SMITHFIELD MEAT MARKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6132, 19 March 1898, Page 7

SMITHFIELD MEAT MARKET.

The Smithfield Meat MaTket is the name given to the shop in High Street, which was opened yesterday by Mr James Knight, who was in business here as a butcher about two years ago. During his recent visit to England, Mr Knight inspected the leading butchers' shops in London, and , more especially those in the Smithfield market, and he has fitted up his new shop on the most approved lines. The premises he has secured were previously known as the Smifchfield Market, and are near the junction of High and Manchester Streets, and are most suitable for the purpose. The walk of the shop are lofty, and are lined with imitation tiling, while on either aide are plate-glass mirrors, 10ft by 12f fc. This gives a very neat and clean appearance to the establishment/which is exceedingly well ventilated by - half-a-dozen openings, which are connected with a ventilating trunk leading to the roof. Around the shop are graded polished-steel rails, fitted in such a manner that a very large number of carcases of flheep and quarters of beef can be displayed to advantage, and the show window is fitted with electro-plated rails with a amount of ornamentation. BPhe front ia open, and running nearly the length is a. massive marble slab for display of meat and small goods while F , »! nd liß1 i 8 ? ut ™ off by P lat6 -glasß set into ' alectro-plated pillars as a small goods de partme-nt. Two massive cutting-blocks form the central-piece in the shop, and the brine tubs are • all of the most approved pattern. Kunning along the front of the window is another large piece of marble 16lt long, in which the name of the firm is out out and filled in with gold-letterine A novelty in the way of weighing-machines is provided in place of the steelyarda nsed here for heavy-weights. This is an Averts meat-weighing machine, Bach as is found in all the better class of shops in London. This machine is so designed that one man can put a quarter of beef on to it from his shoulder and weigh it, and take it off again without assistance, a standard coming up from the platform, fitted with movable electro-plated hooks and handles. One of the principal features is the lightings -in which electricity, is employed,-as installed by Mr. -C. A. Seager. lathe centre of the shop i& a burnished globo Burrounded by. eight incandescent lights, and under the verandah, with burnished reflectors, there are nine more lights of the same description, and outside on the street are hung two powerful arc lights. In therear of the shop are a commodious cutting-room and a patient silent sausage machine, supplied by Messrs Henry Berry and Co., which is driven by a Hornsby four horsepower horizontal engine. The opening display was an exceedingly creditable one, and last evening a considerable crowd was attracted by it. The display inoluded Mr W. Henderson's prize three-year-old steer and heifer which were shown at the Winter and Metropolitan Shows, and some very prime beef from Mr E. H. Ehodes, which hud been grazed at Elmwood, and some nice steers from Mr Borgfeldt, of Papanui. The mutton included Mr S. Garfortb's cross-bred Southdowns, which evoked such competition at Addington last week, and some prime cross-bred and Down sheep. The lambs were cross-bred Southdowns, bred by Mr W. P. M. Buckley, of Dnnsandel ; and in iddition to a very creditable display of imall goods, there was some very nice lairy-fed pork and good veal*