—One of the first and largest of these central live stock depots to be established was the Union Stock Yards, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A., where are located the largest slaughter houses. [Views] of these great yards are shown. [Fig. 1] shows one of the places where live stock is passed to the scales and weighed prior to delivery to the purchaser; [Fig. 2], a view of the live stock pens and an alleyway on a busy day; [Fig. 3], a view of a pen containing choice yearling cattle, and [Fig. 4], one containing a bunch of choice Polled-Angus cattle. These views are typical of many markets now established throughout the United States and where the business is conducted upon a parallel basis.
FIG. 2.—A BUSY ALLEY, UNION STOCK YARDS, CHICAGO.
Movement Westward.
—Many factors and conditions contributed to the possibility of the modern packing plant. The feature of slaughtering the cattle near to the point of growth lessened the shrinkage and abuse of the animal and its resulting food product. There are many of the conditions that might be gone into in detail but which are now of no consequence. However, among the conditions that made the business possible was the fact that on the vast plains of the west, innumerable cattle were being raised at a minimum cost, with but little local sale, whereas in the thickly settled east, in the manufacturing districts, a ready market was found for the beef.
FIG. 3.—PEN CONTAINING CHOICE YEARLING CATTLE.
Economic Factors.
—Economic conditions make the raising of live stock, in juxtaposition to the production of grain, a fixed fact. And apparently the nearer to the source of supply the animal is slaughtered the less deterioration in the product, animal and meat considered together. The packing business of this country would practically be impossible in older countries that are thickly settled, as the cost of raising live stock would be actually about the same in all parts, and the cost of shipping from one point to another would only add to the original cost. With the lower cost of raising the animal on low value land, the eastern farmer with his high priced land was unable to compete, hence the practice of raising live stock in the west and consuming it in the east; and the concentration of live stock at the large markets, with the improved devices, has made the business a possibility, and the money and energy expended in adopting the best methods has caused its growth to its present magnitude.
