Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-12-10
WAYS OF KILLING CATTLE.
HOW BEEVEs ARE SLAUGHTERED
IN VARIOUS PLACES.
The Brain Notwithstanding the
Favoritc Method in Some Places
and Rifie.Sbots in Others

AhV DANih bOlI-lnGOdt-Suttih thC I
Favoritc Method in Some Places |
and Rifie-Shots in Others
At the West Philadelphia abattoir
there are two methods practiced every |
day. They are the Israelitish and the
ordinary methods. The meat which Is
killed for consumption by the orthodox
Hebrews is called "kosher,n and the
killing of it is done according to q jew
. ish religious rite, the method employed
being directed by the Mosaic law. There
are number of private slaughter houses
throughout the city conducted by the
Hebrews, but most Of the ''koshcr" meat
is killed at the abattoir
The Hebrew butchers do not kill thcil
cattle themselves, as the rule of their
faith is that it must be killed by q
''schochet," who is appointed by the
rabbi after regular course of instruction
and an examination. His instrument is
long-biadcd knife, called in Hebrew
cholif, the blade being of pure steel,
without flaw. The steer to he slaught-
cred is drawn in up to the killing-place
by means of rope looped around her
horns and run through a ring in the floor
or wall. AS soon as it has been brought
to the Rght place it is ''cast." This con-
slsts in fastening q rope to its hind leg
and drawing that member off the ground
and, with skilful jerk, throwing tie
animal on its ba k. In that position its
head is placed resting on its horns and
the animals nose touches the floor, leav.
ing the throat exposed for the stroke of
the "cholif." One stroke by an expert
"scho 'het" is generally sufficient 10 s9-N
we're all the arterSeS aud the animal is
allowed to bleed to death. The use of
an axe, hammer, or other implement for
stunning the animal is not allowed, as it
is a requirement of the Jewish faith that
none of the animals bones dare be
broken. Just before the killer draws the
blade across the steers throat he vets
his finger in his mouth and rubs it along
the edge of the sharp blade, and while
he is making the stroke he repeats a
prayer.
For killing cattle to be sold for genera
consumption and not according to the
Israelitish rite there are a great many
methods, but all the cattle killed at the
Philadelphia abattoir are treated in the
same manner. The animals arc driven,
seven or eight together, into one of
number of cages. The butcher takes his
stand on couple of planks overhead.
From that pc ition he hits the steers on
the head with pol-ax and knox them
down. 1t takes several blows of the ak
to knock a steer OIL his feet, and it has
often happened at the abattoir that it
was necessary to almost beat steers
brains out before it fell AS soon as q
beef has been knocked down it is dragged
ont of the cage, from under the feet of
its companions, and its throat is cut and
the dressing is done with dispatch, if not
ueatncSs.
The chief end of the use of the hammer
is to destroy sensibility and to make
death, as far as possible, devoid of suf-
fering. The implement mostly used in
America is the pollax, by which the
animal IS stunned and knocked down,
but in places where a large number of
beeves arc killed every day, as in some
of the beef butcherihg establishments of
Chicago, they are shot down. They are
driven into a long row of single stalls,
and a man armed with q repeating rifle
walks along gangway and shoots them
in the head So expert have these men
become that q second shot is seldom
necessary. In Boston and other parts of
Massachusetts the rifle is also used.
In London, England, the poll-ax is
used. 1t is a hammer like affair, and
the strong armed butcher drives the poll
through the skull into the brain, pro-
ducing almost instant inSensiblity.
Some of the butchers there strike the
bullock on the back CT the head, just at
the base of the brain. with the same re-
! suit. Another method employed in
France and other kuropcan countries is
mask which fits over the animals head,
face and eyes, either by straps or
springs. Through the face of the mask
there is an aperture for the insertion of a
punch bolt. A heavy mallct welded by
the strong arms of brawny butcher
will drive this bolt into the head of the
animal, and death quickly follows the
blow.
In Spain the butchers must need have a
strong wrist and a good aim, for they
kill all their beevcs with broad. bladed
dagger. The one selected to be slain is
pulled down to a ring by means of a
strong rope secured around the horns.
The operator takes his stand at the head
of the animal, and with one downward
plunge of his heavy broad bladed knife
he sewers the spinal cord and kills the
animal instantly. Another European
practice, though not in general use, is
killing by dynamite. A dynamite car
fridge is fastened to the head Just below
the horns and in the center of the face.
The cartridge is so loaded as to be OK
ploded by means of fuse, and its dis
charge sends an iron bolt into the head,
and instantaneous death is the result
Another French implement causing in.
slant death to the bullock is the guillo-
tine, similar in construction to the ter
rible implement which came into such
prominence during the reign of terror,
and which was daily bathed in blood
during that awful period. AS it sewers
the spinal cord at single stroke it would
seem to be most hum1no continuance,
notwit hstanding the horror which its
name calls up. There arc many other
devices put to the same use, and all made
for the purpose of rendering death to
food animals rs devoid of suffering as
possible. Meanwhile the Philadc phia
butchers continue to slug the brains out
of bullocks with sledge-hammers and
poll-axes, and they will keep on in the
use of those instruments until they are
| l.. Al. e. 1, II a..