The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-30
CRUELTY TO STOCK.
How Some of the Railroads Trans
port Living Freight.
Condition of Cattle When Loaded in
the Cars and Their Condition When
They Reach Eastern Markets
"A Shocking Contrast.
[ChIcago T'imes.]

VII. St4lVGA 0bIeGl, I'LL uRfllJ fl Lus
can Humane Association, has for the last six
months been travelling over the most impor-
tant railroads that transport live animals, to
witness the condition Of the animals when
Loaded into the cars. their treatment while In
transit, and their condition at the time of
their arrival In the Eastern markets. He
travelled over $4,000 miles, sometimes alone
sometimes with other witnesses. In O. report
to the Humane Association at Its recent meet
Ing In Chicago. he said:
We have leeIl one thousand three hundred
ana forty $500 local stations where animals
are collected ami shipped. A large portion
III their pens are on low, level ground and
when they are much used In wet weather,
they become extremely muddy. few OF
the pens have bee1 raised by putting gravel
or small stones Iii them to prevent them
from becoming muddy. and we have seen, In
some places. larger stones In the pens,
uaking them 80 uneven that animals
could neither walk, stand nor lie down there
without injury. Ia many Of the pens cattle
and hogs were standing In mud from tour to
eight Inches q ~. and exposed to the hot
sun or storms for days, while the
owners were collecting their full ship
ment, and no arrangements Of any kind
frr feeding Or watering the animals were
made while thus confined. We have seen cat
tic drink the filthy water that was standing
III their tracks showing their extreme thirst
before being loaded In the cars At different
times we have Witnessed large cattle, cows,
young calves aud hogs In the same pen, to be
loaded III the sane car. We have seen
hogs greatly overcrowded In pens, where
there was not space for them to lie
or hungry condition. At different times
the owners did admit that their ami
mails had been driven from ten 1o) to
eighteen 1sl miles without feed or water,
before getting To a station. and that they
were then loaded In tho cars In that eundi-
tion. We have seen at u station la Kansas,
large fine looking lat cattle. which the owner
expected to sell for expectation, that had been
cpnfined in small pens for three days and
nights continuously. exposed to the hot sun,
this lot said he had just received q dispatch
from the owner to ship them to st. Louis
without giving them feed or water, and he
said that after arriving In st. Louis he could
get 100 pounds or more OF water into ench one
before they We're sold and weighed. The
weather was extremely warm, and we have
seen drivers force nineteen head OF these larxs
cattle Into each car. To do this they were
pounded and punched with poles having n
sharp nail IN the end OF each, until the blood
would run. The same man said that he was
an old shipper; that he had shipped thou
sands Of cattle, and that for them to 40 with
out feed or water for four days In sue
cesston did not hurt them, even Ii the weather
anced shipper would allow cattle to have feed
or water Tor twentyfour hours before ship
ping them A large number of other ship
pers told us they never allowed their cattle 10
have feed or water for at least twenty four
hours before loading them into the ears, be-
cause cattle would not incline to lie down If
kept hungry and thirsty. We have seen many
pens 80 crowded with cattle that there was
not space for them to lie down for rest, and In |
their state of torment the larger ones hooked
If RAJ
their owners. We have seen scores of dead
hogs ut local stations which have died from
heat or over-driving, and hundreds more
that died after being loaded into the cars.
FERD YARDS.
The feed wards along the Missouri, Kansas
ind Texas Railroad, from Dsnison Texas, to |
Hannibal, Mo-. 45O miles, are oil owned and |
rood order, and have full supply OF feed |
md water kept Iii the trouHhs while animals
ire Ia the pens. He charges by the car load
md not by weight, for the hay, and this is
,ly OF feed and water is given the animals at
he feed yards The feed yards at Council
Bluffs, st. Joseph, Atchison and Kansas
}ity, on the Missouri river, are all we'll
sdapted fol the purposes designed, and are
,ept in good order; the pens for hogs aud
heep are covered, those for cattle and mules
re not covered, and the animals In them are
eft exposed To the sun and storms. Animals
rom long distances west OF the Missouri
liver are generally unloaded at one OF these
eed yards and when the pens are not over
rowded. the animals can lie down for rest,
md have full supply of food and water II the
hipper 90 orders; but we were told that
.nimals seldom had a sufficient amount of
nned or water allowed them by the shippers.
The Union stock yards In Chicago are the
most extensive of any on this continent,
nd we believe on the globe. They have 1000
attic pens. 1900 hog and sheep pens, stabling
Or 1900 horses. Fifteen hundred cars OF stock
an be unloaded and cared for daily The sys-
ARTS OF the Western States, thousands or
niles centre there. They occupy $50 acres of
and and cost nearly S5,o0o,oo0. Their repairs
ost about $15O,000 annually, and 1t requires
he yards to dothe work required. They will
ccommodate about 10 900 CATTLE 1000 hogs
900 sheep and 1000 horses at one time. The
ens for hogs and sheep are covered; those
pr cattle are not covered, and the cattle are
therefore, exposed to the weather At that
lace, the pens are kept free from mud, gen
rally, and animals have full supply Of feed
nd water when their custodians order; but,
las Ut Is seldom the cattle have a full supply
tyen them, and they are frequently reloaded
lme for rest, and they are driven into the (
ars In tired, hungry and thirsty condition,
nd are then run to Pittsburg or Buffalo be-
,re being unloaded. We have been told by
iHeEelL Shippers that Inelr cattle seldom
ave more than from two to four hours time
pr rest at either place before they are re-
paded for the East At times they run from
t. Louis and also from Chicago direct to the ]
'astern cities without time for rest, or feed
r water.
Mr.. Street tells a horrible story OF the man !
er Of unloading cattle orat he arrival of trains
the feed yards. and OF the neglect resulting
! the sickness and death of cattle and hogs
great numbers, which sometimes followed
fter they We're put into their pens. He fur |
ler says Oh the subject OF
OVERLOOKING.
II is no uncommon thing to see from eigh- I
aen TO twenty head OF large fat cattle In /
ar twenty eight feet long aud eight feet |
'ide and thrty-six to forty-eight of one and /.
NO ear old cattle in a car. Also 100 stock hogs
each deck of double-decked car, and from I
ghty to ninety large fat hogs in single
eek cars where there did not appear to be- i
landing room for them. We have seen 100 !
lrge fat sheep forced into each deck OF \
ouble-decked car In extremity hot weather; {
lrge fat cattle, cows, young calves and hogs t
Vererowded in the same car, some of the /
ly