Wichita eagle., 1888-07-14
IN SOUTH AMERICA.
A FRENCH TRAVELLER DESCRIBES
A BIG CATTLE ESTATE.

Immense Herds of Cattle ard sheep Es-
longing to an Estancia-Slaushter al
Las Jarillas - An Ignoble Spectacle.
Quick and Bloody Work.
The name eStancia is given to those i'm.
mense estates, some of which surpaSs III ex.
tent the departments in France and whose
owners are exclusively occupied Ill raisiuo
horses and cattle. These cattle are coun.
by thousands-their sheep by hundreds
thousands. These immense herds lie in
open air and Craze in the fields which 81
round the main buildings; these are usual
built on the most elevated spot in the estan
cia. Horses, oxen and sheep are watche.
and cared for by herdsmen living and sleer
ing continual in the open air. Each herr.
man is expect I'll TO guard from 1000 TO ) 90.
head OF cattle As to the main buildings. G..
estancia proper they are built in the form OF
a square or rectangle with terraces, with Il,
outer entrance except large gate as thick
and strong as that Of q state prison. This L.
the residence of the master, the major dom.
and the household servants. All the anart-
ments open on walks bordering the court, il
the center of which is well of fresh water
These walks sheltered by veranda, are made
of bricks. Then there Is a chapel where
priest comes every six months 70 oficiate.
and high tower from which, cs we have
seen, poems watched day and night over the
pampas.
THE SURROUNDINGS.
Adjoining the estancia are vegetable and
Pleasure gardens, the ranches in which re-
side the poems, the corraIs. Enclosures formed
of wooden palisades, in which are kept the
horses in habitual use, the mich cows and
poultry The forge, the wheelwrights shops.
the vehicles used in the transportation OF
produce, the warehouses with walls pierced
with hundred holes, in which ere feeces
and hides to be sent to Patagonia, Bue1los
Ayres or Rosario; and finally the corrals,
where the different animals are slaughtered
A wall, four feet high, surrounds all these
buildings and dependencies; this wall is pro-
tected by a large ditch, on whose outer edge
is an impenetrable hedge OF aloes, with
leaves as long, sharp and strong as iron
spears This triple rampant forms the in
closure Of every estancia in South America
As soon as the black flag Is run up, al the
herdsmen, and other servants who may be
outside, hasten to regain the protection OF the
eStancia.
" Eti dlIlNctt u LIZ al l4ldS JUDI III blIlB
to witness the slaughter of the animals. This
Is called matadero. 1t is an ignoble spec
tacle, but then travellers must have the cour-
age 10 witness everything. Every morning
at daybrea@ during the whols time that the
matadero lasts, the poems drive 200 or 800
head Of cattle 70 the entrance 81 the corrals.
These animals. who smell the blood shed the
previous evening, generally refuse 20 enter
Then men on horseback throw lassoes over
their horns while other horsemen spur their
horses right on them, and the shock throws
each refractory animal To the ground.
Scarcely has it fallen when those who have
laSsoed II drag 1t inside, where one man
throws his lasso over one hind foot whiIo "a
second cuts the leaders Of the other The
poor beast falls forward on its knees. as II 70
inplore mercy from the executioners; but
its sufferings are almost over Armed with
a very long. sharp knife the raatador ad-
vances-he raises his arn-a fasa-a CLEAN
and all Is over
By A TaCSDERBoLT
The animal falls as IL struck By a thunder
bot. The blade, buried deep Just below ths
LETT shoulder, has touched ire heart TIE
ma.ador withdraws h.s blade, the blood
gushes from the wound, and moving slowly
on account OF the enormous boots which 81
case his legs tie rnatador approaches another
victim The animals are Immediately
skinned and cut up The nssat and hides are
salted and dressed Tae former il sent 20
Brazil and the latter 20 Europe, where they
are tanned and serve 20 fashion the dainty
boots and slippers Of Cur elegautes- Ono
must have witnessed q r1ata6sro % form an
idea Of what IL is. Tie ssarthy poems, naked
10 tire waist. with their Wild, fsrce faces and
flashing biack e-sz ard bare and biood
stained arms, are fearful 70 behold WITH
out pity they STAY. and strike again sad
again The slang entered animals are heaped
upon o1e another, but what matters IL
Tie sun Is sinking lowsr and lower, aad
they raGa finish be.o,e nigh..alL Hurry,
reps, fag.e-, josef we must max. tas.e.
CG-sn5a@ And again TIE shining blades |
sre buried in t5e bodies # the poor animals. |
whose plaiDtITe bleaiinsz AMI Iosfngs sl-soss /
break your heart TIE s1n has juv. disap- |
peaTei be3osT :he hc-izo1- sooa aocks q 7
owls. rxvsrs ccn1c-s ard yri.ures cois@c- 20 /
tsaz. on the remains al o1ai, vhzea. bit /
for these bs-4s q p-eT. world posao1 tie air. 4
Tbs was Saturday. With tSs laz; dzy = 1
the week tas rra.ade-o corses % an ezs4 TIE /
rorTals vrere clAa-ei: tIss blood stalsse1 81! i
Was covered with layers az fryzn eartk /
Isea be.za prep0ratsors .o- tie hiera, @
b-ars1.n, tAe animals q TIE year, which xzs /
- b@zla 90 Ho7dzy. Tass - s.lvrzTs "a o.
rasaon Il gre&s rrxsr5ns and fsSs.vlEy.-
tea<y Ls:ga.ae u De-so.. FTes PrsA