Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-12-26
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SICkENING SLAUGHTER.
How Cattle are Killed i'm VcncZue.
Ian, South America.

h"h, RHneTiCAs
Or. Ditmars of the National society of
Microscopes, believes that he has found
in the tissues of animals that had been
killed while suffering torture, or fren-
Zied by fright, changes that rendered
them dangerous tor use as human food.
1t would be well if that could be made
such deerly-rooted conviction in the
public mind that the slaughter of ami
mails for food would be rendered as
nearly painless to the victims as possible.
But it is to he feared that the effect
spoken of is not sufficiently certain or
deadly to force considerations of hu-
manity as necessary for self-protcction.
I once witnessed the preliminares of the
butchering of some cattle for thu market
of Puerto, Cabello, Venezuela, and have
ever since felt regret thas the meat
killed there was not transformed into an
agonizing, deadly poison. of which the
butchers could have been compelled to
eat largely. 10 have seen them suffer
would have been a great delight.
In that hot climate, where there is no
ice, meat has to be killed from day to
day for immediate use The abattoir of
Puerto Cabello is some distance outside
the town, between a thicket and great
the rainy season. In the edge of the
thicket is q corral, or enclosure made
with "a fence composed of the trunks of
small trees laid lengthwisc like rails.
Some twenty rods in front of it IS a mas
sively CONSTRUCTED. stone. paved shed,
with heavy posts deeply bedded in the
ground at short intervals around it.
Around the base of each post the ground
bod
deep and black with blood. On the
ridge pole of the shed, ON the fences near
by, and ON the ground are hundreds of
black, loathsomc looking turkey buzz
yards, so fat, lazy. and fearless that they
scarcely move out of ones way They
are the scavengers there, and it is forbid
den by law to harm them.
got out there about o'clock in the
afternoon. Half IL dozen scantilyclad,
evil-looking, sturdy rascais were ioung
ing aimlessly about or lying on dried
hides thrown upon the stones under the
shed. With them were several half
naked boys and tlca-lnfcsted dogs. 1t
was not long until the shouts of vaqueros
and the tramping of hoofs hcraldcd the
approach of a drove of cattle and, a few
moments after, twenty-five or thirty wild
looking beasts, with great staring eyes
and wide spreading horns, dashed out
OF a narrow path in the thicket into the
open. There they were quickly rounded
up and hurried into the corral by the va
pueros mounted on small, agile ponies.
The corral bars were put up, the ponies
tethered. and the vaqueros and the
butchers, clambering on the enclosing
fence. began swinging the nooses of
their long, snaky rope lassos over the
heads of the doomed animals
Two lassos were deftlv thrown. at the
same instant almost, over the horns of
steer, the corral-bars were dropped and
the excited beast came charging out at
fellow who had placed himself invit-
ingly before the opening. Before the
long horns could reach their object one
of the lassos, that had been adroitly
cast around a snubbing post, tautened
so suddenly that the steer nearly turned
q somersault and came down On his side,
upon the ground, with stunning crash.
In moment he was up, standing as if
dazed and trembling in every limb. He
was as handsome as Il picture. His long
limbs were shapely and 1.-the as those of
deer; his body, shining dark mahogany
in color, was slender and well termed his
head was carried high and proudly; his
eyes blazed with mingled rage and af-
fright. Suddenly he made another rush at
a man; the second lasso-carried mean
while to more advanced snubbng-
post-tautened, and again he went into
the air with another scmersault and
came down with another crash. After
that he was more chary of those mad
rushes, and they worked him along by
easy stages until they had him drawn up
to one of the slaughter posts at the edge
of the shed, with MS nose down near to
the blood soaked earth. There, at the
first sniff OF the blood, he became almost
mad with terror, but escape was hope
less. With much skill they got another
rope hitched on his horns that drew his
brow to within foot of the post. Then
the lassoes were thrown off and the
butchers fun began. They had plenty
of time to spare, and they proposed to
enjoy themselves. Some young dogs
that they wanted to train were made to
chew the thighs and sides and belly of
the wretched brute. He fought and
kicked at them with all his might, but,
of course. with no effect, and in apparent
despair ut length STOOD. stock still, moan
ing, ami endured the torture until
the dogs got tired of the sport But the
men wanted some more fun with him he
suffered 50 kcenly and showed itso much
that they could not let him alone. One
OF them took II great stone, and. going
close to the steer head, hurled it down
with such cruel accuracy of aim and
devlish fore. that it knocked loose one
of the long, tapering horns. The hor-
riblc agony OF it male the beast roar and
below. And the mcn-how they did
roar with laughter and enjoyment. Then
another fellow picked up Il sharp stone,
and, taking careful aim, threw it with all
his force and Knocked out one of the
steers eyes. The excellent throw was
loudly applauded by the scoundreis
companions, AMI they wed with each
other throwing stones at the poor brute's
remaining eye until it also was knocked
out. At length they got tired of tortur-
ing him and went for fresh victim,
leaving him standing there, in all his
agony and fright and fever. for nine or ten
hours, until daylight the next dav, when
it would be time to kill for the market.
Cook
Bears Catching Salmon
The salmon, the cousin OF the trout,
is famous for its method of going up
stream; it darts ut falls ten or twelve