Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-01
Cruelty TO Animals.

The House Of Representatives at Washing
ton have lately passed a BILL limiting the
number Of hours during which cattle may be
confined in cars, and requiring that they be
furnished with rest food and water at certain
intervals. If any doubt should be enter
tanned as to the propriety or necessity Of
such legislation we think the following facts,
CLEANED and condensed from a recent essay
written by Mr.. George T. Angel, President
Of the Massachusetts Society for the Proven
ton Of Cruelty to Animals, will dispel it.
Cattle carried from Texas to New Orleans
on steamers, are from three to six days crowd
ed under decks, without food or water and
with poor ventilation. Out Of a hundred
aud fifty shipped on one steamer, about forty
died on the passage.
From New Orleans or Red River, up the
Mississippi, they are carried with like cru
city. 1t is common to throw overheard the
dead cattle each morning. Transportation
by way Of Kansas to Chicago is little if any,
better At Chicago they are rested few
hours, then forced, by the use Of goads, into
cars in which they have less than two feet
space to the animal, and sometimes smaller
animals are forced under them. A hundred
calves are usually crowded into a single car,
and two hundred sheep or swine is about the
the average. In this way they are brought
to eastern cities, enduring such suffering from
want Of food, water and rest that many die
and others are taken out almost dead, having
, in the words Of the Massachusetts, Railroad
Commissioners, suffered all that animals can
suffer and live The results are shrinkagC
of weight on animals that come through alive
varying from 100 to 200 pounds per animal
damage to hides amounting, in the case o
two firms mentioned, to over $4,000 pei
annum, and great depreciation in the valu,
of the meat, 1t is estimated that the loss il
1869, by shriukage alone, on cattle alone
shipped east from Chicago, amounted to a
least 29471,7O0 pounds Of beef
Mr. Angel cite. a long list of sAnitar.
aud medical authorities, to show that tn
meats of animals so transpo ted endanger tn
public health, producing disease in man.
well authenticated cases.
1t appears also from various reliable au
thorities quoted, including DR.. Derby of tn
Massachusetts, State Board Of Health, that
is almost impossible to detect in the marke,
the meats Of diseased animals, and the on
!, safety consists in their inspection, as in Er
. ropean cities, before they are killed, and tn
inspection of their internal organs immed
:, ately after killing.
= After describing the various forms Of stoc
cars, with their advantages and objections
= Mr.. Angel proceeds to discuss the remedy
which consists, first, in the enactment an
enforcement Of certain laws specified, whic
shall lead railroad corporations to adopt som
one of the forms of improved stock car, au
the use Of which he shows will be alik
profitable to the corporations the cattle dea
ers, and consumers.
In conclusion, Mr.. Angel insists upon tn
importance here, as in continental Europea
n cities, of protection against diseased meat
by a careful inspection of all animal slaugl
tered in the neighborhood of our great cite