Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-05
KTHUK F. EGGLF sToN, Secretary.
 New Haven, Conn, Aug. IS, 1882.
PALACE CARS, FOR CATTLE

Now that it has been discovered that cru city in transferring cattle from the West to the East does not pay there will probably be speedy and thorough reform in the busi. ness. It is stated that from five to ten per cent. of the real value of cattle is lost by shrinkage in weight and by death and injury to animals in transit. The reports of rail roads interested in the transportation of cat tie show that thousands of animals arrive at stations dead and thousands more in & crip- pied and tortured condition. Scarcely cat tie train arrives either in New York or Chi cago, that does not present cases of painful death among the cattle. An examination of the interior of 8 car shows cattle lying on the floor panting for breath, their eyes dilated and bloodshot, their bodies bruised by the trampllng of their fellows After having been driven hundreds of miles over the plains they are closely packed in cars and carried for days without water or food.
 Frightened by the noises of the locomotive
 and the disagreeable motion of the cars, the
 animals become maddened, and often the in
 terior of one of these cars is a scene of wild
 tumult. The dead cattle arriving in Chicago
 average about five day, only including those which have died since leaving the last feeding station.
 Influenced by the demand for a better method of transporting cattle "palace stock ! car company" has been formed which will | bring cattle East without killing, bruising or | starving them. The palace stock cars are ! divided into compartments by means of E swinging gates made of slats and steel bands | Never more than five, and as X & ! rule four only, are ever placed in one \ compartment, so that they are reliev- \ ed from the accumulated pressure of the I whole load in the swaying of the trains.
 Full provision has been. made also for water ing and feeding the cattle in transit, which is by far the most novel and interesting feature of the car and commends itself at once by the simplicity of its mechanism. On the roof of each car are two oblong boxes in corners diagonally opposite to each other, running parallel with the length of the car to it's centre These boxes are filled with food for the cattle. Under these boxes at 8 convenient height are arranged revolving troughs made of tin. When in use they are turned up, otherwise they are secured so as to prevent dirt from accommodating in them By means of these troughs the live stock is fed and watered. In the bottom of each box
 is large iron valve that is operated by means of lever placed at the end of the car.
 sufficient quantity of food then having been
 placed in the box the valve is turned and the
 food drops down into the troughs, which in
 the meantime have been turned up to receive
 it. Along the top of the interior of each
 r1rS a ino min yph;c io
 cd with the pipe in the next car by means of
 rubber hose From the main pipe smaller
 ones run down the side and connect with
 horizontal pipe running over the top of the
 troughs This horizontal pipe is per
 forated. When it becomes nec-
 essary to water the cattle the
 train is stopped, connection made with
 pump and in few seconds the troughs
 are all filled. Not only the cattle pro-
 vided with food, water and rest, bat the use
 of the suspension truck, the Janney coupler
 and the air brake (now for the first time ap
 piled to stock cars) allays alarm, prevents
 excitement, avoids accident and enables the
 animals to be carried with ease, rapidity, comfort and safety hitherto unattainable. By these means it is possible to carry cattle with less injury than was before thought pos sible, and at rate which will practically re- duce the distances traversed more than one, half.
 Last week 8 train of twenty of these pal ace stock cars ran from Chicago to Jersey City in little over two days. The cars con- ! tained 361 steers, which were all landed in good condition and showed an average loss of but 24 pounds head. Under the old \ system the time is generally as much as days and the shrinkage 60 or 70 pounds head. ! Moreover. the meat of such animals is often I not fit to eat. The difference between the
 two systems is so great that it will probably
 not be long before cattle who are obliged to journey by rail will be much more tenderly
 treated than those which have gone before l them.