New-York tribune., 1879-11-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THE CATTLE AND MEAT TRADE.


ANIMALS BROUGHT FROM THE WEST SHOULD BE
PAsIURED BEFORE THEY ARE SLAUGHTERED or
SENT TO EUROPE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
SIR: As The TRIBUNE has always been
open the discussion OF any subject concerning the
public venture the following letter the cattle and
meat trade-a subject which have carefully studied
during the last three to four years beg that you viii
permit address principally the stock dealers Ia the
second person. the hope that IL may call forth reply
or some explanation from them to convince tho ntell-
gent public that modus Operand n not the
best good be practically devised The letter
embraces subject OF particular interest 70 our principal
railroads well TO the general public, nasmuch as IL
makes a large difference n railroad companys re-
ceps and profits whether they receive the toll on hFe
loaded cars thiry-hve loaded cars while the ex-
ptnse to the railroad company for giving the right OF
way and hauling the train is about the same In either
case
The people who form small large communities al
ways know the source the means ana the whole
whereby they supplied daily with an article
OF food indispensable, and that costs 30 much Cuy
five times tha, Of fueD in the Of families the
year round Yet coal Is calculated the basis OF wealth
Of many Of our railroad companies
From comparison let asl; you stock deal
1t wise and proper for you 70 TO that the
bodily condition Of your animals at the time OF
slaughter for food should DC such as 70 keep good latin
with the consumer AS 20 It's heathul quality. thing
easily accomplished by very simple mcans The cattle
and trade OF this country Saying nothing OF the
home supply Will exceed all other exports we have "
properly conducted The commodities OF when we
large surplus consist mainly Of cereal grains. cot
and troeum bnt the cattle ana meat trade
eventually exceed any OF the 10 value
the necessity Of food for existence exceeds that
OF clothing From these considerations am led 10 be-
you proftaoy continue 10 fatten and
slaughter animals in Chicago. 81. Louis or any
other Western centre Tor live stock and send the nesh
in refrigerator cars TO NewYork and thence in refigera
tor apartments in steamships Ia Europe for consump-
tion with satisfaction tine dealers there al
though that plan might DO well enough for New-IOrks
immediate for the hotels and other large consumers
here on safe daily calculation. l. IL not unwse to
pect that the meat Of slaughtered animals can be
brought that distance. and then put shpboard in re-
frgerator sections there remain during the
End expect much good from It arrival The dealers
find that must be very disposed Of or lost
The after purchase also find that IL must be
soon cooked To save ITS value.
The for this IL that best fully two and half
weeks time must intervene between the time of killing
ana eating during which time the meat has been kept
not in cold or low temperature. az nature makes t IN
open arr but in confined sections filed with an artificial
atmosphere which excludes the action OF a continl-
0usly fresh supply OF natural oxygen upon ana over H.
Thus a. must daily deteiiOrae IN quality II not lose the
most nutritious and juicy propertiesn that artificial az
muspsrc and hence he commencement ot decOmposi-
go after exposure to the natural atmosphere
The only remedy tor this s the fattenng and sdugl-
erng OF the ANIMALS here instead Of at the Vest AS
plain as this appears Ia reason do not expect you TO
adopt Plan until urged by the pub &c desires aud
demand for better quality. BY saughtering your AMI
mails the far west where thcy grow, and sending only
their flesh the East in refrigerator cars you save an
encrmOus ercsntage m railroad freChtage send
Ing only flesh. instead ~ the live animals, yOu save
about Onehat or the freight tonnage. And. again. you
sui larger percentage on the bulk by so f-ight-
ing only the meat or the animal Five reirgerator cars
can convey from Chicago ST. Louis TO New-1Ork tie
valuable substance " at least 500 average beeyes
These 300 be- yes would require at least tnlIy perhaps
thirty nve or more cars 10 Dflns them on the looI NO
wonder slaughter az the West and send the meat
here since whether IN good or bad condition one must
take 70 and eat II. or 20 without meat
Fortunately England j. beginning "a demand ne i've
healthy animal Instead Of your stale meat. II you
wOnd give your 1--we stock mere room enOugh-nOt IN
cattle pens you now bave tnem-but where they
lie aud rest on the ground 10 draw out the fever
from their system caused by their long railroad ride.
amt where tie dews Of night would refresh them they
could scarcely any depletion in weight, quality
or value on the sea-voyaer and would good
more by rail practically throws them into fever, com
mon would that very little could be expected
or them 10 condition al CT tc o,uvO niles OF se-
voyage
There plenty OF pasture lands TO be had in The
vicinity of NewYork. especially IN Westchester County
or IN New-Jersey near ana convenient 10 our plnclpi
market places; and II do not see the propifety or
acting on such plan, fear that baltimore, Phliade
Pima, Boston Portland other sea-bOard city VIII
supersede for the reason tha no practice IN any
business calling can he perpenated in opposition t. The
sustain As to caftc vour testimony admits that
tney by their railroad journey average 81 $50
pounds each IN gross weight Is IL rgJ or Just 10 socl
ETY. that on have these animals slaughtered, ana their
1e-h supplied To families immediately or very shortly
after arrival and while under the influence unna-
ural circulation which amounts to fcveri The quick
the surest, and IN tact the only remedy for al this,
s to found in uasturiug animals here aud C!y
enough, 10 iuly recupcratc. And believe that. hy
gaining more pounds than were lost. you would make
mOnef BY tue change by an advance Ia price corfe-
sponGing H. the advance In quality. :. Z. DRIGGs
Br0OkfgH Nov. 20. 1879.