The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-06-01
Dressed Beef.
HOW CATTLE ARE BRUISED AND INJURED
IN THE TRANSIT FROM THE WEST

IN THE TRANSIT FROM THE WEST.
The St Louis Rdii,cdy Register
says:
"The business of raising cattle on
the great plains of the West has grown
enormously during the last ten years,
yet the supply of beef for the markets
of the East has not kept pace with the
demand. The price has steadily ad
vanced until this necessary article of
food is almost beyond the means of the
poorer classes. There have been evils
connected with the transportation of
cattle from the West TO the East which
are great and have attracted the atten-
tion of humanitarians and consumers.
A herd of cattle which arrives at New
York from Texas or Montana is receiv-
ed in bad condition. The poor ami
mails taken from their native quiet ran
ges and crowded into close cars to be
ratified and jolted for week or ten days
over railroads, exposed to strange noises,
bruised by sudden halts and starts, ter
ritied by theirproximity and unusual sur
roundings, when they reach their jour
neys end are sick, lame and feverish.
In this condition they are slaughtered
for food. The idea of killing the cat
tie near the place of their growth and
transporting the dressed meat to mar
ket in refrigerator cars was bright
one and has steadily grown in favor.
The advantages of the plan are obvi.
Gus, for it is open to none of the objec.
tons urged against the old method. 1t
is understood however, or at least it is
claimed, that the firms and companies,
who have large capital invested in the
live stock business, and the railroads
which have provided cars and yards
for its accommodation, are opposed to
an innovation and propose to flight
all attempts to revolutlonize the old
way.
Commenting on the above the Har-
risburg Telegraph says: "There are
reasons why beef slaughtered in the
West will never be permitted monop
oily of the Eastern markets. 1t woald
place lis at the mercy of a few gigantic
firms or corporations-who would,
when their monopoly was confirmed by
the ex,irpa,ion of the Eastern butcher,
and the total destruction of the East
ern plants engaged in the business,
supply our market with an inferior ar
ticle, charge what they pleased, and
80 be secure not only against competi-
ton buf ouoipot onr ori,ninal lo,y, m,
to be entirely regardless of consequen.
ces. 1t would be the greatest and
most dangerous monopoly ever estab.
lished on this continent. But there
are other economical reasons, too nu
merous to mention here, why the
dressed beef business will never be a
complete success. The truth is, the
dressed beef experiment, now in the
hands of very few men, and supply
ing only second class article, is only
one expression of the natural protest
against the present barbarous, cruel
and wasteful methods of live stock
transportation, and the consequent high
price of beef, mutton and pork. The
losses by shrinkage, by death and by
bruising amount to many millions of
dollars in years business, and the tor
ments of the dumb animals ale terrible
beyond belief by those who have never
given the subject attention. Beef
brought forward in this way cannot be
reliable ; it is, in fact, often unfit to
feed to dog. Besides the shameful
extortion of the cattle yards, swindles
for feed, yardage and handling, a pro-
cess gone through with several times
between Chicago and New York
adds enormously to the value of the ar.
ticle on the butchers stalls. 1t is quite
probable, as the Rail,oay Register as
serts, that the railroads do not intend
the proposed dressed beet monopoly to
be established-and they have sourd
reasons for that determination. But
they must improve their own methods
they must suppress the cattle yards ex-
tortion they must abate the suffer.
ings of the animals F; they must deliver
stock fit for slaughter they must save
to the shipper shrinkage, death and
bruising and they must give the pub
lie a reasonable guarantee of sound
meat. This can be done only by the
introduction of car in which cattle
can be fed and watered in transit, and
can be car led at any rate of speed
without being thrown down to b.
trampled to death, or hurled agains
the side of the car, to contract bruises
and ulcers whereby many pounds o
the best portions of the beef are ren
dered unfit for use, and must be Gu
from the carcass and cast away. Sucl
cars could be run through in one thir'
the time now required they would 81
far clear the tracks of the roads TO
other business they would destroy tn
cattle yard .windle they would sav
IN every direction they would secur
the dumb beast from suffering; an
they would give the consumer soun
beef. This is the method of the futur,
1t is inevitable. 1t must come, and tn
sooner the railroads get ready for it tn
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