Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-05

A Disease That suse- Considerable appre
hension


hension.
Within u week past several farmers in
Drumore township have had cattle to die
of what they supposed TO be Texas fever,
The farmers who have lost CATTLE 80 far as
we can learn are James NJ. McSparran,
five head out of six Samuel Long, four
head and several others reported sick ;
Henry Shlub, two head n few days ago
and two more reported dead this morning /;
Edward Riley. several head sick. These
cattle were purchased at the Unborn
tavern, in Drumore township, week ago,
from Peter Diffenbach, q reliable cattle
dealer. They appeared to be perfectly
healthy when bought, but soon alter being
turned out became sick, aud unsteady in
their legs, and finally lay down aud died.
A representative of this paper visited
the Lancaster stockyards this morning and
interviewed number Of the principal cattle
dealers. Levi Ssussning from whom Mr..
Diffenbach purchased the cattle says he
bought them in Buffalo last week. He
docs not know where they were bred, but
supposes they came from Missouri. They
appeared to DO perfectly healthy when he
bought and when he sold them. He says
it is no uncommon thing for cattle to
slcken and die after having been penued
III tlc CARS lOE u ibHR
long distances In hot weather and perhaps
been deprived while en- route of sutii 3ieut
supply of water and feed. He is inclined
to think that this was the case with the
cattle above reported An insult 3er cy Of
feed and water while in the cars aud a too
full supply after reaching the farmer
caused the troable. He does not believe
thoy were suffering from any contagious
or other dangerous disease. He says he
would not be at all afraid to place cattle
thus effected in the midst of u drove of
healthy cattle. He is sure the disease is
nothing like Texas fever, pleuro pneumon
10 or any other cattle epidemic. lio says
that he has not had q sick animal in his
yards, and that farmers need not be afraid
of an epidemic among their stock
John w. Mentzer says he has not sick
steer in his yards. He buys most of his
cattle at Pittsburg, and they are nearly all
raised in Ohio and Missouri, He is of tho
opinion thaf the sickness of the cattle
abovo referred To is not contagious but was
caused by long confinement ami want OF
proper attention in the cars.
George Styer had no sick cattle in his
yards nor had he heard of any being sick
In any of the Lancaster yards. Ho had
known cattle to die, AZ these are reported
to have died, after long journeys and
improper attention during hot weather.
| He did not believe the desease to DO con
| tagious, but 1t was very often fatal to the
animal affected. He knew of no sure cure
for the disease, but had seen cattle recover
from it, when they had been fly sickened
and warmed up with hot medicines.
Several other dealers expressed theiI
belief that ths cattle had died from want
of proper treatment while en- route from
distant states Sometimes the cattl,
trains arc detained by wrecks and Other
accidents and the cattle are unavoid
ably neglected. While much sympathy
was expressed for the farmers who had
lost their cattle, they thought there wa
no occasion for any general alarm. Th'
shorter the distance from which the oattl'
are shipped the less likelihood is there o
their being neglected and the create
likelihood of their being healthy.