Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-09

for the butchers. said he did not know
what steps would be taken now. An
appeal might be made to the supreme
court.
There is one satisfaction which the city
may have, and that is, that the costs
which it has paid so far will all be re-
funded, and that the butchers who sought
to stab the municipality in its struggle to
promote public good. win have TO chip in
and help Hueslng foot all the bills at
torneys fees on both sides, costs and ev-
erything.
REVIEW OF THE CASE.
A brief review of this case, which has
attracted so much attention, will be of
special interest at this time. The abat-
toirs history may really be traced back as
far as 1880, when in consequence of re-
| peated complaints from meat consumers
and Others of the city of the unhealthy
condition of beeves slaughtered in Rock
Island. number of physicians at the So
licitation of Mayor Carse, made a tour of
|
city, and reported to the council that the
slaughter houses were in disgustingly
| filthy condition, and in the words of the
| physicians report, that it was the GUS
tom to feed hogs the blood, entrails and
all other offal in all stages of decomposi-
tion--a living mass of maggots-and 1t
has been reported to us that diseased
cattle were sometimes killed and the meat
sold for food" About this time all the
physicians OF the city, at meeting held
for the purpose. adopted resolutions
signed by them all-Drs. Bernhard,
Truesdale, Eyster, Mckee. Gait, Plum
mer, Cowden, Gregg and Webb, setting
forth that in view of the disclosures made
to the beoard of health, that
WHEREAS, Investigation of the |
slaughter houses Of the city by the board |
of health has disclosed the fact that
proper cleanliness is not maintained in |
them-in fact some, il not all of them,
are in such filthy condition from the |
presence in and about them of decompos. |
ing offal, entrails and blood of cattle |
slaughtered as to so vitiate the air that |
the meat prepared for sale must be more |
or less contaminated by it; and
WHEREAS, 1t has been shown and adj
mitted by many butchers that hogs are
kept at the slaughter houses and fattened
on the offal, CUTS and blood of butchered
cattle, In all stages Of decomposition. the
putrid mass generally alive with maggots;
that hogs so fattened are butchered, ex-
posed for sale and sold for meat in the
city markets; and
WHEREAS, There are reasonable
grounds for suspicion that diseased cat,
tie and unborn calves have been butch
cred and sold as eatable meats; therefore,
it was
Resolued, That meat exposed to air,
rendered poisonous by the septic emana-
tons from the decomposing offsl of
slaughtered cattle is highly detrime ntal
to the health of those who eat 1t. That
the meat of hogs fattened on any animal
matter, and especially that In state of
decomposition, is unfit for human con-
sumption, and where used will breed dis.
ease. That the meat from diseased cat
tie and immature calves is inedible and
its exposure for sale crime against the
health of the community.
Resotoed, That it is highly important
to the welfare of the city that the city
council should provide a public abattoir
or such other means as may seem best to
prevent continuance of such practices
in the slaughter houses as have been
made manifest by the investigations of
the board of health.
Nothing was done of any importance
at the the time, however, or until the
winter of 1885, when number of fami-
lies in the upper end of town-about
twenty in number-were seized with sud-
den and alarming illness, which was. after
a close and scientific Investigation. traced
to the meat sold to each Of the families
by certain butcher. Then it was that
the advocacy Of the abattoir was re-
newed. The ARGUS was among the first
and staunchest and most uuyielding ad :
vocates Of the project. The matter was
daily agitated in these columns. and it
soon became a subject of .saIss1siS discus,
sion. Finally, in the SO
Hon. Bailey Davenport d S
low the city suitable for III 4 4 4.
conditional that an abat :
;Ehs -