Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-26
The Modern Slaughter.House,

Let us see what becomes Of the cattle
as they pass into the hands Of the butcher.
lhls term IS also somewhat Of a mis-
gomer when applied to the present sys-
tenn Of dressing beef, but we will let it
stand, Tor the want Of a more intcligi-
bic designation There are two distinct
departments in the large establishments
OF the day, viz, tho shipping" and the
canning Into the former come the
choice cornfcd animals from the great
cereal districts Of what can hardly now
be called the "far West as well as the
best grass" cattle which have have had
the run % the summer ranges. The lat
ter receives most Of the Through
Texans. " the old cows, ana the scrubs"
and ''culls' from re better lots The
process OF slaughtering each is substanti-
ally the same up to a certain point, where
the inferior quality passes from the kill
ING 10 the canning house.
As we come within the gate we reach
first the outer inclosure or pen, where
may be gathered one hundred head of
choice shippers" They come in quiet
~ and without excitement, and in few
minutes perhaps one-third of them
are driven into narrow alley
way adjoining the single pens,
where each one is in few
minutes to meet his death. This part
of the yard is boarded up with heavy
plank about six or seven feet high, and
open at the top, along which we walk on
single plank running from end to end.
AS an animal is wanted a slide door
opens, and he passes into the pen nearest
him. Here he stands, unconscious of the
fate that awaits him, and that his eXecu-
toner is ut that moment loading the
fatal weapon above his head. A few
seconds later and a mild looking man
drops the muzzle to a point IN the center
of the forehead, just below the horns,
and pulls the trigger. The steer falls
without struggle or groan, and he
passes on to the next, taking the life of
half n dozen in a couple of minutes,
more or less. The door at the other end
of the pen is raised, a hooking chain
passed around the neck, and the animal
is drawn out upon broad platform about
fourteen feet wide, at the bottom of
which runs a shallow trough to catch the
blood. Suspended by the hind feet. the
the sticking-knifc completes the bleed
ing process, and then two men step for
ward and discornect the head
Four follow, stripping down the
hide-two others. in the mean
while, taking off the feet. Saving the
breast and haunch bones is the next ope-
ration, and then the carcass is hoisted
preparatory to taking out the inwards
This accomplished, a number are detailed
to do the trimming, cleaning, and turn
ing TO account every scrap and particle
connected with the ANIMAL so that moth
ing is wasted, down to the horns and
hoofs While these several operations
are in progress the carcass has been NOV
ing along distance of some two hun
dred feet, being attached to a track over
head. The men at work maintain their
relative positions as one after another of
the carcaSses come before them, and in
the brief space of fourteen minutes from
the time of the fatal shot the animal is
hung up, drawn and quartercd," and
then left to cool in the chill-room for
forty eight hours preparatory to shipping
Twenty different processes take place In
the course of the fourteen minutes afore-
said, ana ninety men are engaged in it.
The average weight of this class of cattle,
as brought into the slaughter house, is
1850 pounds, and during the summer
season five hundred head are killed daily
in the nine hours allotted to the work.
-HdrperS Magazine