The Cecil Whig., 1880-05-29
TIMELY TOPICS.
BEEF AND BULLOCKS.


Until within few years past, scarce q
pound of fresh beef or 4 single fat bull
lock was exported from America to Great
Britain. as it had been thought, up to that
period, these products could not be placed
there in a fit condition for the consump-
tion of the fastidious islanders. More
over, for some time the value of meats
of all kinds had been so near alike on
both sides of the Atlantic as to preclude
the idea of expectation at profit. But
prices then began to advance rapidly in
Cheat Britain and the neighboring coun-
tries of Europe, from which she had long
drawn ample supplies for her wants over
and above her own productions, while a
depression took place to some extent in
America. This prompted few of our
enterprising dealers in fresh beef and fat
bullocks to make the experiment of eX-
portation thither. These. at first, owing
to the imperfect refrigeration of the COM
partments on board ship for the preserva-
ton of fresh meat, and lack of comfort
able accommodation for live cattle, to-
gether with some other causes, more often
resulted in 4 loss than profit. But the
pioneers i'll this business perSevered with
the accustomed American pluck, rapidly
introducing one improvement after an
other, till the expectations increased dur
infr thn fiSao1 nulinm lima
1879, to "a, 025, S32 pounds of fresh beef,
valued at 1883, ,0S0; and 1856, 720 bull
locks, valued at $3.50, 200-the whole
product being $l3, 262, $50.
Had it not been for the British Orders
in Council, prohibiting considerable i'm
portations of live cattle, on account of
supposed disease, American expectations
would have been much larger, and we
have every reason to believe they will be
soon doubled, if not trebled. They GER
tainly will, if nothing untoward occurs in
this new business. In fact, it promises so
largely and profitably in the future. that
ships are now fitting up expressly for the
transportation of fresh meats and live ami
mails of all domestic kinds, not only to
the United Kingdom, but also to France,
Belgium, Holland, and Denmark, and in
due time the expectation will probably
be extended to other parts of Europe.
The introduction of fresh beef from
America into England met at first with
great opposition on the part of many
there, and especially of the butchers, who
like the silversmiths of Ephesus of old,
saw g their craft in danger" Provoking
accounts of this have appeared in the
English papers; but the following, from
Il correspondent of the London Times,
being rather amusing, | copy it to show
the American reader how he was treated
by his butcher and grocer:
''Some time since large quantities of
American beef began to be imported, just
at time when English beef was reach
ing almost famine prices. | know fam
lily in this town, of good position, who
after much anxious thought, and weigh
ing all the chances of being poisoned, etc,
timorously resolved one day to try this
American beef. Unfortunately the serv-
ants heard of the great experiment. The
joint-a fine one-was duly served; the
family ate and like it. (They are still
alive.) But would you believe it, sir,
not one of the four servants would touch
it. Let us not be too hard on the serv-
ants. | would not try it myself for more
than a year after the first importations
Everybody knows that we can get as
good joint in New York as in London,
but feared the voyage might mjure it.
A few weeks ago we had undoubted
evidence of our butcher sending us
American beef, charged at the price of
English. had paid him all winter elev-
en- pence per pound all round; after which
| went to American stores. and got SINH
lar joints at eight pence half-penny per
pound. | had been charged fourteen
pence per pound for best Wiltshire hams,
WLeH Ill ltCl, Tie Sitlle were SlDSctuent-
ly found at seven pence per pound at
| American stores
In addition to the above paltry trick OF
selling good American beef at the exor-
bitant price then ruling of English, the
butchers resortcd to the still more repre-
hensible one of selecting any which hap
pened to be of an inferior quality, OF
slightly damaged on the voyage across
the Atlantic, and offering such at lower
prices, and as the best American. Tc
put an end to the nefarious transactions
the importers decided on having public
sales of their meat. This brought it di
rectly to the knowledge of the people
who upon trial finding it equal to theil
own, steadily increasing market sprung
up for it, and now fresh American beef
mutton, pork, and poultry sell as freely
abroad and atas high prices, as the choic-
est European.
AS none save the choicest quality o
beef and bullocks can be shipped to Eu
rope at profit, l now come to the con