The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-10-23
OUR DUMB ANIMALS.

OUR DUMB ANIMALS.
Address Of the Executive Committee
OF the American Humane Associa-
lion Statements by Mr.. Zadok street
Relative TO the shipment and Treat
mont OF Live Stock.
The third annual Convention of the
American Humane Association was
held at Chicago few days ago. After
the transaction of other preliminary
business the Executive Committee pre-
sented their report for the past wear.
After referring to the fricndlincss of
President Hayes to the society, the
formation of new societies in Balti-
more, Washington and Saratoga
Springs, the attempt to get a law
passed by Congress, and the tour of
Mr.. Zadok Street through the West to
examine the subject of cattle trans
portation, the address says:
The constant and fearful sufcrngs of ami
mails in transportation, and in many slaughter
houses, SO dangerous TO- the public health,
must be carried home to the hearts of the hui
name men and women of this country; anl
until they cease, persons must he employed to
discover and expose them, shippers and rail
road authorities must be urged to give us
their powerful influence and aid and we must
State Legislatures, and asking that suitable
laws shall be enacted and enforced for the
protection of these dumb creatures, and the
preservation of public health.
1t must he obvious that this work cannot he
done without money, and this committee calls
all humane M ne people to nsiP IN IT,
your committee believes that annual meetings
will be Of great service, even if they were to
accomplish nothing more than the bringing
together of our friends from different parts of
the country, to look into each others faces,
and get fresh inspiration and conservation to
carry on and extend the work.
The committee recommends that these meet
ings be held In different city each year; that
during their sessions public meeting be held,
attention to the subject, and, if possible, some
Of the higher schools shall be visited and adj
dressed, and humane literature be sent through
them into as many homes as possible.
Your committee think that addresses should
be given in each State before its Legislature,
clergy, teachers and the pupils in its Colleges
best humane literature should be carried into
every city and town, and, SO far as possible,
into every home, and that teachers particu-
larry should be led to understand that what
ever tends to make children more merciful to
lower creatures tends to make them good citi-
Gems and humane men and women.
1t has been sometimes asked by persons un-
acquainted with our work, why give money to
prevent cruelty to animals when there is so
much cruelty to human beings? Your COM
mittce would answer, first, that we are all in
the growth of cruelty, either in child or man,
toward the lower creatures, tends to promote
the growth of qualities which are dangerous to
ever tends to promote the growth of mercy,
either in child or man, toward the lower crea-
lures, tends to promote the growth of those
human happiness and public safety, and upon
which every noble charity depends; and, sec
ond, that although probably no State of its
size in the world has given more for the pre-
vention of cruelty to animals than Massachu-
sets, yet 1t has been found by careful invcsti-
CATION that of all the amounts annually given
soc a If that State en nnctv.ninc and haIf
per cent is paid directly for the benefit of
human beings, and only Onc-half of one per
cent. for the protection Of its great animal
population and the circulation of humane
Finally, your committee think it Of the most
supreme Importance that societies shall be
established in those States where they do not
now exist.
In transportation, methods of sIaughtering
methods of killing old and wcrn-out animals.
starvation in winter, overlooking, Oycr-d:iv-
ing, over-working cruel beating. cruel treat
ment of animals that supply us with milk.
dOg-fightng, cOck-fighting, other cruel forms
of sport, the destruction of intoxicating
birds and their nests, and many other forms
of abuse which our societies are designed to
remedy, there is probably hardly consider
able town in this country where humane
organization would not find field of useful
labor.
If we believe that any debt of gratitude is
due to these creatures which we call DUMP,
that they ought to be protected, and that
somebody ought to protect them, then let us
show our faith by our works.
Your committee would express the earnest
wish and hope that a missionary fund of $5OOO
may be raised to be expended under the dIrcc-
ton of your Executive Committee in aiding in
the formation, before our next annual meet
10 animals in States Where i've orranzasons
do not now exist.
blessed are the merciful, for they shall OBJ
tain Mercy" are words which have come down
to US through 1,S00 years from tho Sermon on
the Mount. Believing that those words in
ciude in their broad humanity, not alone Cod
| field and birds Of the air and the cattle on 9
thousand hills, let us work and pray, take
courage and press on.
Mr.. Zadok Street, of Ohio, who has
been travelling over the collaborating
roads of the United States for the last
six or seven months, on behalf of the
Association, for the purpose Of observ.
ing the condition of animals when load
ed into cars, their treatment in transit,
and their condition at the time of theil
arrival in Eastern markets, submitted
his report. During this period Mr..
Street has travelled more than eighteen
thousand miles, going over some of the
roads a second and third time. Mr..
Street says:
1--WE have seen 1 $40 local stations where an
imals are collected and shipped. A large por.
ground, and when they are much used in wet
weather become extremely muddy. few Of
the pens have been raised by putting gravel OF
small stones in them to prevent them from be-
coming muddy ana we have seen, in some
places, larger stones in the pens, making them
so uneven that animals could neither walk
fns
many of the pens cattle and hogs were standing
in mud from four to eight inches deep, and cx-
posed to the hot sun, or storms, for days, while
the owners were collecting their full shipment,
and no arrangements of any kind for feeding or
the 12m saye were c mnde %hle
their tracks, showing their extreme thirst,
different times we have witnessed large
the same pen, to be loaded in the same
car. We have seen hogs greatly ovcrcrOwdcd
in pens where there was not space for them to
conton al derent times the e
ers did admit that their animals had been driv-
en- from ten to eighteen miles without feed or
water before getting to q station, and that they
were then loaded into the cars in that cOndi-
ton. We have seen at a station in Kansas
large, fne-lOOking, fat cattle, which the owner
expected to sell for expectation, that had been
nights continuously, exposed to the hot sun,
without feed or water. A man in charge of
this lot said he had just received q dispatch
from the owner to ship them to st. Louis with
out giving them feed or water, and he said
that after arriving in st. Louis he could get
one hundred pounds or more of water
into each one before they were sold
ly warm, and VIC have seen drivers force
nineteen head of these large cattle into
each car; To do this they were pounded
and punched with poles, having sharp nail in
the end of each, until the blood would run.
The same man said he was an old shipper; that
he had shipped thousands of cattle, and that
for them to go without feed or water for four
days in succession did not hurt them, even II
the weather was very hot! He also said that
no experienced shipper would allow cattle to
have feed or water for twenty-fOur hours be
fore shipping them. A large number of other
shippers told US they never allowed their cat
tie to have feed or water for at least twenty
four hours before loading them into the cars,
because 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
and gOred the smaller ones, to the shame OF
their owners. We have seen scores of dead
hogs at local stations which died from heat or
Over-driving, and hundreds more that died
after being loaded into the cars"
Mr.. Street states that upon the arrival OF the
trains at the feed-yards the men employed arc
stationed there and take entire control of UNI
loading animals from cars. The dead animals
are dragged from the cars. The cattle in the