Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 229, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1911 — DEVOUR PIGS’ FEET [ARTICLE]

DEVOUR PIGS’ FEET

City of Chicago Eats 40,000,000 Every Year. Big Demand for Pickled Product in Windy City—Lovers of Delicacy Are Men of Brawn and Muscle. Chicago.—Chicagoans eat annually about 40,000.000 pigs' feet This was the estimate made today by packers and retail meat dealers. Incidentally it was announced that the pigs* feet season is in progress. Within a few days retail meat dealers expect a big demand for the article and are laying in big stocks. Chicago is said to consume more pigs’ feet annually than any other city in the country. The demand is

largest In the foreign colonies, but a large number of Americans also are fond of the product. The Germans and Scandinavians are said to be the largest consumers, many of those nationalities doing their own pickling and eating the meat at all times of the year. This year nearly 5,000,000 hogs have been received at thfe Union stock yards and most of the feet have been sold to dealers in Chicago and vicinity. “Pigs’ feet nearly always find a ready market,” said a representative of the Swift Packing company. “The big demand is In the winter. Thousands of fresh pigs’ feet are sold by retail dealers to families who pickle them. The packing companies also pickle large quantities of them throughout the year and in the fall and winter find a ready market”

“Tea. there is always a demand for pigs’ feet among the Scandinavians,’* said Charles Erickson, meat dealer* 3212 Sheffield avenue. “Most of my customers prefer to pickle them themselves, and buy large quantities of the fresh article late in the summer of early falL However, I have found that the article is liked by other nationalities, especially the Germans: Like oysters, pigs’ feet have their* regular season. This continues throughout the fall, winter and spring, but there are many who eat them during the,svimmer months as well.” Pigs’ feet as a health and flesh producing food was commended in many quarters. “It is a notable fact that moat of (he lovers of pigs’ feet are among the men of brawn and muscle," said Andrew Benson, 3314 North Clark street “There is little or no demand for thd article among the wealthy class, but the man who toils all day in the shop or open air is, as a rule, fond of pigs’ feet.”