Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-12-22
THE COMMUNIPAW ABATTOIR.
OBSERVATIONS OF MG. BERGH.

OBSERVATIONS OF Mr. BEkGH
| The undersigned, accompanied by a
friend of this Society, recently, visited
the Communipay Abbattoir, and since
it may interest the public to learn what
| was seen.
Arriving at this noted slaughter
house we purposely proceeded to ex-
anime to Ncogaio. Immediately on
entering the building nauseating etfiu-
via. met aur ofactories, which, along
with the screams of dying animals,
pools of blood and struggling bullocks,
nearly staggered the resolution which
sense of duty had imposed. Sitting
our sensibilities as well as we were able
we passed into the quarter where
swine are confined previous to their be-
ing driven up to the second floor to be
killed. And here was presented the
first phase OF cruelty, which forms the
long series to which these helpless
creatures are subjected in their trans
portation by car, and final disposal OF
by the butcher. One man with thick
cowhide boots on his feet, kicked the
animals in the bowels, and upon the
legs, while another, as my companion
asserts, set II dog on those ut the ex-
treme end of the line, with view to
expediting their progress process,
which, if the cruelty of it be disputed,
is at least not calculated to give addi-
tional flavor to the meat in the estima-
ton of the consumer. Arrived at the
door of the pen where they are killed,
another man of herculean size, goes
outside, and with an oak club about |
two inches in diameter, forces them to
enter by the vigor of his blows, until it
becomes packed like city rail car.
This latter then closes the door, and in
order perhaps, to compose the excited
animals, applies few more heavy /
blows upon the terrified mass after
which he slips chain around one leg
of each animal, in turn a wheel is set |
in motion, joint is dislocated, and
swings around into an adjoining pen,
where another person stabs the crea-
ture in the throat, in presence of the
living mass, which testifes its fright
and horror by vainly rushing about in
search of some way of escape. Des-
cending from the scene of apparent in
difference on the one hand, and NOR
tai agony on the other, we approached
that quarter appropriated to the
slaughter of bullocks, and here again
was visible the same process of hoist
ing by one leg, throat-cutting. dislo-
cation and prolonged agony, large
share of which might be spared the
poor creature, while passing from one
stage of usefulness to another, and
final one, by n well-directed blow in
the head.
Vast quantities of dressed beef next
invited our attention and to this de-
partment the Health Board might ad-
dress itself, to the incalculable advan.
tage of beef consumers. At the risk
OF disturbing the appetites of those
that may read this communication, I
will state that much of the beef there
was unfit for the consumption of man
or beast, by reason of the running
ulcers which We're upon it notwith-
which, venture to say, that
it has since been served upon the tables
of the citizens Of this Metropolis
This nauseating inspection of the
model abattoir of Communipaw being
terminated, we quilted the place i'm
pressed with conviction that our civ
ilization must necessarily be influenced
by this acquired and direful necessity
of feeding on the flesh of animals, a
necessity which the physical powers OF
the horse and the elephant prove is not
requisite to the full development of
organic nature, or whatever race it
be. Outside the building are to be
seen vast pens, having northwest ex-
nosure and in them were crowded |