San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-28
THE BUTCHERS.
GREAT HANDLERS OF OUR
MEAT SUPPLY.
Their Numbers and Their Stalls-Im-
mense Quantity of Animals
Killed-Inspection Slaughter
Pens, Etc.

when the census men report"
said some one to the reporter, "you
will find that San Antonio has as
many butchers as she has inhabit-
ants
While, of course, the census returns
won't quite look that way, there are
nevertheless, more representatives of
the butchers trade than of any other,
except, possibly, the saloon mems.
Their exact number in this city, &C
cording to official documents, is
eighty, while various butchers place
them all the way from forty to $50
men.
The butchers stalls are scattered
broadcast over the city much to the
convenience of the people. The nu-
merous slaughter pens in which are
yearly killed total of 80, 294 animals,
are also scattered all around, some
within and some outside of the city
limits.
This great difference in the location
of the various slaughter pens has
long been considered nothing short
of a sanitary nuisance, as the inspect
ors cannot reach them we'll on &C
count Of their distance and different
locations. The city physician has
taken notice of this state of affairs, as
the following extracts from his report
clearly show:
The multiplication of these stalls
renders their control and the inspec-
| ton of meats more difficult and tedi-
hnt hox i'm hi
| own slaughter house, may kill any
diseased animal and offer it for sale
| in his own stall, to an unsuspecting
public and deceive even the mos t
competent inspector. How can any
one suspect that the meat sold to him
is from an animal suffering from big
jaw pearl disease 'trichina, 'tenia,
etc., from its appearance in the
butcher stall? No one can. To
remedy this, would be to establish an
abattoir, or public slaughter house
where animals can be inspected
before killing, and all butchers
offal removed to the crematories for
destruction"
| The sentiments expressed in the
quoted extract is almost unanimously
approved by the butchers.
I'VE are in favor of the city build
ing general slaughter pen, " said Nc.
Donald Bros, land have the cattle
inspected before they are killed, Sc
that no unscrupulous individuals
will be able 10 slaughter diseased OF
valueless cattle. We think that
every butcher ought TO do his own
killing, but do not see the necessity
of the pens outside of the city limits
| Take Houston, its slaughter pen is
within one mile of the heart of the
city. The closer in the city that the
pen is situated, the cleaner will the
pen be kept. We feel very thankful
that the LIGHT has taken hold of this
important subject and is bringing it
before the public"
Mr.. Speiser, who keeps a stand at
Alamo market, said that public
slaughte pen would undoubtedly be
benefit to those who did not own
any private pen, but he didn't see
where any special benefit came in to
those who would have to give up
| their own slaughter house. "If all
who own pens are willing to give
them up" he said, "then those who
kill at other pens will have to join in
too; they cannot help themselves.
Mr.. Schulz, who also keeps a stand
in the same market said to the re-
porter, at makes no particular differ
ence to me, as l have no pen of my
own but do my killing at the house
| of some other butcher He said
that the trade was too hard on an old
man and he contemplated going out
of the business. II own a private
slaughter pen" said Mr.. Michel, the
Elm street butcher, "but [ favor q
general slaughter pen, provided it be
under the supervision of the city, that
no other slaughter pen be allowed to
exist, that each butcher be allowed
sufficient space, that each butcher be
taxed for the space he uses and that
the pen be built outside of the three
mile city limit"
Mr.. Chas. Wesen berg, No. % Main
Market, who also owns his own butch
er pen, is in favor of a Union slaugh-
ter house if the city authorities take
hold of it.
George Jaggi: Il an in favor of a
general slaughter pen, provided the
city takes control of it and places
it outside the city limits. 1 believe
in treating one as fair as the other,
and this putting of every one on an
equal footing is the benefit that is
derived from general pen."
Frank Krisch, Jr., says that he is
perfectly willing to give up his own
pen if the city wants union butcher
house. "pll tell you what advan-
tage the butcher gets out of a gem
eral pen. First, it is less expensive
to him than keeping a private one;
second, the city will have to build a
good road out to them, and thirdly,