Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-05-24
The Chicago Stock Yards.


MIA will do well to. stop two days at Chi
cago, and one day In Salt Lake City. in
which case he would get to San Francisco
in ten days. and with surprisingly little
fatigue, and heMill have seen several very
remarkable sights on the way. For in
stance, through Chicago itself was burned
and is not yet rebuilt, the ruin is worth
seeing; and near at hsnd. accessible by
frequent trains. he may find one of the
most characteristic Sights Of our continent,
the great Chicago stock yards-a city
whose inhabitants are cattle, sheep and
hogs. and where these creatures are so
well cared for that many poor human
being supposed to have an immortal and
amenable soul, living Id a New York tene-
ment house, is neithersso cleanly lodged
nor SO we'll protected against harm or
cruelty.
This city of beasts has streets, sewers
and drains; it has w&ter laid on it is
lighted with gas; it has bank, an ez-
change. telegraph Office. post-ofice.
an admirably kept hotel3it has even news
paper-else it would not be an American
city. It has. very comfortable accommo-
dations for 118, $50 residents-namely,
81 900 head of cattle. rs, 900 hogs, 22,-
900 sheep. with stalls for $50 horses. 1t
contains 345 acres of land; and when all
this is prepared for use, 1000 head of
cattle can be lodged. fed and cared for
there at once, and With the certainty that
not one will suffer or 90 astray.
It has thirty-6ve miles of sewers; ten
miles of streets and alleys, all paved with
wood; three miles of water troughs. all so
arranged that the water may be stopped
off at any point; 2300 gates, which are
the front doors, so to speak. of the place;
1900 open pens, heavily fenced in with
double plank 100 acres are covered with
pens for cattle, and all these are Aoored
with three inch plank 800 covered sheds
for sheep and hogs; and seventeen miles
of railroad track connect this city Of the
beasts with every road that runs into Chi
cago. It has two Artesian wells. one
1882, the other 1190 feet deep, which,
being spouting wells. send the water in-
to huge tanks forty-fve feethigh whence
lit is distributed all over the place in
Ipes. Fourteen fire plu@slI>se ready to
furnish water in cree immense
stacks of bay aud iafgS g sanafies of -oorn
contain the food needed for the beasts i;
and. [ believe, train of palace cattle
cars now bears the emigrant animals COM
fortably to the Eastern butchers.
Of course, as the CLOVER animals" do
not help themselves, considerable force
of men is needed to attend upon those
gathered here. The company receives
and cares for all the animals sent to it
1t has thus taken in. penned, fed. water
ed. Uttered and taken account Of Al, 900
hogs, 5000 cattle, and 1000 sheep in a
single day. and that without accident
hitch or delay. From ITS to 200 men
are constantly employed in this labor and
to accommodate these and their families
numerous cottages have been built, while
a town hall for public meetings and lee
lures, church, Sunday-school. and a
well-kept day-school provide for their in
struction and amusement. The hotel.
which has bath rooms, and is in other re-
spects we'll fitted, is for the use of drovers
and owners of cattle, whom business brings
hither. At the Exchange sales are effect
ed, and the news of sale may be sent to
Maine or Texas by a telegraph from the
same room, while the money may be Sc
curely deposited in the bank, which is
under the same roof Thus you will see
that this surprising enterprise is complete
ly furnished in every part; and it will not
be the least part of your surprise and
pleasure to find that this whole business,
which about New York often involves
painful brutalities, is here conducted as
quietly as though Quaker presided over
it, and with as much care for the feelings
of the dumb brutes as though good Mr..
Bergh were looking on all the time.
It will cost about two millions when it
is completed; it is pecuniary success, as
it deserves to be: and when you hear that
so long ago as 1869 Chicago received and
sent off 403, 102 head of cattle, 1861. =
869 hogs, and $40. .072 sheep. and it will
probably remain for years one of the great
est cattle markets in the world, you will
see the need for such elaborate arrange
ments as I have described, and, if you are
humane person, will be pleased that
these immense droves of animals are kind
ly cared for and comfortably lodged and
fed on the way to market. Most of the
people employed in the yards are Ameri-
cans.
Among such a multitude of beasts as
are here received, Mr.. Buckles law of
averages would tell you that there will be
a certain few monstrosities; and you will
probably be shown one or two Texas steers
which look more like elephants or NAM
moths than horned oxen; perhaps two
headed sheep or six legged hog; and,
indeed, when | saw the stables they con-
tained collection which would have turn
ed the face of Chatham street exhibitor
green with envy.-Ffone "Calitornia, %
by Charles Nardhcf. in Rarper's Maga-
zine for May.
~Y Young ladies are advised by an old
ladv who sneaks from experience to keen