Daily Republican., 1881-07-13
TRAFFIC IN BAD MEAT.
A THING THE AUTHORITIE0
SHOULD LOOK INTO.
Diseased Cattle Killed and Sold
in Our Mari ets-A Growing
and Serious EVIL.

IN the Wilmington ,uarket would sur.
prise you, and few people know it,,
said a man to a REPUBLICAN reporter
day or two ago. He then went on to
say that many cattle were sold to the
butchers of this city which were sick,
the meat of which was wholly unfit to
be taken. This could not be noticed
after the beasts had been killed and the
meat dressed for market, but neverthe-
less IL was very injurious. The gentle
men, who has had considerable expe-
rience with cattle and their ailments,
posted the reporter on certain points, az
to when cattle were unfit to be killed,
and said that while the impure meat
could not be detected upon the butcher $
stalls, the cattle, whose meat was Ger
tainly injurious if eaten, could readily
be pointed out before they were killed.
| 'Look around the cattle yards and
slaughter houses" said he, in conclu-
sion" and you will see that what l say
is true"
The reporter took the hint. Since
having the above conversation he has
closely watched the slaughter houses
and the pens where the cattle are kept
for killing, and he has seen enough to
very fully bear out what bis informant
had said. He could not help noticing
particularly that Of all the cattle
driven in to be killed there were none
that could be called tirst-class beef cattle.
As general thing they were inferior
animals, and large percentage were
old, superanuated cows, with whom
lite had long since become a burden
and who would hail with pleasure the
butchers sledge and the knife sosn to
be brought into play. 1t was also no.
ticed that many Of these were afflicted
with cancers, which a gentleman who
is good authority says renders the meat
of the whole animal so troubled, UNFIT to
be eaten. These can, Of course, be re-
moved from the body of the animal
after it has been skinned and no one
can tell that anything is the matter.
On this subject the opinion of veter'
nary surgeon has been secured. He
says that cattle who have external can
GERS have them internally, and he
would not approve of the use Of the
meat for food. Several animals were
noticed to be thus afflicted during the
reporters brief investigation.
Other recent instances Of unhealthy |
meat being put upon the market here are
known. Only few days ago fine fat |
cow was driven into this city. She was
driven from a distance and the day was
hot Being tired she became sullen and
contrary when near the slaughter pen
and refused to so in, and some three
hours were spent in chasing her around
the square. When finally driven with
in the enclosure she was partially sun
struck, being unable to walk more than
two or three steps without falling. The
COW was killed that evening and the
meat was for sale in the market the
next day. The meat Of q beef killed in
such u condition is unwholesOme, and
its sale is not allowed in Philadelphia.
Several cases of this kind have taken
place of late.
The character of the beef cattle which
comes to Wilmington is such that they
can only be called "beef cattle" in sar-
casm. Very few fine beeves are killed
here, and if there was an inspector to
keep his eyes ON the slaughter houses
and prevent sick and unhealthy ami
mails from being killed, the evil could
In IL great measure be remedied. The
low standard of our cattle market is
proverbial the country around. The city
is known in Chester county as the "cow
The slaughter house Of one
butcher is characterized as so and SOS
''hospital. "If you have any old cows
you can sell them in Wilmington, is
. proverb among cattle dealers.
All of this sounds very CHASTITY and
md sckening but it is true, as little i'll
vestigation will show, and that some
thing should be done must occur to the
minds of every one. 1t has been sugges-
ted that an inspector be appointnd
whose duty it shall be to keep q sharp
lookout on the various slaughter houses
md see that no cattle are Killed whose
meat is likely to be unwholesome.
1t is the duty of the clerk Of the market
10 inspect the meats, s,exposed for sale. but
that officer at present is unable to stop
the evil, because, as it has been shown,
much Of the impure meat cannot be de-
tected after killing. Of course all the
butchers are not guilty of deceiving the
people in this shameful, even criminal
way, but che practice is rapidly becom-
ng far too general for the good reputa-
ion Of the trade