The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-01-03
The Butchering of an Ok i'm Italy

The Butchering of an Ok i'm Italy.
About the year 1913 just before
Christmas, we witnessed butchering
scene in Italy, which amuses us when
ever our mind reverts to it. AS it may
perhaps be little amusing to our read
ers, we relate it. Surely none will find
any similarity, in this story, as compar-
cd with our manner of killing animals,
in this country.
1t was at country hotel, about sew
en- miles from Chiavari, and twenty
two miles Southwest of Genoa. We
suppose that there were over one hun
dred and fifty persons, young and old,
to witness the execution of celebrat-
ed OK, which had been expressly fatten
el for the purpose Of supplying the peo-
pie of the whole ncighborhood, with
fresh beef for Christmas day.
Posts were driven into the ground
to which the legs ofthe OK were fastcn-
ed, by means of ropes. The head of
the animal was also fastened down.
Now comes the weapon of death. 1t
was sharp pointed spike, adjusted at
the end ola strong handle, ,at right angle
like q blacksmiths punch, so that one
person could hold it to any desired
place, and another strike on it. All is
now ready. The spectators-the most
of whom had never seen the butcher
ing of an OK before-looked on eager
ly, many Of them with an inward dread.
One butcher takes his stand on the
right side of the animal and firmly and
steadily, holds the spike at the center
of the oX's head. The other stands on
the left side ready to strike on the spike,
and drive it into the brains oft the doom
ed animal. The ak is uplifted Down
it comes The OK is badly scared
The spike did not enter the head, but
produced enough pain to make the ami
NAL frantic. 1t made mighty strug-
gle to release itself, which came very
near being the case. The groanine
and believing of the animal was awful
BY this time, the spectators were panic
stricken, and run every direction, some
of the little chaps climbed up trees
We must confess that we were badly
scared Ourself, as we did not know but
we might be run over and killed, by the
ugly animal. as we really thought il
woull get loose But the brave, al
though not skillful butchers stooc
their ground and soon succeeded il
re-fasting the animal. The spike was
now laid aside One man took an ak
and the other, a sledge Both tool
good aim, and then banged away at th'
centre of the animals head, which sool
brought it to the ground. Its throa
was speedily cut, and the warm flowing
blood caught in tub, and soon rem
dered into pudding-which by the wa,
was good.
Now comes the skinning Of the an
imal. Here we have another novelty
A hole was made in the hide
on the side Of the legs, a tube in
serted, and air injected After all tn
air possible, was injected, the tube
were shut SO as to prevent it's escape
and half dozen boys pounded til
animal with all their might, with Ion
sticks and clubs. This pounding an
initiating was for the purpose Of gettin
the hide loose from the flesh Afte
pounding awhile, more air was injecte
and then more pounding followed
This alternate process, of initiating an
pounding, was repeated for sometim
snd then the hide was cut and taken Of
The meat was now cut into small pi
ces and sold We may justly add TIN
the above mode is dispensed, with I
the regular butchers in large town
where animals are killed often