The Wilmingtonian., 1886-02-20
A Meat Inspector.

Since the agitation last year upon this ques
tion there has been no noticeable improve
ment Still the same thing is going on, anC
it appears as if there is no way of either pro
tecting the public or that better class o
butchers who d ,al only in good article
What is peeded, at this moment, said {
prominent butcher of King street, to the
writer, is meat inspector, one who is fear
less, and competent aud who will attend to
his duty. Let him bu salaried officer Of
the city, aud let him be paid sufficiently
well 50 that he may attend to these duties
and nothing else. Let him spend his time
around the slaughter houses and in the mar.
kets. Let him see the kind of cattle that is
brought into this city for human food His
place on market days is right here among the
stalls.
He will have plenty to occupy his most
watchful attention, no matter how vigorous
and sharp he may be, from daylight to dark
and through the night also. He should have
peremptory power also. If he is the right
kind of man, and there are some here who
can fill such an office satisfactorily to all re-
spectacle butchers, no one will object to
what he may say Or do.
The time is fast coming, added he, "when
butcher can't put upon his counter first
class mea', such as that (the butcher here
tapped with his long keen knife beautiful
side of beef and sell it.
CLOVIS that" inquired the scribe.
"Well, I'll tell you. Cattle of that kind
cut for from three to Eve dollars a hundred
more than what old cows can be bought for.
Old cows are beginning to form the staple
supply at the slaughter-houses of Whining
ton This is fact and can be readily
proved. Again, good butcher, that is one
who deals only in good meat, cannot afford
to sell the good article as cheaply as old cow
is sold.
Perhaps one of the greatest troubles is,
and one that favors this rascally traffic in
inferior meat, that the people cannot tell the
difference, not only servants but you your
self, between good meat and bad when it is
cut up and fixed for sale on the counter; nine
m pf 70 ha 1aI n,l,
those who are we'll posted, butchers who
have daily need 10 watch their goods can say
at sight what is good and what bad. Peo-
pie don't know what they are buying and
they all naturally enough prefer to get their
meat cheap. The poor meat can he sold
cheap, good meat cannot.
You will find that all men iu the market
who handlea good quality of meat have
uniform prices for their goods. They can't
afford to sell it lower. That of itself aug bit
to show the iniquity of selling bad meat and
to point out who does so.
A'woman who keeps a boarding house in
the neighborhood came to me the other day,
and opening her basket said she was going
to show me nee piece of meat adding that
she paid only eight cents for it, triumphautly
closing her woods by reminding me that Ihad
charged her eleven cent for similar piece,
spread the eight cents goods before me. It
looked nice to her-but smiled'as recog
uized what it was, a piece of ancient COW,
very nicely "fixed up" "Well, anyhow" +"
said she, ''lm going to try it. She came
around the next morning to see me, bat the
lady did not hold her head so high, she SIM
ply muttered that she didn't want any more
of that"
II it We're put to vote of the respectable
butchers Of this city there would be unani-
nous ''aye" in favor Of meat inspector
being appointed.
Another thing that needs attention is the
milk business. A milk inspector is a sadly
needed official in this city. Good dairymen,
in this question also, would be glad of such
an Office being instituted in Wilmington.
In this city one man could well do both
duties of meat and milk inspection. But one
thing is necessary however, namely that this
official have mandatory power.