The Meat Packing Industry

The Meat Packing Industry in America Illustrated

Swift ^Company U. S. A.

The Year Book of Swift & Company contains much interesting information about the meat packing industry and its problems. It is a fascinating narrative—simple facts presented in simple words. We shall be glad to send you a copy. Address Swift & Company, Union Stock Yards, Chicago, 111.

COPYRIGHT, 1927, SWIFT & COMPANY P e r m i s s i o n t o reprint a n y p a r t of c o n t e n t s is h e r e b y g r a n t e d , p r o v i d e d credit is g i v e n .

only about a half century ago that people secured ITallis their meat from the local butcher who did his own slaughtering. What tremendous changes have taken place since those early days! The demands of the consuming public for a steady supply of meat, for uniform high quality combined with the lowest possible prices, and for efficient service, have built up the vast meat industry that is so essential to the nation's welfare today. Those who serve the nation by providing its meat have many masters. There are hundreds of thousands of stock raisers asking for a quick market and a high price for their live stock. There are millions of consumers demanding, through tens of thousands of retail dealers, a constant supply of meat at as low a price as possible. There are approximately 50,000 wage earners of Swift & Company properly eager to earn more. There are more than 47,000 holders of Swift & Company shares who have a right to expect reasonable returns on their investments. Of these shareholders over 13,000 are employes of the company. To serve and satisfy all these interests is in itself a problem. But Swift & Company has solved the problem by performing a complete and essential service with maximum efficiency at an average profit from all sources of a fraction of a cent per pound, made possible through the complete utilization of all by-products. This remarkable efficiency, this public service, this intricate organization, are of interest and concern to everyone. In every phase of its activity the meat packing industry is a fascinating subject—indicative of the beneficial public results that can be accomplished by large industrial organizations. The job of furnishing food for the American people is a big one, and it is proper that a business should be as big as its job. The processes described in this book are those which are in force at the Chicago plant of Swift & Company. Swift & Company maintains packing plants in a number of other cities and at each point exercises the same scrupulous care and efficiency that exist in Chicago.

Chicago Stock Y a r d s in 1861

BACK in Civil

War times, when Chicago was a thriving young community of some hundred thousand, no one dreamed of the possibility of the Union Stock Yards and Packing Houses covering 500 acres and furnishing employment to over 50,000 people. In 1861 the Yards were designed primarily to furnish fresh meat to Chicago. There were then no central packing plants, with branches and car routes, making distribution simple and efficient over great territories. People were accustomed to this condition of affairs. They accepted the inconvenience, and they took the enormous waste for granted. But Gustavus F. Swift and the other early builders of the packing industry were not willing to accept the situation as it was. They saw that with the great growth of population and industry in America, a more efficient method of meat packing and distribution was imperative. There is no question but that their vision has proved of indispensable service to the American people.

B i r d ' s - E y e V i e w U n i o n Stock Y a r d s T o d a y

Here we see the Yards as they are today. The development that has taken place in the meat packing industry, of which the growth of the Chicago Stock Yards is indicative, has meant a great deal to the meat producers and consumers. Under the old plan by which every butcher did his own slaughtering, the cost of preparing meat was high. There was no division of labor, most of the by-products were thrown away, only a few animals were handled at a time, the conditions under which meat was dressed were not of the best, and the meat was of inferior quality. Today there are between 300 and 400 buyers in the market every day in Chicago alone, the live stock is bought in open competition, and cattle, hogs, sheep, and calves are dressed by the thousands instead of one or two at a time. Every modern mechanical contrivance known is used to reduce handling, and every man performs a duty in which he is expert. This skill in production is the result of scientific management.

E n t r a n c e to U n i o n Stock Y a r d s

Entering the Union Stock Yards we pass through this gateway. The building at the left contains the office of the Illinois Humane Society. The Yards are owned by the Union Stock Yard and Transit Company. In Packingtown each packing company owns its own plant, and has nothing to do with the operation of the Stock Yards except to be represented in the market by its cattle, sheep, hog, and calf buyers. The receipts of live stock in Chicago in 1926 were 3,256,916 cattle, 755,393 calves, 7,092,529 hogs, and 4,404,851 sheep.

T r a i n of L i v e Stock

The first impression the visitor to the Stock Yards receives is one of vastness. Extending in all directions are pens of cattle, and in the background are the great manufacturing plants of the packers. The cattle pens are all paved and contain feeding and watering troughs. Some of the animals in them have travelled far. Others were fattened on feeding farms near Chicago. But all of them have come into the Yards in comfortable, latticed cars, and, none the worse for their journey, they stand in their pens complacently munching hay. The live-stock trains are driven at express speed, and at times they are even given right-of-way over passenger trains. If the time of the journey goes beyond a certain limit, the stock is unloaded at a rest station so that the animals may be in the best condition upon arrival at the market.

Unloading Hogs

Live stock shipped into the Union Stock Yards is consigned to various commission firms, members of the Live Stock Exchange, who charge the shipper a commission for making the sale. The animals usually arrive at night and are unloaded at once to be ready for inspection of buyers in the morning when the market opens. The weighing of the animals is under the supervision of the Union Stock Yard and Transit Company, which issues a certificate of weight covering the sale. The scales are tested frequently by the City of Chicago Department of Weights and Measures, and the seller is free to check the weights. The "weight tickets" are good for cash in the local bank by three o'clock of the day the sale is made. The packers pay for all live stock on the day that it is bought.

Cattle B r a n d I n s p e c t o r s

As we walk through the Yards, all about us there is great bustle and activity. Here we stop to let a herd of cattle tramp by us on their way to the rest pens, spurred on their way by the quaint cries of the drivers. Here some splendid broad-backed cattle are being transferred from one pen to another by means of the simple gate system. There we see lambs romping along an overhead runway. And everywhere that we go we see the mounted cattle buyers, the representatives of the commission houses, and the yardmen. There are between three and four hundred buyers in the Union Stock Yards, and on a day of heavy receipts they are all out in the pens, taking a survey of the market, and bargaining for their special needs. Among them we also note men of the range type. These are the brand inspectors—detectives of the cattle w o r l d all former cowpunchers. They are employed by the western cattle raisers' associations. If a cattleman tries to market a steer branded with any except his registered brand, the brand inspector singles out the animal and sees that the lawful owner receives the proceeds of the sale.

B u y i n g Cattle in t h e Stock Y a r d s

A typical stock yards scene is the one which takes place hundreds of times daily in the cattle pens when the buyer and the commission man dicker for a satisfactory price. The buyers represent the large and small packers, speculators, butchers, and feeders. The profit in the packing business depends largely on the live-stock buyer's judgment. He is one of the experts for whom the packing industry is famous. The commission men must have the same qualifications as the buyers. They are members of a Live Stock Exchange, which operates under rules and regulations similar to a Board of Trade. Some people have the impression that there is no competition in this great industry. Let anyone who believes this mingle with these commission men some morning and hear them bargain to get the best price for their customers, the live-stock producers.

Champion B e e f Steers

Today, thanks to the enterprise of the American cattle raisers, herds of beef cattle, scientifically bred for meatproducing purposes in the fertile pasture lands of the West, supply a quality of beef that is the standard of the world. This ticable packer instead

scientific breeding on a large scale became praconly when the facilities developed by the modern made meat dressing and distributing a national of a local business.

Through the establishment of large packing plants with adequate stock yard facilities near the finest cattle lands, and through the development of a country-wide system of distribution that provides a ready market at all times and in all seasons for the products, the breeding of fine, highbred stock for meat-producing purposes was made possible.

Ante Mortem Inspection

All through the meat packing process, infinite care and attention are given by representatives of both packers and the United States Government to assure the utmost cleanliness and sanitation. As soon as received all live stock is given a strict examination by a U. S. Government Inspector to make sure that it is sound and healthy. The inspectors hold office by virtue of having passed a civil service examination, and they are in the employ of the Bureau of Animal Industry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The ante mortem inspection, which takes place upon receipt of live stock, is the first of four Government inspections to which the steer is subjected before it finally reaches the cooler as beef. All products are under the continual double inspection of company supervisors and Government inspectors.

S h i p m e n t of D i g e s t e r T a n k a g e F e d H o g s

Hogs and sheep, and calves as well, are handled and sold in the same manner as cattle. There is the same intensity of competition between hog, sheep, and calf buyers as there is between cattle buyers, and the Stock Yards Company likewise acts as the arbiter or third party in the transaction, and certifies the weights. Hogs mature for market two or three months earlier if fed with Swift's Digester Tankage, than if fed with corn alone. Digester Tankage is a dark, granular meal, made from clean, wholesome, fresh meat trimmings. It contains sixty per cent protein. Now, leaving the Stock Yards proper, we shall pass into Packingtown and visit the large plant of Swift & Company, where a special feature is made of showing visitors through the establishment.

G u s t a v u s F. S w i f t

A little more than seventy years ago, Gustavus F. Swift, an eighteen-year-old Cape Cod Yankee, started in the meat packing business in Barnstable, Massachusetts. He had what seemed to him a large capital, twenty dollars, which he borrowed from his father, some good American common-sense, plenty of good health, and an unlimited amount of energy. The plant at Barnstable, Massachusetts, was established by this young man, whose policy at the outset was that of

The First Swift Plant

service and guaranteed satisfaction. Before he sold his first pound of meat he made up his mind that the only way to make a success in business was to serve his customers well and to back up every statement which he made about the quality of his product with an absolute guarantee. That was G. F. Swift's policy at the start and that is the policy of Swift & Company today. In 1872 Mr. Swift formed a partnership with James A. Hathaway, and the firm of Hathaway & Swift, with headquarters in Albany, N. Y., bought and sold live stock. Recognizing the future that lay farther west, the firm opened an office in Chicago in 1875, and later moved its headquarters to this city. Mr. Swift began to slaughter cattle in Chicago, and in the fall of 1875 began to ship dressed beef to Eastern markets. Previously cattle had been shipped alive on the hoof to the East and slaughtered there. Mr. Swift was among the first to adopt the idea of the refrigerator car, and was a leader in developing this method of transporting dressed

B i r d ' s - E y e V i e w of Chicago P l a n t

beef. It was an idea which revolutionized the industry. Swift & Company was incorporated in 1885, Mr. Swift being elected president. He served as head of the company until his death in 1903. That Swift & Company's policy of service has proved successful is demonstrated by the great growth from that early Barnstable building to the vast Chicago plant, as pictured here. In addition to this Chicago establishment, there are large plants at Kansas City, Omaha, St. Paul, East St. Louis, St. Joseph, Fort Worth, Denver, and Portland. Combined, the Swift plants cover over 200 acres of land and give employment to over 50,000 persons. Think of the tremendous production handled by these plants! Their annual dressing capacity is over 3,000,000 cattle, 8,000,000 hogs, 5,000,000 sheep, and 1,000,000 calves—or over 57,000 animals every working day, 120 every working minute.

H o g s on R e s t Floor

First in the journey through the plant is the Hog Dressing Department. Once they are purchased, the hogs are driven by way of inclined runways from the buying pens to the rest rooms on the top floor of the building. After a rest they are given a shower bath before being driven to the dispatching room. Here they are shackled to a large revolving wheel which raises them and automatically starts them down an overhead trolley. The dispatcher very skilfully severs the main artery with a knife. The hog then passes to a scalding vat and to a specially constructed scraping machine, which pulls out the hair. Any fine hair that still remains is singed off, and the carcasses are then scrubbed and washed again, this time by hand.

Hog Dressing

The hog is now placed on a moving trolley suspended from rails, and Government inspectors carefully examine the throat glands. All animals receive four inspections—ante mortem, throat gland, viscera, and final. After passing the last of these examinations, they are stamped "U. S. Inspected and Passed," and then sent to the coolers. The hogs which have not passed all of the inspections and have been "retained" are side-tracked into a Government Retaining Room. Here an exhaustive examination is made, and if the suspicions of the floor inspectors are found correct, the animal is condemned, sent to the tank room, and destroyed by the Government. After the "throat gland" inspection, the hogs are placed on the gravity trolley and are carried from workman to workman at a uniform speed.

F i n a l U. S. Inspection

The inspections by the Government inspectors are made carefully and under efficient methods. Note the portable electric lamp with reflector attachment. There are several hundred Government Inspectors who report every day to the Chicago Stock Yards Headquarters of the Bureau of Animal Industry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Pork Cooler

Hog dressing, just as other dressing operations, is conducted under the most sanitary conditions. The cement floors of the Hog Dressing Department are scrubbed with Pride Washing Powder and scalding water as soon as the day's work is over. This department believes not only in cleanliness, but in speed as well. Twenty minutes after the first operation, the pink-skinned animal is ready for the cooler. The hogs hang in a refrigerated room until all of the animal heat is extracted (which lessens the risk of spoilage) and the flesh of the animal is firm enough to be cut and trimmed into shapely hams, bacon, loins, etc., in the Pork Cutting Department.

Pork C u t t i n g

In the Pork Cutting Department the carcass is divided into the various cuts such as hams, shoulders, bacon, and loins as required by the trade. Pork cutting is a very interesting operation. As the endless procession of half carcasses known as "sides" passes skilled workmen, each man with a deft slice or stroke removes a cut. First the ham is cut off. Then the shoulder is chopped from the other end. Pork loins are separated from the back fat by one stroke of a specially constructed drawknife. Later the various cuts are trimmed before being sent to the Curing Department

Curing S w i f t ' s P r e m i u m H a m s

In the Trimming Department—which, by the way, equals a housewife's kitchen for cleanliness—the hams are graded. The finest, that is, those having the finest and most evenly textured meat and the exact proportion of fat and lean, are selected for Swift's Premium Hams. They are carefully trimmed to the proper shape and sent to the Premium Division of the curing cellar. Here the hams are placed in the huge oaken vats we see in the picture. When a vat is filled, enough sweet pickle is poured in to cover the hams, the vat numbered, and an entry made of the number in a record book, which gives the date the hams were placed in cure and the day they are to come out of cure. To cure a ham properly requires from 45 to 100 days, depending on the size; i. e., thickness of the ham. The flavor depends largely on the exactness of the formula used in preparing the sweet pickle and on the length of time that the meat remains in cure.

Inspecting and Branding Swift's Premium H a m s

After the curing process is completed, the ham is washed thoroughly. Then it is examined carefully by a company inspector, who stands at the head of the table with a steel prod known as a "trier," by use of which he determines whether or not the meat is properly cured. If it passes his inspection it is then branded. The picture shows the new Swift way of branding hams. By the old method the brand was burned into the meat with a red-hot iron; by the new method it is printed on the rind with a harmless vegetable liquid. This branding is done so that the housewife may be sure that she is getting Swift's Premium Ham when she orders one from her dealer. Look for the brand, "Swift's Premium."

Interior of S m o k e H o u s e

The hams are now placed on galvanized iron trolley hangers and wheeled into the smoke houses. These houses are four stories high, each floor having overhead rails and doors to admit the hangers. Swift's Premium Hams are smoked over wood fires from 36 hours to 7 days, according to their size and the demands of the trade. A record is kept of every lot and frequent inspections insure their being smoked just the right length of time. Hard wood is preferred and is the only kind used because it produces a delicate smoky flavor and seals in perfectly the mild, sweet, appetizing delicacy of flavor. After remaining in the smoke house the required length of time, the hams are moved, still on the sanitary racks, to the Wrapping Room for a final, careful inspection.

Wrapping Premium H a m s and Bacon

Before being wrapped, every Premium Ham is again tested by an expert who checks the test of the branding inspector. The hams which pass this final inspection are first wrapped in pulp paper and then with vegetable parchment, which makes a sanitary, dust-proof, and moisture-proof package. The packages are labeled, tied with blue cord, and loaded on trucks ready for shipment. Too much stress cannot be laid upon the careful inspection and the sanitary precautions placed upon the handling of Premium Ham. Every ham bears the U. S. Government inspection stamp.

B r a n d e d Goods

This picture shows the brands in use on Swift's Premium Ham and Bacon. Two large brands on the bacon practically cover the whole piece, so that a part of it appears on almost every slice and consumers may have no difficulty in identifying it as Swift's Premium Brand. On the ham the brand is large for the same reason. You may be sure of securing always the same uniform, mild, sweet quality by demanding and making sure you get ham and bacon branded "Swift's Premium." The housewife will be particularly interested in the fact that Swift's Premium Hams, the hams "with the blue tag," do not require parboiling before broiling or frying. In addition to the distinctive flavor and quality, this feature makes Premium Hams unusually popular.

S w i f t P r o d u c t s B o u n d for t h e Arctic

Premium Hams and Bacon, and other Swift products are shipped to all parts of the world. In shipping smoked meats to remote points Swift & Company uses a special wrapper, called "Sealtite," which protects the contents from moisture and insures the meats reaching their destination in perfect condition. It is a matter of pride with Swift & Company that such intrepid explorers as Commander Donald B. MacMillan, who has made many trips to the Arctic, and George Palmer Putnam take Swift meats and other products on their trips. Swift products also were on board the schooner, Blossom, which went to the Tropics in 1926.

Slicing S w i f t ' s P r e m i u m B a c o n

Every step in the selection and preparation of Swift's Premium Sliced Bacon helps lay the foundation of its reputation for highest quality. Only the And while "Premium" cure, which

very finest hogs furnish "Premium" other grades of bacon are cured in Bacon is given an expert, unrivaled results in a characteristic, mild, sweet

Bacon. pickle, "dry" flavor.

The Sliced Bacon Department is remarkable in that the method of handling enables us to slice, weigh, and pack Swift's Premium Sliced Bacon in cartons without its being touched by hand at any stage of the process. Each carton is lined by machine with a sanitary glassine paper, and is wrapped in sanitary, dust-proof, and moisture-proof transparent parchment. A Government inspection seal is on every carton.

Making S a u s a g e

The pieces of choice pork that are sliced away when a ham is trimmed round and bacon is trimmed square are carefully selected from the standpoint of an exact proportion of lean and fat. These trimmings are taken to a bright, well-ventilated department, where the floors are of vitrified brick, and the walls and pillars faced with white tile. All equipment and the floors and walls are thoroughly washed and sterilized with hot water after each day's operations. Here, the choice trimmings are ground by modern, electrically-driven machines. The meat is then mixed with an exact proportion of seasoning determined by a skilled chef. This seasoning is composed of salt, pepper, and the finest herbs and spices. The product resulting from this operation is the famous Brookfield Sausage.

P a c k i n g Swift's P r e m i u m F r a n k f u r t s

In this same department are prepared the delicious popular Swift's Premium Frankfurts. They are made of selected beef cuts, pork trimmings, salt, sugar, and carefully chosen herbs and spices. Every step in the process of manufacture represents the utmost sanitation and cleanliness. After the materials have been prepared, they are mixed in exact proportions, and just the right amounts of spices are added. The sausage containers are then stuffed, smoked, and cooked—and the final result is an attractive delicacy and one of our leaders in the sausage trade.

General Office

Leaving the Pork Department, we pass into the street again, on our way to the Beef Department. At the crossing of Exchange and Packers Avenues we see Swift & Company's general office. This modern building is ninety feet by two hundred and ninety feet, and the five floors have a total area of 126,600 square feet. This amount of space used for office purposes by one concern is exceeded by only a few firms in the United States. Thirtythree per cent of all wall surface is window space. The building has a ventilating system that washes the air, then passes it over hot pipes in winter and cooled pipes in summer, maintaining the office at uniform temperature throughout the year. Each day 149,760,000 cubic feet of air are circulated throughout the building. About 2,000 employes work in the general office building. It contains rest rooms, an assembly room, a library, a barber shop, a cafeteria, and a service restaurant, in addition to office quarters. Nearby is the schoolroom for boys.

Office Cafeteria

This picture shows a part of the cafeteria on the first floor of the general office building. In this cafeteria, of which the picture shows about one-fourth, approximately 2,000 persons are served their lunch each day, at cost of food and service. Employes who prefer it may secure service at a nomina charge in the restaurant on the fifth floor. These two departments serve about 3,000 persons daily. The food for both eating places is prepared in a large modern kitchen on the fifth floor, which in equipment and sanitary appointment compares favorably with that of leading hotels. A specialty is made of serving Swift's products.

P l a n t Cafeteria

There is also a large cafeteria located in the new welfare building, where plant employes are privileged to eat, whether they buy their lunches or bring them. It occupies an entire floor, or an area of about 23,000 square feet, and it has a seating capacity of 1,060 persons. Finished in shining white enamel and equipped with innumerable large windows and artistic lights, it is a bright, pleasant, cheerful place to eat a hearty noon meal. A player piano furnishes music during the entire noon period. Of course, the best thing about the plant cafeteria is that it serves hot lunches at actual cost. For a small sum employes can secure a complete and satisfying meal.

Small T r a i n s C o n n e c t D e p a r t m e n t s

One of the unique features of the packing plant is an elevated roadway that connects all departments. Electric tractors are used to haul trains of small cars loaded with product. In this manner it is possible to transport quickly orders from all parts of the plant to central loading docks, where they are loaded into cars for shipment to all parts of the world. Another feature of this elevated tramway is that its installation has lessened congestion on the streets of Packingtown, by removing the teams which once performed these transfer services.

B a t t e r y of M e c h a n i c a l Stokers

Here we see another of the many cost-reducing devices in use in the Swift plant. The mechanical stoker does away with fireman's time and the necessity of men shoveling coal in the intense heat of the old-style furnace room. Each stoker has a capacity of from 60 to 70 tons daily. There are 62 boilers in the Chicago plant; the steam they generate aggregates 24,600 horse-power. To operate this battery of boilers requires vast quantities of coal; approximately 10,000 tons a week are used to develop the power necessary to operate Swift & Company's Chicago plant. It is obvious that the business of furnishing heat, power, and refrigeration for a plant covering fifty-seven acres is in itself a task of some proportions.

Dressing Sheep

Entering the Beef, Sheep, and Lamb Dressing Department we take an elevator to the top floor. From the balcony we see at a glance the whole process of preparing sheep and lamb, from the first operation to the final examination made by the United States Inspector. There are about fifty different operations in dressing sheep, all of which are under U. S. Government supervision, just as in hog dressing. The most striking feature about this department is the cleanliness. When Gustavus F. Swift started in the meat packing business, he laid down two fundamental principles, and on these the success of Swift & Company was built. One was that it was vitally necessary to keep every pound of meat up to a high standard of quality and cleanliness, and the other, that all packing-house operations be open to public inspection. The capacity of the Sheep Dressing Department is 700 sheep per hour.

Sheep a n d L a m b Cooler

Here we see the dressed sheep in the cooler, awaiting shipment. The cooler has a capacity of 3,000 dressed sheep. At the outset Swift & Company sold only dressed beef. But since some Eastern buyers wanted to purchase all their meat from one agent, to facilitate orders and shipments, Swift & Company went into the pork, sheep, and lamb business. This also holds true of the produce business. It was inevitable that the packing business should grow into a sort of wholesale meat department store. It was inevitable, because with his nation-wide distribution system and his remarkable efficiency in handling, the packer could give the retailer, and hence the consumer, the best kind of service in the entire line of perishable meat food products.

D r e s s i n g Beef

This picture presents one of the most interesting sights in Packingtown, the Beef Dressing Department. The steer is driven into a mechanically operated pen, where it is painlessly dispatched. The shifting of a lever automatically deposits the animal on the dressing bed, where a Government Inspector makes an examination of the glands in the head. The steer is then taken in hand by a crew of workmen who begin the dressing operations and start it on its journey by an overhead gravity trolley, through the whirl of machinery and men, to the cooling and refrigerating rooms, each man doing an allotted task. The handling of the meat has been reduced to the minimum. So efficient is the process of dressing and so expert are the workmen, each at his specific task, that the capacity of the departments is now 250 cattle per hour.

W a s h i n g Beet

So smoothly and quietly is the work done that it takes less than thirty-nine minutes to transform a steer from a living animal into human food. As in all the other dressing departments, Government Inspectors examine the meat and stamp it with the Government's indelible mark of approval. When the dressers finish their work, the beeves pass a long line of washers, equipped with fountain brushes, who shower and scrub the sides of beef preparatory to placing them in the refrigerating rooms. The greatest care is taken to have the handling and dressing of the animals performed in the most sanitary manner. Cleanliness is the first consideration.

Fountain Brush

This picture shows a fountain brush at close range. A hose is attached to the brush, through which a stream of fresh water passes. This treatment cleanses the meat thoroughly and gives it a bright and fresh appearance. The sides of beef are also held under an automatic sprinkler, which rinses them thoroughly. They then pass into the hands of wipers, who dry them with towels kept clean by improved sanitary washers. From the dryers the meat passes to the cooling and refrigerating rooms.

Beef Cooler

This picture shows an aisle and two rows of beef in the main cooler of the Chicago plant. In a few days this inviting-looking meat will be distributed over the country, and were we to follow it in its travels we would probably find some of it served as roast beef in Boston and sirloin in New Orleans. There is an erroneous impression existing that beef is frozen in these coolers. This is far from being the case. The temperature is several degrees above freezing. It chills, but does not freeze, the meat. Fresh meat cannot be held indefinitely even under refrigeration. It must be sold for whatever it will bring within two weeks after dressing, to avoid loss through spoilage. The meat is transported in refrigerator cars to coolers in branch houses located in large cities throughout the country. Here buyers come and select meat for their customers. The capacity of the main cooler at the Chicago plant is 3,000 sides of beef.

Refrigerating M a c h i n e s

The coolers and all other departments where fresh meat is handled are maintained at an even low temperature by circulating very cold brine through pipes suspended from the ceiling or wall. The cold brine, as it passes on its course, readily absorbs the heat from the air in the rooms. The brine is cooled by circulation through a large storage tank in which are located iron pipes, into which anhydrous ammonia is admitted. Through the contact with the ammonia pipes the heat is absorbed from the brine, leaving it ice cold. The open brine system used in the coolers has a great advantage in that it permits thorough ventilation. It is interesting to know that the Chicago plant requires 250,000 tons of natural ice a year in addition to all the mechanical refrigeration used. This ice is used principally in the cooling tanks of refrigerator cars.

T H E

M E A T

P A C K I N G

I N D U S T R Y

Side of Beef S h o w i n g Government Inspection Marks

The meat shipped out of Swift & Company's plants bears the stamp or label of the Bureau of Animal Industry. At the Chicago plant the label reads "U. S. Inspected and Passed, Establishment 3." This is the Government's guarantee to the consumer that it is wholesome meat prepared in a clean, sanitary packing house. In addition to the Government Inspection, Swift & Company employs its own inspectors,

Keep Meats Clean Any employee getting meats dirty by using dirty trucks or tools, dropping meats on t he floor, or careless handling, will he discharged. S W I F T & COMPANY.

P r e c a u t i o n Sign

In each of the departments of Swift & Company's plant where meat is handled, a U. S. Government Inspector supervises all operations. He sees that nothing but government inspected and approved meat is used, and that absolute cleanliness is maintained in every department. As further precaution, enamel signs, like the one shown, are posted throughout the plant, and, when necessary, employes are reminded that the order, "Keep Meats Clean," must be observed. Furthermore, company inspectors and supervisors constantly on the lookout, to check up any possible fringements of the sanitation regulations. Efforts being made continually to improve wherever possible measures of sanitation now in force.

are inare the

E a c h D e p a r t m e n t Is Carefully Cleaned

The trucks used in conveying meat from one department to another are sterilized frequently with hot water and steam. All equipment, in fact, used in the handling or preparation of meat products is carefully scalded and cleaned at regular intervals. As soon as the day's work is done another corps of workmen takes possession of each department and cleanses it and its equipment thoroughly. Workmen failing to comply with these regulations laid down both by government and company inspectors are severely reprimanded, and, if the offense warrants it, are discharged. Cleanliness was one of the cardinal virtues laid down by the founder of the business, Mr. G. F. Swift, and it is being faithfully carried out by the present management.

Beef Cutting Department

Here we see the butchers busily at work cutting the great sides of beef into the various cuts required by the retail trade. Only a very small percentage of the sides, however, is cut at the plant, the great bulk being shipped out in fore and hind quarters, and cut by the retail butcher according to the demands of his trade. The purpose of the beef cutting operation, of course, is to furnish the various retailers with the particular cuts which they can sell best. Some markets have exclusive trade for the more expensive cuts, such as the loin, while others have a great demand for the less expensive cuts. This is a service which, because of the size of his business and a nation-wide system of distribution, the large packer can give.

Standard Beef C u t s - C h i c a g o Style

Chicago C o m m e r c i a l C u t s of B e e f

This diagram shows the various cuts obtained from a side of beef. The average steer weighing 1,000 pounds alive will yield only about 550 pounds of meat. Only about 144 pounds, or one-fourth of the dressed weight, can be sold over the retailer's counter as sirloin and porterhouse steak and rib roasts. With the people clamoring for the prime cuts, the butcher finds he must sell the other three-fourths of the beef at much lower prices, often below cost. The chuck, plate, flank and round are every bit as nutritious as the prime cuts, and when properly prepared are just as palatable as the juiciest porterhouse steak.

S W I F T S FANCY MEATS

D i s p l a y of F a n c y M e a t s

During the war Swift & Company conducted an extensive campaign to educate the people to the use of 4'fancy meats" and the cheaper cuts of meat. Such parts of the animal as sweetbreads, livers, brains, tongues, and kidneys are given the trade name of "fancy meats." These "fancy meats/' as packed by Swift & Company, are attractive food delicacies, and can be prepared in many appetizing ways.

Oleomargarine Factory

In this modern building oleomargarine is manufactured under conditions as sanitary as science can provide. It is the Chicago home of Swift's Premium Oleomargarine. This pure, wholesome spread for bread is made under ideal conditions, not being touched by hands in making or packing. In all, eleven modern factories in this country, sanitary and sun-lighted, are required to supply the steadily increasing demand for oleomargarine.

B a t t e r y of Cream R i p e n e r s

Oleomargarine has been endorsed as a wholesome food product by leading chemists in all parts of the world. A tax of one-quarter of a cent a pound on uncolored and ten cents a pound on colored oleomargarine is levied by the Government. Here we have first-hand evidence of the efforts made to keep everything as clean as possible. The factory walls where the oleomargarine is churned are white, and the men are required to wear clean white frocks. Live steam is used for sterilizing the tools and receptacles used. All of Swift & Company's Oleomargarine factories are open to the public during all working hours, and every operation is conducted in full view of visitors.

O l e o m a r g a r i n e Emulsifier

Oleomargarine is made by emulsifying a mixture of oleo oil, neutral, vegetable oils, and milk. The milk used is from inspected herds, and is received fresh daily at the Swift & Company factories. It comes from centrally located dairies, where it is pasteurized before being shipped. When it is received, samples from every shipment are taken to the laboratory for analysis. If the milk is up to our standard it is pasteurized again and then ripened in glass-lined vats. These vats are in white-tiled rooms, through which washed air is pumped continually. Every possible precaution is taken to insure the absolute cleanliness and purity of the oleomargarine manufactured in these factories.

Oleomargarine Gathering Vats

The emulsion when formed is dropped into ice water, where it granulates, and is then gathered into large trucks. These trucks are run into what is known as "tempering rooms," where they are held for a certain time to drain, and to develop the attractive flavor of the product. It is interesting to note some of the comparative figures regarding the consumption of oleomargarine. The production of oleomargarine in the United States is almost three times as great now as it was only a few years ago. And yet many foreign countries use much more of this product than does America. For example, the per capita consumption in Denmark in one year is about 46 pounds as contrasted to between two and three pounds per capita consumption in this country. The thrifty Danes ship a large part of their butter production to England and use the less expensive oleomargarine for themselves.

Oleomargarine "Worker"

From the "tempering rooms" the oleomargarine is passed to the "workers," where the granules are kneaded together, the necessary amount of salt worked in, and the excessive moisture worked out. This process gives the oleomargarine smoothness, evenness of flavor, and uniformity of salt. The trucks and machines are sterilized with live steam at the end of each day's work. There is a battery of these rotary "workers," and each one of them holds 400 pounds of oleomargarine at one time. It is because of this kind of efficient machinery that it has been possible to raise the capacity of the Chicago oleomargarine factory to a million pounds a week.

Making O l e o m a r g a r i n e into P r i n t s

After coming from the "worker," the oleomargarine is moulded into prints. These moulds are so constructed as to insure prints of uniform weight. This work is done under the eye of a Government Inspector. The room is kept cool by refrigerating pipes. Oleomargarine is not touched by hand in the process. The work of the Government inspectors is supplemented by the Swift & Company foremen in their exacting supervision. When the housewife buys a pound print of Premium Oleomargarine she finds on it the name Swift, which in itself has been a guaranty of purity in foods for a half century, and she also finds the endorsement of the United States Government.

Other important packing house products are lard and lard substitutes. These products are carefully refined, through filtration, etc., and passed over cool rollers, giving them a snowy white appearance. The lard is removed from the rollers by the sharp edge of a steel knife; it then drops into a pan and is thoroughly beaten by a revolving shaft, which

Filling Lard Cartons

removes all lumps and gives the lard a smooth, even consistency. While in a semi-liquid condition, it is drawn off into the containers, such as one-pound cartons, tin pails of various sizes, etc. The packages are then sealed to prevent the contents from being disturbed, and crated ready to ship. Putting lard on the market in one-pound cartons is a comparatively new feature, and this package, as well as the various sized tin pails, is proving universally popular. It enables the consumers to obtain lard in the original package and under the maker's guaranty. Our tin lard pails are very useful after the lard is used, and "Silverleaf" Brand Pure Lard is a particular favorite in the'above form.

Soap K e t t l e R o o m

One of the most important developments in the packing industry is soap, which is a combination of fats, vegetable oil, and caustic. Its manufacture involves expensive equipment and organization, and cannot be conducted economically unless a large volume is handled. In manufacturing soap, the ingredients are mixed together in steam-coil lined kettles three and four stories deep. Each of these holds ten to twelve carloads of soap. Laundry soap, after cooking, is run from the kettle into a molding truck called a " frame," which holds up to a thousand pounds. After this solidifies, the sides of the frame are stripped off, and the big block of soap is cut by piano wires into slabs, then strips, and then cakes. After drying, these cakes are pressed or molded to shape, automatically wrapped, and packed ready for the trade. Machinery is involved in every operation, and each is attended by experts and dexterous workers.

S t a m p i n g a n d P a c k i n g M a x i n e Elliott Soap

In making toilet soap, after cooking, the liquid soap is drawn off, and passes over a drying screen, turning into chips. These chips are perfumed, and milled between granite to make the finished soap smooth. The long ribbons that come from the mill are worked up into a compact mass in the plodder. Delivered from this machine as tooth paste would come from a giant tube, it is cut into cakes which are molded in a press, dried, wrapped, and packaged.

W o o l Soap F l a k e F i l l i n g and W e i g h i n g M a c h i n e s

Here is an intricate and efficient machine that is used for filling and weighing cartons of Wool Soap Flakes. It has a capacity of 1,500 cartons an hour. It is really a wonderful contrivance. Starting with two hoppers full of Wool Soap Flakes and a box full of flattened out c a r t o n s , t h e r e emerges a c o n s t a n t l y moving row of full cartons, weighed exactly, sealed thoroughly, ready to be packed in cases and shipped. The machine does it all. This is the kind of efficient equipment that permits the large packers to offer such unrivalled service to the public.

W a s h i n g Sheep P e l t s

Wool from sheep and lambs which Swift & Company buys is an important by-product in the production of mutton and lamb. Its preparation involves many varied and highly skilled operations, before it is ready for the woolen mills. The pelt is first immersed in cold water where it is soaked for from four to forty-eight hours, depending on its condition, to loosen any dirt. Next it goes to the scrubber, which plays a continuous spray of water on the pelt while it brushes it, removes most of the grease and dirt, and helps to straighten out the fibers. After it is taken from the scrubber the flesh side of the pelt is painted with sodium sulphide. This works through the hide and loosens the wool at the base, so that it can be removed easily by hand.

"Pulling" W o o l from P e l t s

Wool "pulling," the next operation, demands a high degree of skill from the worker. With the pelt stretched out before him on a beam, the "puller" removes the loosened fibers, sorting them into sacks according to grade as he goes. Swift & Company makes about sixty different grades of wool, depending on the diameter of the fiber, its length, color, and freedom from defect, and the "puller" must know them all. It is highly important that the wool be graded properly so that it may be sold in its truest classification, and bear its fair share of the cost of preparing and marketing the meat animal.

Feeding W o o l into Dryer

The wool, still damp, is fed, after grading, into a drier which can handle 1200 pounds of the fiber an hour. It passes onto a large apron, where it remains in a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit for from fifteen to twenty-five minutes. After being tested for moisture, the wool is baled and wrapped for its trip to the woolen mills. Throughout the entire process there has been a constant re-checking to see that the fibers are in proper condition and that they are properly classified by grade. The grading itself is checked three times. The skin, after the wool is removed, is first treated with lime and then pickled with salt and sulphuric acid to preserve it until it is handled in the tannery, where it is made into leather that goes into gloves, shoe lining, coats, book bindings, and many novelties.

Chemical L a b o r a t o r y

At the Chicago plant alone Swift & Company has a laboratory with 60 chemists and assistants, and there are 10 more laboratories at other plants. The experts in this department analyze all raw materials used, to test their purity. They supervise the admixture of preparations that are used in curing meats—thus insuring the uniform and standard quality that has made our hams and bacon the leaders in the trade. These men are continually experimenting to find new uses for by-products so as to prevent waste, and they are always striving for more economical methods of manufacture.

Refrigerator Car

Refrigerator cars for carrying meat are ice boxes traveling on wheels. Most people in America would have to go without fresh meat, or would have to pay more for what they could get, if it were not for the traveling ice boxes. Gustavus F. Swift, founder of Swift & Company, was one of the first to see the need of this manner of transporting meats. He asked the railroads to build them. The railroads refused. They were equipped for and preferred to haul live cattle rather than dressed beef. So Swift & Company had to build the cars. The first one was a box car rigged to hold ice. Now there is a fleet of about 7,000 Swift refrigerator cars. Each one is as fine an ice box as you have in your home.

T r a i n of Refrigerator Cars

Day and night, fair weather and foul, through heat and cold; these 7,000 cars go rolling up and down the country, keeping meat just right, on its way to you. Thus another phase of Swift & Company's activities has grown to meet a need no one else could or would supply. When you see one of these cars in a train, or on a siding, you will be reminded of what is being done for you as a result of experience and a desire to serve. We have seen the animals come to the yards in the latticed cars; we have seen them sold in the open market to the highest bidder; we have followed them in their change from raw material into food; and in this picture we see them leaving Packingtown in refrigerator trains as meat. The problem of getting the meat to the ultimate consumer is just as great as the problem of production. It has been truly said that while an ordinary man can make a thing, it takes an extraordinary man to market it.

Modern P r o d u c e P l a n t

Swift & Company produce plants are located in the centers of the best producing districts. Swift & Company was the pioneer of the scientific handling of poultry and eggs in this country, and inaugurated the system of poultry milk-feeding. The produce plants are the evolution of years of experiment and development, and in them will be found every improved facility for the sanitary and proper handling of produce. The plant illustrated above has a poultry feeding capacity of 40,000 head each ten days; a creamery butter capacity of 12,000 pounds daily; an egg capacity of 180,000 dozen per week; and storage capacity for 100 carloads of product. It furnishes a direct route to the retail store for the farmer's produce.

P o u l t r y F e e d i n g Floor

Live poultry is received daily from small country storekeepers and dealers within a radius of seventy-five miles. It is weighed and graded upon arrival, and only healthy, thrifty birds go into the sanitary, metallic, portable batteries for milk-feeding. The batteries, when filled, are transferred to the feeding room at the top of the building. This is a clean, wellventilated, sunlighted room in care of a crew of experienced handlers. Birds are fed for a period of approximately ten days on a mash of milk, corn, and oatmeal. During this period the flesh of the fowl undergoes a marked change. Fat replaces much of the water in the flesh. The flesh becomes white and delicate, and, when cooked, tender, and juicy.

Modern C r e a m e r y

This view of the creamery shows the latest improved equipment and the best in the way of facilities for the manufacture of a pure, sweet product. Centralized creamery butter is made in our own creameries, located in the best districts, where the farmers separate their cream and ship it two or three times a week. The cream on receipt is graded and churned. The butter produced is again carefully graded and packed in sanitary packages. Whole milk creamery butter is made in certain sections of Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the creameries are so located that the farmers can send in their fresh sweet milk daily. The butter produced in these creameries is a very high-grade product. By the use of our distributing facilities, we are able to place Brookfield Butter in the hands of the retailer promptly and in perfect condition.

Branch House

Swift & Company sells its products direct to retailers all over the United States. In order to do this it has a system of about 400 branch houses located in the principal cities and towns. It also operates direct lines of refrigerator cars, known to the trade as "car routes," which radiate from the principal plants. These cars make drop shipments at the small towns and cities which are not served by branch houses. All branch houses are equipped with refrigeration facilities. They have experts to care for, and cut, the meats handled. They also have corps of salesmen who deal with retailers. An elaborate marketing machine like this must be maintained if perishable food products are to be distributed without deterioration in quality. Swift & Company sells only to the retailer; it does not deal directly with the consumer.

Prize Percheron Team

These prize-winning horses are not show horses in the strict sense of the word. In fact, they may be found almost any morning hitched in pairs to different red Swift wagons hauling beef from the distributing house market to the retailers. The extent of this service, which Swift & Company's branch houses maintain, may be judged by the fact that hundreds of horse-drawn wagons are in daily use. Horses of the Percheron breed are used almost entirely by Swift & Company for delivery purposes.

A u t o m o b i l e Truck

In addition to the horse-drawn vehicles, Swift & Company uses nearly 1,000 motor trucks to carry products right to the door of the retailer, besides 1,400 salesmen's cars. A service like this is necessary where products that are highly perishable are being handled. Since its earliest days, the aim of this organization has been to make the channels of transportation complete, to insure the delivery of products in the best possible condition—all the way from the producing plant to the door of the retailer. There is probably no industry in the country that has such an extensive and well-developed delivery organization. This work is just one phase of the desire of Swift & Company to be of the utmost service to the trade and to the public.

Office of t h e P h y s i c i a n

This picture shows one of the offices of Swift & Company's Medical Department. The company has established doctor's offices and general medical service in its plants. Any employe requiring medical attention is urged to visit the local doctor's office. In case of accidents of major or minor importance, the work of the Medical Department is practically indispensable. But there is a more important phase of the activity of the Medical Department—its desire to build up the good health of all the workers. The head physician works on the theory that to better the physical condition of the employes is to increase the efficiency of the organization. Applicants for positions are given physical examinations when they are employed.

M e e t i n g of P l a n t S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s

Swift & Company makes every effort to keep its products at the highest standard of quality at all times. Every year superintendents of all plants in all parts of the country are called to Chicago, and at this meeting the most modern methods of handling product are discussed. Courses of procedure are decided upon, and every effort is made for uniformity of product and action. The men are encouraged to present their own ideas and views, and these are discussed in detail. This interchange of ideas is one method of keeping in touch all angles of the business.

Chicago P l a n t Assembly-

Old age is robbed of much of its terror for the men and women who work for Swift & Company. For a number of years the company has had a Pension Plan, providing for the retirement of employes at certain ages. Women who have served the firm twenty-five years or more and who have reached the age of fifty, may retire on a pension of half the average annual salary for the previous five years; they may be retired at the age of fifty-five. Men may retire at the age of sixty after twenty-five years of service; they may be retired at the age of sixty-five. The pension funds are supported entirely by the company, no contributions being paid by employes. The Chicago Plant Assembly, shown here, is composed of employe and management representatives, who work together to keep working hours and conditions satisfactory to all employes and to the management.

Employes' Advisory Committee

This picture shows the employes advisory committee of the Employes Benefit Association of Swift & Company. This committee is chosen in an annual general election by members of the Association. The E. B. A., as the organization is called, has over 41,000 members, each contributing an average of twentyseven cents weekly. The expenses of the Association are paid by the company. In return for the small weekly contribution members are paid weekly benefits for sickness and accident, and the death benefit is paid to the beneficiary. The Benefit Association also has provided Group Life Insurance for its members which, when combined with the E. B. A., gives them insurance at very low cost. Employes carry $85,000,000 worth of insurance under this plan. The benefits paid since organization have amounted to $1,745,789 in case of deaths, and $3,650,300 in case of sickness and accident up to February 1, 1927.

One R o o m of C o n t i n u a t i o n School

This picture shows one room of the Continuation School maintained by Swift & Company. For a number of years the company has given boys and girls entering its employ the opportunity to continue their school studies. The boys and girls attend the classes two half days each week during business hours. The students take up the school work at the point they left off at the public school. The course is under the supervision of the Chicago Board of Education, the instructors are high-school teachers, and if the student makes his grades, he may receive a Chicago grammar- or high-school diploma upon graduation. In addition to the Continuation School, there are numerous classes in advanced studies, accounting, commercial law, packing house practice and similar studies, for older employes.

Utility Building

Utility buildings, or welfare buildings, are being erected by Swift & Company at the various plants for the comfort, convenience and well-being of Swift employes. They are all modern in construction, and have smoking rooms for the men and rest rooms for the women. Each has a cafeteria where hot meals are served at cost. They offer many other conveniences, such as shower baths, lockers, and dressing rooms. Mutual loyalty between the company and its personnel is evidenced in the large number of men and women who have never worked for any other concern, or who have given long years of service to the company. The Quarter Century Club, so called because each member has been with the company for twenty-five years or more, has its representatives in practically every plant throughout the country.

Conclusion There are no secret processes in the packing business, no patents, nothing whatever to prevent any butcher anywhere from buying a heifer, the same as G. F. Swift did more than fifty years ago, and putting the meat on the market in competition with the larger packing houses. The only reason this is not done is because a butcher can buy meat cheaper from the large packer than he can dress it for himself. But if the market price of meat should get to a point where the local butcher can provide it at less cost by dressing animals himself, every local butcher will be induced to slaughter for his own requirements. The American meat packing industry can never be a monopoly. Nor can a few men control an industry composed of over 1,300 packing houses in keen competition with one another, not only in buying raw material but in marketing the finished product as well. We find that the prices of these products are determined by supply and demand, and that even by utilizing all the by-products, by perfecting the division of labor, and by a highly organized distributing organization, the larger packers over a period of years make the unusually low profit of only about 2 per cent on their sales, which is equivalent to only a fraction of a cent per pound of product. There are no insanitary conditions in the abattoirs where animals are dressed. In fact, the exact opposite is true, and cleanliness is the first consideration, the keynote, as it were, of all packing-house operations. So we leave the meat packing industry, gratified with the infinite care and attention Swift & Company and our Government give to the meat we eat.

Order of Illustrations Page

Stock Yards in 1861 Bird's-Eye View Union Stock Yards Today Entrance to Union Stock Yards Train of Live Stock Unloading Hogs Cattle Brand Inspectors Buying Cattle in the Stock Yards Champion Beef Steers Ante Mortem Inspection Shipment of Digester Tankage Fed Hogs Gustavus F. Swift The First Swift Plant Bird's-Eye View of Chicago Plant Hogs on Rest Floor

. . . .

Hog DreSvSing

Final U. S. Inspection Pork Cooler Pork Cutting Curing Swift's Premium Hams Inspecting and Branding Swift's Premium Hams Interior of Smoke House Wrapping Premium Hams and Bacon Branded Goods Swift Products Bound for the Arctic Slicing Swift's Premium Bacon Making Sausage Packing Swift's Premium Frankfurts General Office Office Cafeteria Plant Cafeteria Small Trains Connect Departments Battery of Mechanical Stokers Dressing Sheep Sheep and Lamb Cooler Dressing Beef Washing Beef Fountain Brush Beef Cooler Refrigerating Machines

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 . . 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Order of Illustrations Page

Side of Beef Showing Government Inspection Marks . 40 Precaution Sign 41 Each Department is Carefully Cleaned 42 Beef Cutting Department 43 Chicago Commercial Cuts of Beef 44 Display of Fancy Meats 45 Oleomargarine Factory 46 Battery of Cream Ripeners 47 Oleomargarine Emulsifier 48 Oleomargarine Gathering Vats 49 Oleomargarine "Worker" 50 Making Oleomargarine into Prints 51 Congealing Lard on Rollers 52 Filling Lard Cartons 53 Soap Kettle Room 54 Stamping and Packing Maxine Elliott Soap . . . . 55 Wool Soap Flake Filling and Weighing Machines . . 56 Washing Sheep Pelts 57 "Pulling" Wool from Pelts 58 Feeding Wool into Dryer 59 Chemical Laboratory 60 Refrigerator Car 61 Train of Refrigerator Cars 62 Modern Produce Plant 63 Poultry Feeding Floor 64 Modern Creamery 65 Branch House 66 Prize Percheron Team 67 Automobile Truck 68 Office of the Physician 69 Meeting of Plant Superintendents 70 Chicago Plant Assembly 71 Employes' Advisory Committee 72 One Room of the Continuation School 73 Utility Building 74