heart.
This point In the process of slaugh
ter has been widely criticised, the
man Issue raised, howeved, being the
quantity of blood. When one realises
that 175 head of cattle pass through
a killing room In one hour the neces
sity for blood and plenty of It is
obvious. The flooring here Is of brlek
and slants slightly to a trough in
which the blood Is carried off. The
amount of it through which the stick
ers must. walk Is reduced to a mini
mum by several men employed to push
the blood into the trough with im
plements made for that purpose. It
Is um* carried away to another de
partment to he cooked and converted
into fertilizer.
The operation of dressing the beef
will be taken up in the next article.
Hygienic Reasons.
(From Les Annaies, Paris.)
Mistress Why have you not swept
this morning?
Servant- For hygienic reasons,
Madame raises the dust sufficiently
with the train of her skirt. We must
give the microbes a little rest.
GREAT RAILROAD SHOPS
MAKE FITZGERALD PROSPER
FITZGERALD, Ga, July 17.—At
no period of Its growth has Fltzger
aid experienced so great arid so per
manent an increase In real estate
values during the same length of
time ns since the location here of the
Atlantic, Birmingham ami Atlanta
railroad shops. Investment comps
nles have been Induced to take hold
of undeveloped property and beauti
ful suburbs are being opened up on
the south and west, of the original
city limits, and all available lots In
side the city limits are being built
up to supply the unprecedented de
mand for houses.
The shops themselves will bring
here a small army of men, whose fain
Hies must have homes, there being
even now over two hundred laborers
employed at the shop site, many of
these having come from other towns.
The extent, of the work already un
der way assures the permanency and
Importance of this Industry. The
shops and yards will cover 200 acreH,
and the buildings contemplated at
present would, If strung out In line,
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The second operation. The "sticker” is seen here bleeding the senseless
animal. The cattle in thio photo are of the heavy export variety for
shipment abroad.
2EH
reach one and a half miles.
All the buildings will be of brick
and will range from Ififlx 50 to 150 x
300 feet, and their construction will
require something four and a half
million brick. A thirty-stall round
house with a turntable In propor
tion will he a feature of the shops,
this building already being well un
der way. The eonipany will put In a
eomplata system of water works, and
the shops will be lighted by electric
ity, to furnish which the company
will erect, their own plant. Over a
million dollars has been expended In
orders for new machinery ami equip
ments, but work Is delayed for the
want of laborers, every available
workman in and around Fitzgerald
having been pressed Into service.
7