The bee., 1884-07-19
The Modern Slaughter-HOuse.

Let us sec Wnat becomes OF the cattle
as they pass into the hands of the butcher
This term is also somewhat OF mis-
nomer' when applied to the present sys-
tenn of dressing beef, but we will let il
stand, for the want of u more intelligi.
Die designation There are two distinct
departments in the large establishments
Of the day, viz, the shipping" and the
canning Into the former come the
choice cornled animals from the great
cereal districts of what can hardly now
be called the "far West" as we'll as the
best grass cattle which have have had
the run of the summer ranges. The lat.
Tor receives most of the Through
Texans, " the old COWS, and the scrubs
and "cullsn from the better lots. The
process of slaughtering each is substanti,
ally the same up to certain point, where
the inferior quality passes from the kill.
inc to the canning house.
As we come within the gate we reach
first the outer inclosure or pen, where
may be gathered one hundred head oil
choice ''shippers.' They come in quiet
ly and without excitement, and in a 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 or
a single plank running from end to end.
As m animal is wanted, Il slide door
opens and he passes into thg pel nearest
him. Here he stands, unconscious of the
fate that awaits him, and that his eXCcu-
toner is 1t that moment loading the
fatal weapon above his head y few
seconds later ard mild looking man
drops the muzzlc to point in the center
of the forehead, just below the horns
and pulls the trigger. The steer fall:
without struggle or groan and he
passes on to the next, taking the life o.
halt dozen in couple of minutes
more or less the door at the other end
of the pen is raised, hooking chair
passed around the neck, and the anima
is drawn out upon a broad Platform about
fourteen feet wide, at the bottom oil
which runs a shallow trough to c,:tch the
blood Suspended by the hind feet, the
the sticking knife completes the bleed
ing process, and then two men step for.
ward and disconnect the head.
-Four follow, stripping down The
hide-two others, in the mean
while, taking of the feet. Saving the
breast and haunch bones is the next opc
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 theil
relative positions as one after another oi
the Carcasses come before them, and in
the brief space of fourteen minutes from
the time of the fatal shot the animal i:
hung up, ''drawn and artercd," and
then left to cool il ~ chillroom fol
forty eight hours : ory to shipping
Twenty different :, take place IL
the course OF the il a minutes afore.
said, and 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.
-HdrpeT's MdyasiHe.