The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-30

said, pieces and parts of the carcasses Of
animals, entrails, heads. legs, and hides,
all fostering and rotting in the sunshine,
most disgusting and revolving sight:
that from this loathsome condition of said
river, the air in the locality of said Ding
Iodine slaughter house is infested and
contaminated with the gases arising from
the decaying and putrid remains of ami
mails, and is standing menace to the
health of the inhabitants residing within
its influence.
Defendants further answering aver that
while they are unable to state that any
deaths of the inhabitants of the locality of
said Dingledine slaughter house can be
directly traced to the condition of said
slaughter house and its surroundings above
described, do aver that great harm to the
health of the inhabitants of said locality
may well be apprehended, and they fur
Their aver that there are grave reasons to
apprehend and fear that the health of the
inhabitants of the city of Rock Island may
be seriously affected thereby, by reason
of said inhabitants being compelled, since
the issuing of the injunction in this cause,
to eat the meat which is slaughtered in the
midst of such revolving filthiness, and
and which has been subject to contact with
the air freighted with the poisons arising
from the decaying and purifying animal
matter in and about said slaughter house
and its surroundings; that diptheria, scar
let fever, typhoid fever, malaria and other
kinds of diseases are caused frequently by
the use of contaminated meats and the
breathing of the atmosphere affected by
exhalations arising from decaying animal
matter.
Admit that the City Council of said city
on or about the 10th day of May, 1886,
passed the appropriation ordinance for
the fiscal year of 1886, in which $3,000was
appropriated for abattoir purposes and
$500 for salary of Deputy Health Com
missioner, as charged in said bill.
Defendants further admit that the re-
ceipts from said abattoir for the fiscal
year ending April 1886 were only S5l.45,
but aver and charge the fact to be that the
reason thereof was because said butchers
had combined and conspired together to
defeat the purpose and object of said city
abattoir and the proper inspection of the
meats slaughtered by them, and that in
consequence thereof, said abattoir was but
little used.
These defendants deny that the said
City Council for the purpose of raising
revenue and profit from said absttoir, di-
rected the committee on ordinances to
prepare and report to said Council, an
ordinance amendatory of said abattoir
ordinance so as to require that all cattle,
the flesh whereof should be offered or in
tended for sale in said city to be slaugh
cred at said abattoir,
Defendants deny that if said ordinance
were passed, it would increase the expense
of said abattoir.
These defendants further answering
deny that the location of said abattoir is
announcement, unsuitable and improper and
unreasonable for such purpose, but aver
and charge the fact to be that said abattoir
is located in the most available place for
such purposes, is convenient and. easy of
access and is far more convenient and suit
ably located for such purpose than the
slaughter houses heretofore used by said
butchers; That it is on the bank of the
Mississippi river, where there is an abund-
ance of water supply and good drainage,
there are good and well made roads leading
proper, convenient and suitable.
Deny that it is approachable by cattle only
by driving through the streets and the in
habited portion of the city, where such
driving would be injurious and hazardous
and improper, but on the contrary, aver and
charge the fact to be that the roads leading
to said abattoir are in good condition, and
are fenced on both sides portion of the
way That there is no necessity under any
circumstances for the butchers or drovers
driving cattle to said abattoir to drive through
any considerable inhabited portion of said
city, as can be plainly seen and is plainly
shown ON the map herewith filed and the
roads thereon laid out, leading to said alb
batoir. The said abattoir road is marked on
said map in red ink "Abattoir Road" That
in no event or under any circumstances
would it be necessary for the drovers driv-
ing to said abattoir to pass through the
streets of said city for more than the dis
lance of about three blocks, which is in the
suburbs of said city and upon which there
is not business house, or is any business
of any kind whatever done in said locality.
and the streets are infrequently travelled, that
there are only few small tenement houses
along said streets, and the same are quiet,
and said streets may be properly used for
the driving Of cattle to the abattoir, with
out danger to persons orproperty, and these
defendants aver and charge the fact to be
that the claim and pretence on the part of
said butchers, and the said complainant that
the locality of said abattoir is inconvenient
and improper. is a mere sham pretence and
subterfuge, and is untrue. That they have
for twenty years more or less, many of
them, been slanghtering their cattle within
this very locality and within quarter or
half a mile of the location of said abattoir,
and the said pretence is set out only and
solely to aid said butchers in their purpose
to avoid the proper inspection of animals,
and the control of the slaughtering business
by the city authorities of said city.
Deny that during considerable portion
of every year that it has been and is serious
ly inconvenient of approach and practically
inaccessible for the driving of cattle and
other stock to and from the same.
Deny that said lots and grounds about the
game are swamny wet and subipet tn over