New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-11-08
1..Rop IN NEw-YoRK:
ITS CIRCUMSTANCES, CONDITIONS AND REWARDS
Ma. The Butchers.

hundred, and form OF the most influential suodi-
visions OF the Producing Glasses Their daily &C
ouaintance and intercourse with the people OF all
ranks create kind OF friendship between them
which 30 other class OF the suppers of necessaries
acquire The Butchers, however, seldom act to-
gether and are composed OF men OF the most diverse
habits, sentiments and opinion. About one-half the
Butchers in New-York are: Americans and the other
Germans, Irish, English, &c. &c They are mostly
men of families OF industrious habits and fair stand
ng-lovers OF peace and public order. and by no
means resembling in any one respec, the rowdies
and BOYS with whom they are so often and SO I'M
accountably coniounded.
There is Butchers Benevolent Association in ex-
s;ence but il does not interfere with prices or the
interests of the business. There is combination
or understanding among the Butchers as 10 prices
everybody gets the most he can and works for as
little as he pleases. Apprentices go to the business
at about fourteen, and sometimes even earlier-too
often before they have received proper education.
They are paid from 50 to IS per month. exclusive OF
board, &C., and beside sundry perquisites which
thew dispose of 10 considerable profit When dis
charged or out of employment they generally stay
about the Markets running of errands for the Butch
ers, until they obtain permanent employment again,
and necessarily acquiring habits and tastes neither
agreeable TO others nor profitable TO themselves.
The Apprentices il about three years become
Journevmen. and their wages are then increased 10
from So TO Sc and SO per month exclusive of board
and perduises-the latter Of which now become
quite an important item and in good Markets con.
s,itute very nice little income-as is the in
.Sr ,Sc Markets. alst1
in the numerous private Meat Shops throus hout the
CITY while in Fulton Msf-et good Jourreyman
will readily command from SIS to $40 per month.
This is owing to the very heavy work at that Mar
kei where Butchers frequently injure themselves
for life, carrying heavy quarters OF Beef up the high
steps.
After having learned the business-and large
number never learn it sufficiently well to succeed
the Butcher must procure Stand and if he has
friends to advance the needful he purchases in
the market that is already established But eft TO
their own resources they hire shop and we may
here remark that by far the larger number succeed
in business who have not the means TO commence
with nor friends 10 back them with loan. They
are however placed in great jeopardy OF losing their
credit, which with them is their all. by the regula-
tons at the Cattle Market, which are worse than
tyranny, and ought to be described
There are two individuals at the Bulls Head
known as Brokers. These two hold in their hands
the credit OF twothirds Of the Butchers in New
York. After negotiating with the Drover for the
Cattle the Butcher refers him to the Brokers Us to
his stability; and unless they without hesitation de-
clare the Butcher good, he cannot obtain credit for
the Cattle If they consent TO take the Bill they
very modestly charge the Drovcr per cent. and
hand him their check twenty days ahead, lin the in
term the money being paid by the Butcher) and
exact also security from the Drover TO hold them
harniless-a species OF fnanciering worthyot these
degenerate days. We will give one instance which
has been related 10 good authority. young
man who had started himself in business with very
fair prospects, had gone the Bulls Head to pur-
chase Cattle, and after having negotiated with
Drover for some confident in his ability TO pay, re-
ferred to one of the Brokers for information; when
he casually remarked he did not know but did
know well. Notwithstanding; whereupon the Drover
drove his cattle back TO the yard before the whole
multitude of Drovers and Butchers, auCibly remark
ing "he could Mt have them without the cash =
thereby blasting the Butchers credit and prospects,
probably forever This may seem small matter to
the reader but at the Bulls Head such transaction
is very material to the parties concerned, inasmuch
as that young man had to pay thereafter ten per
cent. more than his ncighbor to obtain the same
credit. We find no fault with the Drover for not
giving credit unless he has knowledge of his own
but il seems strange that the Butchers should
be such slaves risk their credit and reputation
with such persons, whose sole object seems 10 be to
enrich themselves at the expense of others We
! ,l,o who E,,o,. hat tha
Butchers were called 10 square accounts with their
creditors one half of them would fail to pay in full
The remedy then proposed is as in other business
either 10 pay cash or obtain credit for themselves or
on the recommendation Of n Drover who knows hem
Formerly the Butcher was at the mercy of the
dealers in Hides and Tallow who by combination,
reduced the price paid for them to almost nothing,
thereby cutting off the only source By which the
Butcher hopes to make profit Now, however,
the Butchers have established a Melting Assoca-
| ton and Hide Association in which each per
son that sends his Hides and Fat receives proper
ton OF the profits derived from their sale. These
establishments occupy two large and commodious
! buildings on the First-avenue.
Another cause of complaint may be found in the
weekly quotations Of the Cattle Market which are
obtained from persons who are completely In the
neres. OF the forestalers, improperly termed Dro-
vers From their directions, list of prices is
made 10 suit their purposes which is published and
sent to the country around. When, therefore. the
farmer looks at the quotations Of the Cattle Market
he finds they very low, and thereupon very nat
urally declines bringing his Cattle in-thus causing
scarcity in the Market and thus enabling the fore
s,aers to combine together TO raise the price OF
Beef Cattle by making the supply too small for the
demand, and to purchase from the farmer at their
leisure and at their own price. When. too, the
Butchers customers look the quotations they are
led to believe that the Butcher sextortug from them
an enormous price, when in reality the prices good
Beef sold al from their stalls will no more than
pay the tradesman decent proft-the surplus 60
ing into the pockets of Brokers and Forestallers.-
We trust that some remedy will be proposed for
this sra,e of affairs 10 which we have frequently al