Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-11

u growers, butchers. and others eneaeed n
Tue uamc. II i notorious fact thar there
.le men All over the country securing everv
pasture, farm-yard and shed in the search Il
WAT are called "canners." crhis term is !
common one, and significant in itself, and &
ven known to every farmer.) From buvins
up comparatively lean animals 1t first. the
trade has 20 deeenerated that nov auy-
thing in the shape of . live animal
nnos ready market. Poor old rakes.
not Mt for any other earthly use than
10 De mercifully killed and buried. are
Ieadiiy bought up At good price, slaughtered,
packed in crates and shipped in to the can
hing establishments engaged in that class Of
WORK. Many of the animals are 90 old and
weak that they cannot walk, and have to be
nken IN carts to the sl.ughter-houses. Sick
ana dlsahled sheep. half dead and half alive.
coughing and running at the nose, that have
oeen lying around the barnyards for weeks.
snare the same fate. To cite one instance
WIZ be sufficient. One Of my informants. an
oid and reliable farmer, had = sheep that had
oeen aillng for weeks. He took it from his
mock and kept il for q while about the barn
That he might nurse and doctor it in the hopes
"f bringing it around He had given mn the
case, and was about TO have the animal nut
out Of misery and buried in the manure
when one Of those scavengers came along
and proposed to buy the poor creature
for canning. The worthy farmer wa.
thoroughly disgusted At the proposal, and
told the butcher that he could not have the
animal at any price; that the animal had been
SICK for weeks. and was full Of disease: that
II was worth only the wool on its pelt; thar
It had Not been able to walk for some time,
and that 1t was outrageous and criminal to
a htV nah uns. e L
pose. The butcher unblushingly remarked
that the sheep was good enough, and that if
II could not walk he would put it right into
the cart with some others of the same kind,
and take it along. 1t is needless TO say that
the poor brute was killed and buried on the
farm. In one day last week. one firm brought
to this place over 5000 pounds-three tons
and shipped them away. They were. all fro
zen and so poor. and thin that the light shin
ing through them met with but little
obstruction. and when they were thrown
upon the bottom Of the car they would fiy TO
pieces like side Of dry tan-bark One in
stance in regard to cattle! There was q sick
steer bought by one of these butchers, and
finally killed. While the animal was being
dressed there W as found near the kidneys big
bunch" as the butcher termed it, ''about the
size Of quart" and was of the nature of q
tnmor or abcess. In reply to an intimation
that the meat might be unfit to eat, the re-
mark was made that it had not broke vet. 30
it was all right. The animal was shipped
away with the rest. Many instances of like
nature could be cited.
BUTT is not the drovers and butchers alone
who are to blame for this outrage Though
they are as disgusting, base and criminal AZ
can be imagined. and ought to be consigned
to the State prison for their rascality. they
are really no worse than the farmers who
knowingly sell to them, or the packers who
knowingly buy their meats. This is not ru-
NOR, but reliable information from men who
saw for themselves. Consumer