The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-10-21
THE BEST OF ALL BEEF.

1t Is Said to Come from . Queer Kind
of Cattle OF Florida.
"The shortest river in the world is the
st. Lucie in Florida" said New Yorker
who knows, "and, besides that, it is the
only river IN the world that raises beef,
and that of so fine quality that the
juiciest, latest morsel of the choicest
Texas steer is like rump steak off the
commonest stock compared with it.
Never heard Of river being a cattle
range before, Ell? Well, that's just
what this little ten-mile long st. Lucie
is. The cattle that Craze in the st. Lucie
are not very handsome, but their like
can't be found anywhere else in the
world nowadays They never jump
fences, break into gardens. get put in
pound, or kick over milk pals. They look
as formidable as rhinoceros, but couldn't
harm baby if they tried, although
1900 pounds is no uncommon weight
for them, and, although lacking horns,
they have teeth as long and sharp as
sharks. This strange stock that now
ranges solely on the pastures of st. Lucie
river is the unweildy American sea cow,
called by the natives the manatee. The
animal is common enough to read about,
and was formerly quite abundant in
mauy parts of the south, but being pro-
vided with no means of defense in pro-
lection, except a most acute sense Of
hearing, ruthless hunters and tourists
have caused it to become almost extinct.
The manatee is so rare now that natur-
oil ~, nj will he IF
q good farm for specimen, and SO in a
few years it will not be found even in
tie ST. Lucie river, and the species will
be classed among the extinct of earth
and sea.
There is no moro awkward, helpless,
or curious animal than the sea COW.
Tho head is broad, and to find its eyes
Grcas folds of heavy skin must be parted
and laid hack. If only its nose and
,''nsed mouth should be seen, the spec
tator would say cow would be found
On further investigation. If the mouth
should then open, the spectator would
Ue apt to make tracks for place of
safety, for thicket of sharp, long teeth
would be exposed to view. No animal
not belonging to the carnivori has such
formidable teeth, and their sole use is to
crop the broad, succulent blades of grass
that grow luxuriantly on the bottom Of
the st. Lucie river, in ten feet of water.
This grass is called manatee grass, and
is the sole food of the sea cow.
"A full-grown manatee is twelve feet
long and four feet in diameter. Their
only means of loc2motion are two large
fippers at the shoulders and a fan-like
tail. These are of little use on land, but
in the water they carry the manatee
swiftly and gracefully. The sea cow is
black and covered with black hair. No
animal, reptile, or bird has so sensitive
an ear as these ungainly animals. They
can hear the slightest dip of an oar for
the distance of half mile, and conse-
quently the hunting of the manatee has
to I've done with degree of caution, the
lack of which alone has preserved the
few specimens of the animal there are
left. The meat Of the sea COW is SO
tender, juicy and fine-favored that it
has been admitted by many Of the best
authorities that no flesh of the animal
kingdom is more delicious. Chicago
Herald.