The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-25
in A SLAUGHTER HOUSE.
HOW BEEF Is PREPARED FOR MAR
KET IN NEW YORK.
The Jewish Methods of killing Cattle
-Evcryth ng about n slaughtered
Animal utilized in various ways.

consume in round numbers 5000 beevcs
every week, beside great numbers OF
calves, sheep and hogs The supply
comes mostly from Illinois and Kentucky,
Chicago being the distributing point in
the cattle trade of the West. Few State
cattle are slaughtered here, says the New
York Tribune. These beeves will average
in price from $50 to 800 per head, fine
Christmas animals ranging from 500 to
$3.50. They will weigh from 800 to u
500 pounds gross, and will generally net
from sixty-four to sixty-cight per cent.
of their live weight.
A bullock is useful from the tips of his
horns to the end of his tail. No part
of him is wasted, but all is put to some
use and given commercial value. Most
of the Strengthening is done along the East
river. between Forty-third and Forty
seventh streets, and it is interesting to
observe the progress OF an animal from the
time it reaches the slaughter house until
it is ready for the cook III the locality
named the weeks killing amounts to g.
600 head, beside about u, 900 calves and
sheep. The slaughtering is done by the
Jewish method-all the slaughterers are
Jews, who follow the business for life,
and who perform their duties under
special license from the synagogue. No
Jew can kill without license. The cd
Mosaic law is carried out to the letter,
its principles being the avoidance of tor
ture and the freeing the carcass of all
blood. The method is as follows: The
animal is driven into a small pen or en-
closure, into which opens door from
the gallows or windlass. A rope from
the galows is dcxterously fastened about
the left hind leg, above the k-joint,
and passed in front of the right leg. a
turn of the windass tightcns the rope
and draws the animal backward into the
open door, gradually raising its hind
feet from the ground until in its strug
giles to get its right foot over the rope,
and unable longer to resist the sideways
pressure, it falls over on its left side, its
hind parts suspended in the air, and only
its head and shoulders remaining on the
floor. The butcher then comes with a
murderous blade of the finest steel two
inches wide and two feet long, square
pointed, and as sharp and keen as a
razor. He grasps the now passive ami
NAL by the nose, and by a sudden move
ment turns the head over till the tips of
both horns rest on the floor The po-
sition is such that the throat is stretched
and the animal cannot turn back its
head. With single stroke of the
knife the head is nearly severed from
the body. Another turn is given
to the windlass and the dying animal
hangs there till life is extinct and every
drop of blood is drained from the body.
1t is skinned in the usual way, and once
more the Jewish slaughterer assumes con-
troll. 1t is his duty to "opcn" the car
cass and test its quality. When an aper
ture is made, he inserts his hand and arm
to feel if the lungs, liver and heart are in
their proper places and in good condi-
ton. The lungs may be grown to the
ribs, the liver may be swollen with gall,
the heart may be diseased, but he can tell
instantly their condition. If all is right
inside he pronounces the animal
'Cosher' and places leaden seal upon
it; if otherwise, he calls it 'Trafer, and
it goes into the sale as second or third
class. No strict Jew will buy beef that
has not the leaden seal on it, and he
never eats the forcquartcrs lest some
blood may remain there. Gentiles are
not so particular.
When the intcstincs are removed the
fat. lower joints and head are cut off and
the carcass is sawed in half, down the
backbone. and hung in the salesroom.
These halves are then carefully trimmed,
the coating of fat, called the ''rail,
is stretched over as much as possible
and held by wooden pins driven
into the flesh. The thin tissue of flesh
over the ribs, outside, is carved with
fancy figures, leaves, flowers, or latticed,
and the natural contraction, caused by
cooling, curls up the cut edges. The part
of the beef goes to the retail dealers.
The head is skinned and boned the
tongue is cut out and sold, and all the
flesh that can be got off is used for sau-
sage. The bOny part goes into the man
ufacture Of fertilizers, and is turned into
ground bone. The horns are converted
into combs, umbrella-tips, horn jcwclry,
whistles and toys. The slug" or inner
surface of the horn is used for making
glue and fertilizers The feet are also
used for making glue and meats foot oil
Every one knows what becomes of the
hide. The best of the hair, which comes
off in the tanning process, is carefully
washed and dried and baled, and is sold
for the manufacture of shOddy blankets.
The p )orer quality of hair is worked into
mortar for brick -masons and plasterers
The "switch" or long tuft of hair at the
end of the tail is used for making hair
mattresses. The heart and liver are
eaten by those who are fond of them
The fat goes into oleOmargarine or into
oil, the manufacture of which has grown
to wonderful extent.
Every drop of the blood is saved and
converted into fertilizers with the intes-
tines and ofTal. Large factories are built
for the purpose, and at Forty-tourth
street and East river, is one establishment
which uses the blood and refuse from
5000 beeves every week. The offal is
used fresh every day. 1t is not allowed
to lie over long enough to
become tainted; thus the usual
fearful odors of the slaughter
house are avoided. The blood is
caught in barrels and hauled into this
factory, where it is Doured into a larue