The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-23
ON A CATTLE SHIP.
Brutal Treatment of Animals
on the Atlantic Voyage.
SIXTEEN DAYS OF MISERY.
why the European Government Places
Restrictions on American Beef-Tor-
ture Of Stock in Filthy Vessels.

LIVERPOOL, Aug. 10.-(Special Cores
pondence. l--"Wanted-Men for cattle
ships. Free passage in return for services.
Auuiy at "a Greenwich street"
solapplied at "a Greenwich street, New
York. No. Ga was not house of pleasant
asnect. 1t appeared to be devoted chiefly
"a the accom- modation of the lowest kind
If scandinavian emigrants, and to the
saIe. al greasy bar, of the most fiery kind
If cheap liquor. The tongue of those
sueaking was strange to me, and the smells
rsre 9 strange. When | asked for the
man rho had placed the advertisement in
the pspers no one understood me, until at
Last the bartender beckoned me to the bar.
aYou want the cattleman-so7"
II should like TO see him."
HE will be here soons. Sit down NIT
de boys"
He pointed to bench in the corner of
the room on which sat two young lads. / sat
down beside them, and they at once en-
tered into conversation. They were clean,
neatly dressed. well-spoken boys, and told
me they were 10, belonged to England and
were going home TO their friends. / didn't
believe them, and frankly told them so.
/ told them neither of them looked like 10,
and they didn't speak like English boys.
advised them not to start on any foolish
trip. and fatty challenged them with be-
ing runaways. So made them distrust-
full of me- and they subsidized into a state
OF silent suspicion.
The employment agent came in, as the
evening was getting on, and the place was
getting full and even noiser than before.
He was a man who would impress one
rfa ofRa al
well dressed. He nodded through the
gloom of the ill-lit room and the steam
from the heated bodies of the crowd, to
the boys, whom il seems he had readily
engaged in spite of their youth, and en-
tered into talk with me. He said, in re-
ply to my question, that the work was
not hard, and told me that free passage
vasto some extent figure of speech. The
firm he was working for, he said. furnished
the best food looked after the men, and
were in the habit of giving deserving men
at least sovereign on arriving at their
destination also, he said, the regular cat
flemen, Who made trade of it, would do
all the hardest work. I would be required
merely to help feed the cattle and do few
odd jobs. 1.-TWO dollars. please" he said,
finally, and 81 he got
An elderly, almost old man, then occu-
pied the agents attention, and after few
minutes conversation, saw the poor fell
low. with trembling fingers. tumble about
little purse, and produce slowly 81.
Our group left Jersey City at 1880 at
night for Philadelphia, and arrived there
at $3.50 a. m. After wandering about we
got some breakfast at 8, and | was intro
duced to the boss cattleman. an Austria
Ian. standing nearly six feet and weighing
over fourteen stone. In many respects he
resembled his cattle, but was less gentle in
his ways than they. In spite of his huge
bulk and massive limbs. however, he was
q most lazy wretch. Under him were three
assistant cattlemen, who deserve some no
tice. The first was an ex-convict, who had
SERVED term" for killing q man; the
second. an Irishman of the lowest class;
the third, comparatively harmless indi-
vidual, was a relation of the 'boss.n There
we're IN all eight men working their
passage, and these the professionals called
'stiffs" 1t occurred to me that there
must he some fraud in this, for if it had so
happened that no men wanted a free pas
sage these four would have TO do the work
or engage others at the regular rates. The
fact of eight men working their passage"
and only four men being properly hired
seems extraordinary. Did the cattle boss
contract to supply proper attendants for
the cattle without the firm who shipped
the stock being aware of his methods, or
with their knowledge2 Did the shipown-
ers know nothing of these methods?
Were they--to some extent responsible for
the cattle-accessories to this mode of re-
ducing expenses? / have no doubt that
both shipowner and agent must have
known.
After breakfast we began to ship the
cattle on the train at Philadelphia. ow-
ing 10 the ropes not having been sent to
the yards, We could not rope the cattle. as
had been originally intended. in the car
nages, but had to wait until they were
aboard ship. We got to work again as
soon as We reached the dock. We "stiffs"
were armed with heavy clubs and sta
uoned az various points in the alleys. Our
DUTY was TO belabor the herd as IL passed
anu keep them moving in one direction
Inc sun who shouted most loudly and
VINO MT the hardest was encouraged cheer
ialiy oy the big eattleman. The one most
reluctant 70 thrash the unhappy beasts
was looked on with anger and suspicion.
LIE cowpunchers" themselves were
armed with heavy poles, tipped with iron.
capable OF inticting an ugly wound I
wondered greatly at the freedom with
which these poles were used on the bodies
OF the valuable cargo whose bruised flesh
ket
When the bewildered. beaten, believing
nerd had been driven into their pens, We
weighed anchor and steamed down the
nSer 10 the bay. Just before this. how
ever, We all want aft and signed ships ar
ucles That was, of course. a farce
Inc captain took no interest at all in the
appearance of the cattle helpers. whats
your name Sign there, with age and
pace OF residence" This took very little
the. When the two boys came forward,
.soot, the eldest, announced himself as
a and the absurdlty passed unnoticed.
ncs when the other little chap, Bert Da-
Us said the same, the thing was too
S The captain smiled. aud some one
n1ghed out loud. Now. thought, they'll
. .sna them ashore and make inquiries for
.asf parents. Not At all. Berthe signed
and retired with blush and pleased
suane thought il strange that the BOYS
200 clothing and fair, smooth skin
should not have attracted the shippers
stlention Immediately. They were so evil
uentiy OF good parentage and could not
possibly have gained permission TO make
such trip.
We had 362 cattle on board when we left.
We did not have anything like that num-
Der when we finished the VOYAGE.
First We were set 10 work IRONING" the
cattle This operation is generally accom-
plshed speedily by expert cattlemen. ex-
eepilng In few cases where the brutes be-
come unruly. Then the task is danger
Gus one and often attended with severe in
lnrles to the men. and sometimes loss of