Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-11-04
FROM TEXASTOTHE TABLE
HOW THE LoNd-HoRNED STEER
JOURNEY TO LONDON.
He Foods on the G Grass of the Plains
and at the End People in Picca-
dflly Feeds on Him

in Texas and herded mostly by
Mexicans are slaughtered in Liverpool
and served at the restaurants and hotels
of London "down Piccadiily way" as
the ''roast beef of old England" The
fact that this can be done is one Of the
wonders of a wonderful age-an age in
which country where the wheat crop
fails can get its -four from any land in
the temperate or semi-tropical regions |;
an age in which the question of the fresh
meat supply has been solved by the ap.
plication of ammonia for freezing and
steam for transportation an age, in
fact, of high pressure, rapid transit and
electrical communication.
But although he can get his mutton,
veal and steaks in frozen chuncks from
the Antipodes at small cost, the wealthy
Englishman rather fancies having cuts
from animals killed within his imme-
diate purview, and that is the reason
why the Texas steer journeys in all his
frisky and long horned entity from the
plains to Piccadilly. AS calf he faces
the sun, feeds on the luscious grass and
fees the norther. His horns grow, he
defies the herder and enters into con
spiracies for stampedes.
But all the same, he doesn't know
enough to avert the fate for which he
was destined from youth up. Some fine
day he and his fellows are coaxed along
to corral, then chased into chute,
next forced into cars, and the last and
deadly journey has begun. The con-
signment reaches New York or Boston,
as the case may be, and tho prisoners
who have lived the free life Of the
prairies get taste of fresh air during
the transfer from the cars to the
steamer. The fever of confinement is
in their blood, the terror of crowds and
strange noises crazes their brains, and
for these reasons some break loose and
tear about the streets, scattering crowds
and precipitating their own destruction.
Years ago the cat were transferred
to vessels by means of lighters and
hauled up the ships side in sings. In
these days of rush and hurry the method
has been improved on and the beasts are
run into an entrance at the steamers side
through chute of the same style as that
used at corrals and by the railroads.
Once aboard they are packed together
In compartments almost as close rs sar-
dimes, and during the voyage depend
upon the "catte boss" aad his assistants
for food, drink and indeed for life. The
boss gets from $50 to 500 per trip and
the hands are given their passage across
to England and back and all the way
from one to twenty dollars in money.
They tave a week ashore aud nothing to
do on the return voyage.
1t is in the care of the cattle that GER
tain abuses have developed which are
just now attracting attention in England,
where buyers like to have their beef
prime and of the first quality. A protest,
put in shape some time ago by Mr.. Piim-
soil, indicates in few words just what is
thought Objectionable. Said the we'll
known member of Parliament when in
New York:
"People who have not seen the suf-
ferings of the poor brutes cannot tell
what agonies they endure. They are
packed in the hold, between decks and
on deck. Sometimes the steamers are
loaded down SO heavily that in port the
vessels sway. Think of the torture of
the poor brutes in the storm, with seas
breaking over them, knocking them to-
gether and sometimes sweeping them
overheard. Why, men have told me that
they have seen cattle jammed so violently
against the bulwark of a steamer in a
gale that there legs were ground off,
while other wretched brutcs were
trampled to jelly on the deck. Some.
times they are crowded together so
tightly that cattle lying down would be
trampled to death aud to prevent this
fires are lighted under the cattle, or
paraffine put in their cars. 1t was any,
thing to keep them on their feet, any.
thing to save their flesh. This is horri-
BILE and inhuman. 1t would be humane,
and perhaps would pay better in the end,
to transport the beef than the live
stock"
To this sshand' has recently added
his testimony regarding life on cattle
ship. After the load had been made up and
the voyage had begun, the boss and
nearly all the helpers got drunk and
didn't regain their senses for nearly
thirty six hours. Says the narrator:
"The cattle had not been fed or wa
tered since they were put on shipboard.
the boss had become sober enough to
realize his negligence, but was still
drunk enough to want to make repara-
ton. We were short of hands, only one
having been sent to every forty cattle.
1t took us nearly two hours to give the
cattle hay, and it took me about three
hours more to pick the splinters and
thistles out of my hands. The next
morning the boss had us up at four to
water and feed the cattle. The water
ing came first. Condensed water is
used. Pipes connected with the conden-
ser ran to all parts of the ship, except
to points whcro It was needed. SO far
as convenience is concerned, it would
have been just as we'll to leave the wa
ter at the donkey engine as to draw it
off into barrels and be obliged to pack
it from them.
''My clothing was dripping wet, and
notwithstanding the severe exercise, 1
was thoroughly chilled. 1t took US
three solid hours to water. Then we
had a half an hour to sit by the fiddler
to dry ourselves. Aftcr breakfast came
the haying, and after the haying we had
TO fill the barrels with water. That
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