80 RURAL DENMARK 



The Ringsted Co-operative Bacon Factory was 

 started in 1896 with a membership of 994. In 

 19 to its members numbered 3046, and in the pre- 

 vious year it slaughtered no less than 48,000 pigs, 

 many of which doubtless have been consumed by 

 readers of this book In England. 



First the visitor enters a stone hall in which are 

 suspended dozens of white and silent pigs. There is 

 something very solemn and impressive about the 

 severe architecture of this place and its vistas of de- 

 parted pigs and cattle, for there were also a few of 

 the latter animals. Everywhere one looked appeared 

 dead pigs haunting the shadows of the dark, cool hall 

 in which death rules continually. But there are worse 

 chambers a little further on, in one of which, appro- 

 priately robed, stands a learned man whose duty it is 

 day by day to pass judgment upon the interiors of 

 swine. These are brought before him in endless 

 succession that his skilled eye may determine whether 

 the late pig's health was all that it should be. He 

 reminded me of a Roman augur reading omens in 

 the entrails of the victims, a proceeding about which 

 there must have been just the same air of horror 

 and solemnity. I confess, however, that I am not 

 well qualified to describe these ceremonies, since one 

 glance was enough for me ; after that I fled. 



I was informed that this gentleman I do not know 

 his right title, so I will call him the Augur is very 

 highly paid. I do not wonder at this, for ever since 

 I have been marvelling as to what exact sum per 

 annum would tempt me to undertake the duties of 

 his office. Of course the reason of his presence is 

 that dead pigs which go out of Denmark in the way 

 of trade must be, like Caesar's wife, above suspicion. 



