Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-01-31
CHICAGO STOCK YARDS.
Receiving and Killing CattIe-oId
and New Methods.

In oil seasons of the year, in all hours
of the day and night, stream OF live
stock is flowing over q score of roads to
Chicago. Arrived at the yards the cattle
are consigned to their pens and the hogs
to theirs, where they wait with indiffer-
ence to fate for an Eastern buyer or a
Chicago bntterine or lard maker. If the
cattle are purchased for killing here they
are driven through the narrow streets of
that busiest of marts and into an entry,
where they stand with heads all one
way, closely pressed side by side. just
oser their backs runs flooring which
supports a stalwart executioner armed
with sledge. He picks out the beast
he wants to kill, marks the spot in tue
forehead just below his feet, where the
blow must fall, and then strikes easily
and quickly and shoulders his hammer
again.
1t is probable that politicians Dor
rowed the phrase ''dull thud' from the
slaughter house, for nothing else de-
scribes tue stroke that ends all bovine
.sensibility. In an instant a man who
has lowered on the flank of the herd
prisons the heel of the fallen steer in q
clamp, and the power OF steam is in
voked to lift the carcass high in the air.
Hanging there, head downward, still al
most motionless from the stunning eff
fects of that blow, a sharp knife is
drawn across the throat, plunged little
way into chat dark recess which the
rude anatomist there knows best. and
red blood spouts out in torrent. Very
Il. ,..1na1 Ioaf ko 70.
as you stand and watch moment the
hide is stripped off, the head and feet
gointo retirement and two nicely dressed
halves, carefully cleaned, are pushed
along on the only elevated railroad Chi
cago can boast of, aud into the dark
chambers where the low temperature
prepares them for further carving.
But if the beef animals do go without
complaint to their fate, the hogs feel
under no obligation to follow the exam
pie, and protest with a most vigorous
chrous of squeals at every step OF the
way. But their native stubbornness is
finally conquered when they are crowded
upon the last floor their reluctant feet
will ever press, and they feel one leg
caught by hook which resists all their
kicking. Steam power here, as III the
beef slaughter house, raises the animal
high in the air, and he starts on his last
ride-squealing and struggling TO the
last. One after another is caught. lifted,
and showed along head downward in
procession past as mild a hammered man
as ever cut throat, and swing on, still
struggling aud squealing, but now
bleeding, to the hot-water vat. III apig
is right lively he can die by the time bis
shackles loosen and he drops into the
scalding fluid, but no time is wasted on
his account, and if he doesn't want to
die he doesn't need TO, but is given n
header and poled down stream to the
scraper.
Do you remember butchering time on
the farml Can you recollect the scat
fold the men rugged up on the bob-sleds,
with barrel of hot water at the side I
Can you see again the picture Of that
sousing-that heaving out and sousing
again-the hog was treated tot And
then do the violent scrapings with the
old iron candle-sticks come bnck to you
How proud the family were when they
had swung up nine hogs in day, and
how painfully weary every one was; and
how delightfully."- greasy everything was,
from the front gate TO the bars OF the
woods pasture.
Well, the hog that falls into the hands
OF these modern butchers gets rapid
transit that would paralyze his rural
ancestor, and floats from the scalding
vat out upon revolving street-sweeping
sort OF a machine that takes off his stub
born coat OF hair in a moment and sends
him naked into the world for the first
time. From here TO the table where he
is delivered in convenient pieces of
shoulder ham, and side meat, the hog
travels faster than he ever did ON foot, |
and is at last deposited in great re-
frigerator, neatly corded up with a
thousand more like him, ready for sale.
But tho man who has brought the
mixed train of cattle aud hogs has no |
interest in the fate of his shipment be-
yond the Office of the commission house
that handles his goods, aud after settle
ment with them, lie gathers his helpers
and his guests about him and plunges |
boldly downtown. Here the merchant
lays in his stock of goods, and all ride
home together in parlor car, quite
satisfied that the mysteries of the great
city have been solved. Humble as they |
are, they and their kind brought to
Chicago in 1855 total of over two and |
half million cattle and four and three |
quarter million head OF hogs. Besides
these some ten thousand head of calves
and one and o half million sheep
Chicago Herald.