The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-04
The Modern Slaughter-h euse.

Let us now see what becomes of the
cattle as they pass into the hands OF
the butcher. This term is also some
what of misnomer" when applied
90 the present system of dressing beef
but we will lot it stand, for the want of
more Ineligible 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 corn
fed animals from the great cereal dis
tricts of what can hardly now be called
grass" cattle which have had the
run of the summer ranges. The latter
receives most of the Through
Texans" the old cows. and the
scrubs" and ''calls" from the bet
ter lots. The process of slaughtering
= each is substantially the same up to a
certain point. where the inferior quality
passes from the killing to the canning
house.
As we come within the gate we reach
first the outer Enclosure or pen, where
may be gathered one hundred head OF
choice "shippers.' They come in
quietly and without excitement, and,
in few minutes. perhaps. one
! third of them are driven into
a narrow alley-way adjoining the
single pens. where each one is in
q few minutes to meet his death. This
part of the yard is boarded up with
neavy plank about six or seven feet
high, and open at the top, along which
we walk on single plank running from
III 80 nd A. al &C. N
slide door opens. and he passes into the
pen nearest him. Here he stands, un-
conscious of the fate that awaits him.
and that his executioner is at that mo-
ment loading the fatal weapon above
his head. A few seconds later and a
mild-looking man with short carbine
in his hand drops the muzzle to point
IN the center of the forehead. Just be-
low the horns. and pulls the trigger.
The steer falls without struggle or q
groan, and he passes on TO the next.
taking the life of half a dozen in a
couple of minutes. more or less The
door at the other end of the pen is
aised, 4 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
shallow trough to catch the blood
Suspended by the hind-feet the stick
ing-Knife completes the bleeding prC
cess. and then two men step forwar
and disconnect the head. Four follow.
stripping down the hide-two others, in
the meanwhile, taking off the feet.
Saving the breast and hauneh bones is
the next operation, and then the carcass
is hoisted preparatory TO taking out the
4inwards. This accomplished. number
are detailed to do the trimming, clean
iag and turning to account every scrap
and particle connected with the animal.
so that nothing is wasted. down TO the
horns and hoofs. While these several
operations are in progress tie carcass
has been moving along distance of
some two hundred feet. being attached
to a track overhead. The men 1T work
maintain their relative positions as ole
after another of the carcasses come be-
fore them and in the brief space of four
teen minutes from the time of the fatal
shot the animal is hung up, drawn aud
quartered," and then left to cool in the
ehill-room for forty-eight hours prepar-
atory 10 shipping. Twenty different
processes take place in the course of the
fourteen minutes aforesaid. and ninety
men are engaged in it. The average
weight of this class of cattle, as brought
into the slsughter-house, is 1850 pounds,
and during the summer season five hun
bred head are killed daily in the nine
hours allotted to the work.-GeofQe
Pomeroy Keese, IN Harper's Nagozssse.