Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-18
LIVE STOCK TRANSPORTATION.
Improved Methods Of Carrying Cattle.

The York Daily notes that the evils of
the present system of live stock transporta-
tion are sufficiently patent to every one.
It is expensive, wasteful, and cruel in the
extreme, and much of the fever stricken,
ulcer covered, bruised and lacerated beef
is totally unit for human consumption.
This constitutes the only semblance OF
justification for the dressed beefexpedient
and It is only semblance, for, in truth,
as shown above, the latter involves all the
evils of both systems, and promises no
relief from any. But it is remal kable that
the railroad companies have not since seen
their own interest and that Of the pnblic
in tho reform of the present barbarOus
system by the substitution of safe and
comfortable cattle cars for the shameful
death pen now in use. This would put
an immediate end the competition Of beef.
The main additions to the first cost OF
beef. landed from the cars in New York.
arc the cost of feed, yardage and repeated
handling, between his first shipping poiat
and his market. Put him into car, in
which he rem .ins from first to last aud
has his feed shipped with him, aud you
escape the frequent loading, unloading
and the conscienceless extortiOn of
the cattle yards, which pile upon
him so large part of the
price the consumer is forced to pay.
He is fed and watered at case he lies
down to rest when he likes and be comes
out-not starved, fevered and bruised,
but sound and healthy, fit for slaughter
and the table. lie will have lost in weight
less than q quarter of the loss now in
Cured no part of his carcass will have to
he cut out aud thrown away on account of
deep bruises as now frequently happens :;
and one. two or three steers will not be
drawn dead out of a car as is often the
case to-day. These are each and all of
them great economies. Either one Of
them would more than pay the expense of
the change to an improved car. But there
is still another and more important con-
sideration. A train of ordinary cattle cars
cannot be given speed without destroying
the living freight /; but cars in which the
animals could be separated, in which they
could rest, in which they could not be
bruised, or thrown under foot to be tramp
led by their fellows, and from which they
would not have to be unloaded to be fed
and watered-with corn at 50 per bushel
could be put into express trains and run
through on any desired time. Here might
be made a saving of two thirds the time
now employed-a sequel of equal conse-
quence to the shipper and to the rail
road. This alone would pay the
expense of the proposed change forty
times over every year. To any one of the
trunk lines it would be almost equiv
aleDt to third track. To the cattle
dealer it would be the difference between
having his cattle out between Chicago
and New York week, undergoing untold
sufferings, and having them out two days
and a fraction we'll fed in comfortable
cars. This is reform which is coming,
and it is passing strange that intelligent
railway managers, instead of consulting
tEeir own manifest interests in its imme-
diate adoption, should wait to be driven
into it by overwhelming public opinion, ol
compelled by federal statute. This last is
inevitable, unless tho companies move in
the near future, and this, il is unnecessary
to say is, politically speaking, a very dan =
gerOus expedient. 1t would be the begin
ming of railway regulation by the federal
government-the thin edge of the wedge,
and very easy of insertion, because it
would meet a most crying public evil
Many of the leading statesmen of the
country have already committed them
selves to this sort of legislation in letters
to the National Humane association ant
nothing can be more certain than that
such laws will be passed, and that they
will form a very dangerous precedent t.
the railroads, unless the latter shall take
measures themselves to remedy the horri
bic evils in question.
The n. Y. Sun says on the above sub
ject: "Butchers and housekeepers are
greatly excited over the project of bring.
ing dressed meat to New York from Texas
The butchers snaturallyObject to the scheme
but the housewives don't. Suprosins
even that the beef killed in Texas were
not as fine food as that killed in New
York, which is by no means sure, all thu
poor housekeeper wants is cheaper meat
As the case stands at present live cattle
transported from St. Louis have to pay
yard charges at Toledo. Buffalo and
Albany at the rate of So Is car for feed
watering and bedding. The OK loses OF
an average seventy-fve pounds of flesl
during the journey, gets only five pOund
of hay at the different halting places, ant
arrives in New York in an exhausted con
ditioD, at a loss in weight and experditur,
of something like $40 per head to th'
shipper. A growl is being raised agains
the cattle yard monopoly of the railroads
and there seems to be ample opportunit,
for the dressed beef transportation to be
come burning question between West
ern cattle shippers and Eastern railroa(
managers"