The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-06
SICKENING SLAUGHTER.
HOW CATTLE ARE KILLED IN vENE
zUELAA, SOUTH AMERICA.

4 zUELAA, SOUTH AMERICA.
| DR.. Ditmars, of the National Sc
ciety of Microscopists, believes tha
he has found in the tissues Of ami
| mails that had been killed while suf
fering torture, or frenzied by fright
changes that rendered them dan
gerous for use as human food. I
would be we'll ifthat could be made
such deep.rooted conviction in the
public mind that the slaughter o.
animals for food would be rendered
as nearly painless to the victims al
possible. But it is to be feared that
the effect spoken Of Is not sufficiently
certain or deadly, to force considera.
tions Of humanity as necessary for
selfprotection. once witnessed the
preliminaries Of the butchering OF
some cattle for the market of Puerto,
Canello, and Venezuela, and have ever
since felt regret that the meat killed
there was not transformed into an
agonizing, deadly poison. Of which
the butchers could have been com.
PEELED to cat largely. To have seen
them suffer would have been 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 Pureto Cabello is some
distance outside the town, between a
thicket and great bare fat on
which stagnant water lies in the rainy
season. In the edge Of the. thicket
is q corral, or enclosure made with a
fence composed of the trunk oc small
trees laid lengthwise like rails. Some
twenty rods in front of it is a mas.
sively constructed, stone-p paved shed,
with heavy posts deeply bclded in
the ground at short intervals around
it. Around the base of each post
the ground is trodden down in basin
and soaked deep and black with
blood. On the ridge-pole Of the shed,
Oh the fences near by, and on the
ground are hundreds Of black, loath.
some-lookikg turkey buzzards, so fat,
lazy, and fearless that they scarcely
move out Of ones way. They are the
scavengers there, and it is forbidden
by law to harm them.
Igot out there about 4 o'clock in
the afternoon. Half a dozen scantily-
clad, eyil.looking, sturdy rascals
were lounging aimlessly about or lying
on dried hides thrown upon the stones
under the shed. With them we're
several half.naked boys and fea,in-
tested dogs. Il was not long until
the shouts ofyaqueros aad the tramp
ing Of hoofs heralded the approach
ofa drove of cattle and, few mo
ments after, twenty-five or thirty wild
looking beasts, with great staring
eyes and spread horns. dashed
out Of a narrow path in the thicket
into the open. There they were quick,
ly rounded up ard hurried into the
corral by the vaqueros mounted on
small, agile ponies. The corral.bar.
were put up, the ponies tethered, aud
the vaqueros and the butchers, climb,
ling on the enclosing fence, began
swinging the nooses of their long,
snaky rope lassos over The
heads of the doomed animals.
Two lassos were deity thrown, at the
sameinstant almost, over the horn.
Of a steer, the corral-bars were drop
ped, and the excited beast came
charging out at a fellow who had
placed himself inyitingly before the
opening. Before the long horns could
reach their object one Of the lassos
that had been adoritly cast around :
snnbbing-post, tautened so suddenly
that the steer nearly turned q some
sault and came down his side, upor
the ground, with o stunning crash
In a moment he was up, standing a
IL dazed and trembling in every limb
lie was as handsome as a picture
Ills long limbs we're sharply and lith.
as those Of q deer; his body, shining
dark mahogany in color, was slende
and well formed; his head was car
ried high and proudly ; his eye blaz
ed with mingled rage and alright
Suddenly he made another rush at q
man the second lasso carried mean
while 10 a more advanced snubbing
pOst-tautencd, and again he wen
into the air with another somersaul
and came down with another crash
After that he was more chary Of thos
mad rushes, and they worked hin
along by easy stages until they ha'
him drawn up 10 one fthe slaughte
posts at the edge Of the shed, with hi
nose down near TO the blood soakcl
earth. There, Of the first snuff q
! the blood, he became almost ma
with terror, but escape was hopeless
With much skill they got anothe
: rope hitched on his horns that DIRE
; his brow to within a foot Of the pos
, Then the lassoes were thrown Off an
the butchers fun began. They ha
plenty of time TO spare, aud they pr'
posed TO enjoy themselves. Som
/; young dogs they wanted 10 trai
! we're made TO clleW the thighs an
9 belly Of the wretched brute. II
!; fought and kicked at them with q
! Ills might, but, Of course, with no
!, feet, and in apparent despair
h length stood stock still, moaning, al
endured the torture. until the do
got tired Of The sport. But the mi
wanted some fun with him; be 81