St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-09
The Transportation of Cattle.
EVILS AND ABUSES OF THE SYSTEM
POINTED OFT

The Transportation Of Cattle.
EVILS AND ABUSES OF THE SYSTEM
POINTED OUT.
Your description in Sundays edition
of the horrible tOrments inflicted on
helpless dumb animals during their
transportation by railroads to the East
is appalling, although it falls short of
reality. For many years this society,
aided by the numerous others called
into existence through its benign eff
forts and example, has endeavOred to
mitigate the terrible wrongs done to
man and beast by this senseless and
cruel treatment but your article
shows how little has been accomplish
ed. Starting years ago, i'll the hope
and belief that an appeal to Congress,
which has the constitutional right to
regulate the inter commerce of states,
us well as the health of the people af-
tected thereby, would be successful, a
comprehensive bill was introduced
but railroad sovereignty so amended it
that while it protected monopoly, it
left the animals unprotected. Subse
quently, this society introduced an
other; but an ambassador from the
same powerful monarch practically
killed it in committee. Since then the
humane societies of the country have
turned their efforts i'll another direc-
ton: namely, that of creating Il COM
petition among inventors by a reward
of $4,000 for the best plan of a cattle
car which, by allowing and enabling
the animals to lie down and rest, as
well as feed, while in transit, it was
hoped, would be acceptable. | have
yet to learn that even this slender con-
cessiOn to the physical well-being of
cattle has met with approval.
In the meantime tOrments which no
language can describe are uninterrupt-
edly imposed on unOtfending dumb an
imals, while the people of the States
affected thereby are compelled to con-
sumo flesh charged with fever and dis
ease, which by retributive justice
pOisOns and deteriOrates the bodies of
mankind. 1t is pity that public ap
athy to this vital subject cannot be
shaken off. The truth should be
known, however, to the consumers of
the flesh of these sick and dying ami
mails, starved and pounded during
journey of many days duration. On
arrival at their places of destination,
they are at once driven into the
slaughter houses, almost frantic from
the consequences of the treatment
which so-called civilized beings have
made them endure, burning with fever,
lame and covered with deep-sunken
ulcers, and there are killed and dress
ed for market; and, horrible to think
of, the fetid meat is perhaps on the
tI,a Il Of l,a
citizens and restaurants of the city,
and eaten and absorbed by its apathet-
ic or unsuSpecting consumers. Famil-
iarity with these sOulless and disgust
ing proceedings has almost converted
the writer into strict vegetarian.
He has seen the carcasses of animals
suspended i'll the abattOirs i'll and
around New York, awaiting transpOr
tation to the markets, which exhibited
revolving sores and ulcers, sometimes
Il foot in diameter. The writer of this
begs the reader to believe that the re-
cital of these Sickening facts is as pain
ful to him as they can be to another,
but silence and Indifference only aug
ment the great evil.
Now, what is the cure for this de
testable wrong, done to man and beast,
and through them to civilization itself Z?
Three remedies are practicable, in
case the people see fit to wake up from
their slumber: QD Rebellion against
the railroad tyrants by forcing a strin-
gent law through Congress compelling
those corporations to change the sys-
TEN of cattle transportation entirely,
and placing the enforcement of that
law either in the hands of government
officials, or in those of the Societies for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
along the whole route of tranSpOrta-
tion, reimbursing them their expenses.
(2) By Obliging stock companies to
slaughter the animals near their graz
ing grounds and bring the meat to
market in refrigerating cars. (3) In
case these are not attainable, the re-
framing from the use of meat alto
gether.
That the consumption of animal
! flesh by mankind is demOralizing
feature of our civilization has long
been admitted while its necessity
has not been satisfactorily proven by
experience. There are millions of hu-
man beings who subsist altogether on
vegetables and the writer of this has
had an Arab run in advance of the
horse he was upon for IA distance of
twelve miles, without manifesting the
least sign of fatigue. So animal food
is not absolutely essential to endur-
ance. But as the prospect of convert
ing carnlyerOus man into strict veg
etarian is not encouraging, is it not
the duty of intelligent human beings
to look this shocking question direct
| ly in the face and ''reform it alto
gether 9"-[ Henry Bergh, in n. Y.
| Tribune.