The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-16
The City Cow Stables.
REAU OF SANITARY IASPECrf
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ia pursuance of your directions to me, and &C.
csnpaAied by the health wa1dens of the Sixteeutt,
anc Tenth wards, in the latter part of the month
Oh May last, made thoiougn examination and in.
vesisaton oi the celebrated COW stables situated
between Tenth and Eleventh avsnues and Fifteenth
ana sEeenth sreets, in the Sixteenth ward OF this
cNy asa herewith report to you the result OF such
These COW stables are built in three rows oa the
block bOsmded by Tenth and Eeventh avenues and
Fifteenth and sixteenth streets, and they extend
from Tenth nearly TO Eleventh avenue in length
One row is' on Fifteenth street, ono on SixteeAth
street, and one nearly ir the centre Of the block
with an alley way on each side OF the centre row
the alley ways being from twelve to twenty feet
wide. The lower portion Of the row o. COW sasds
Oh Sixteenth street is built of brick, swO stories
nigh, and far superior in every way to the others,
which are sheds, but one story high, and low at
taat."
In each Of these sheds the cows are placed in
double rows the width Of the shed, and there is
slight descent maze from the head Of each stall to
the centre of each of the double for the exors
ments and filth from the cows to OF and trough
is placed outside Of each shed to carry Of the said
excrements and flth from the premises but the de
scent Is not sufficient nor is the trough properly
constructed, and if the cows excrements were OF
healthy or natural character, the trough &C.. would
he entirely useless.
found these COW shcds,on the day visited them,
occupied by 1888 cows, and over GO horses, beside
goats, turkeys. geese, chickens, &C.. &c. The
space allotted to each Gov does not exceed 'three
feet in widththe space in length is sufficient. Each
COW 10 fastened to her limited space by short rope.
The ceiling Of these sheds is very low, and there is
scarcely any place for ventilation exceptthe doors
and they are few and very narrow. The air Is ex-
tremely foul filthy and sickenng, and although il
WAS coosa cay aya the poor COWS were Pantis fOs
and indeed how could it be otherwise, conii6ei az
they are in their close. hot and cnventleted ahels
surrounded with noxious, filthy, and sinking at
mosphere. not ray Of sunlight to shine on the n
or breath of pure air allowed to pass through
their nostri!si Indeed 80 foul il the air in these
stables. that the health wardens who accompanied
me were compelled to suspead the inspection for q
time, to recover frJm its siokening effects upoa
them.
The cows keptin these sheds are fed upon the
swill and slops made at the distllery Of Messrs.
johnson < Co. situated on the block east of these
by means Of pipes to the swill reservoirs in the
yards Of the cow sheds, and thence is forced into
the troughs from which it Is eaten or drank. This
swill is given to the cows three times Q. day.
The Messrs. johnson own these Sheds aud sap
ply the swill to the cows; the owners OF tue cows
paying them for rent and swill, for each cow, the
sum sol Of nine cents per day. was told that some q
the owners OF the cows gave them hay and meal;
but saw no evidence OF suoh fact
The cows are MIXED twice each dag. There ars
about forty three owners OF the cows stabbed there's
they own from six to two hundred cows each, and
they all sell milk-besides others who purchase milk
there to sell again. In the course of my inspection
I found one Patrick Winnie. who owns or keeps cows
on the premises in the act of mixing the milk from
these heated feverish, swilifed cows with certain
mixture which he called burned sugar, put In the
milk he cooly told me- for the purpose Of giving
il proper, rich, creamy, aud natural color-ay ii
the milk from these poor poisonous, grass forsaken
cows without sunshine aud with ,ut pure air, fed
slops and swi too good toopure too rich TO sell
to his customers without reducing il to proper de-
gree OF strength and then sugar 1t To aproper COLOR
Around these stables, painted in glowing color,
the wagons Of these persons, to carry forth and
retail this rich, pure, and sugarcolored mill, and
many OF these wagons are emblazoned with tue
owners names, but have Also painted "Westchester
County MIX Pure Country MIR "Morrisania
Milk" &C., &c. and with these alse signs they palm
on their sugar, chalk and egg, swill and slop mixture
as pure country milk" sending death and disease
wherever il is used.
have obtained two samples Of the best kind Of
milk they had at those stables and for which paid
their highest prices, and also obtained sample Of
common country milk from q farmers grass-fsd
cows, who have had pure air and free fields. and let
the report Of Professor Reed, who has analyzed the
three samples, speak Of the relative difference OF
their quality.
IL necessary, can furnish the names OF the par
ties from whom Obtained the samples Of the milk.
trust this report viii be satisfactory to you, and
that il may in some degree aid you In your desire
and smbiti0n TO preserve the public health which
is paramount TO nearly every other consideration.
Very respectfully yours &C..
r. G. DowSISG Sanitory Inspector.
To THOMAS X. DowNiNe, City Inspector.