| Upton Sinclair's Meat Grinder | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Upton Sinclair |
|
Type |
Meat Grinder |
|
Effects |
User will passionately speak for the welfare of others |
|
Downsides |
User's message will always be misunderstood |
|
Activation |
Turning crank |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
205452-3430 |
|
Shelf |
279386-5005-746 |
|
Date of Collection |
November 13th 1917 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Upton Sinclair went undercover at a meatpacking plant in Chicago for six months to investigate the plight of poor immigrants that were trapped working there. Using his experience he wrote his novel "The Jungle". The book details the kind of struggles faced by the poor, the under-class, and immigrants within the unregulated capitalists industry. Unfortunately, most readers were only moved by the disgusting conditions of the meatpacking factory. Public outcry urged President Theodore Roosevelt to act, but only to regulate and inspect the meat industry at government and public expense. He initially dismissed the plight of the wage slaves in "The Jungle" as "falsehoods". After reading the book, President Roosevelt helped regulate the industry by helping to form the Bureau of Chemistry, later renamed the Food and Drug Administration. Roosevelt also stated that "radical action must be taken to do away with the efforts of arrogant and selfish greed on the part of the capitalist." Despite this, the anti-racism and anti-xenophobic messages were ignored by most of the country.
Usage[]
After winding the handle of the meat grinder the user will feel compelled to speak out against social evils, and strive to benefit the marginalized. This is all for naught, as the side effect is that the speaker's message will be misinterpreted.
Collection[]
Disguised as an inspector from the Bureau of Chemistry, a Warehouse agent snuck in and removed the meat grinder, ending the endless stream of failed uprisings at the meatpacking factory.