Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-08-31

virginia free gress.
LEADS THEm TO SLAUGHTER.
A Buu Used TO Decoy cattle from Their
Pens at a Packing House.
"Come. Phil"

A handsome 800 pound specimen OF
the bovine species which has been moPing
lazily along the driveway pricks up his
ears in quick response to the call and
tr.ts up 10 his master with a promptness
that would be commendable even in a
pet dog. The call came from Head
Driver Murphy, or one of his assistants
and Philip knows well enough what ii
means.
"G'long over to F" shouts the driver
and at the same time ho points up the al
lev in the direction of section f. The
motion of the drivers hand is superhu-
Gus, however, for Philip knows as well as
anybody where F is, and he gallops of
up tho narrow driveway more like an ed
ucated canine than the huge, lazy steer
that he is.
There is an interesting coincidence III
connection With big Pills history. His
name, unabridged, is Philip ID. Armour.
This is also the name of the proprietor OF
the packing house at which the cloveu
footed Philip is an important function
airy. Driver Murphy, however, blunts
the point of the coincidence by his e1pla'
nation that the steer was honored with
the name of his noted owner in order to
give the animal due appreciation Of his
extraordinary proves and responsibility.
While Philip has arisen from obscure
ty to pre-eminence and has become king
of his kline, he has also degenerated NOR
ally from an innocent and guileless coun-
try OK into an archhypocrite. The grew
some offices of hangman fade into in
significance when compared with those OF
Philip.
His daily labor is to entice the limo
cent cattle from their pens by his pecu
liar magnetism, and lead them in wilC
dash to their death. AS the drivers
swing open the gate of a pen and rush
drove of frightened, trembling steers gu
into the driveway, Phil gallOps boldly
up, and swinging in ahead of the hero
assures his bewildered country brother
that he is master Of the situation, that hi
has come as their delivsrer, and that /
they will follow him they will be brows
ing in clover fields and drinking from
spring fed brooks before the sun SETS.
The unsuspecting cattle instinctivel,
fall in line as soon as their eyes fall OIL
the handsome and intrepid Philip. Th
herd troops away down the alleys, follow
ing closely every turn Of their leader a
he lodges in and out among wagon. anC
sheds and heads straight for the broaC
"shoot" which leads up to the capaciOu
slaughter pen. When Phil approache
the "shoot" he has urged his follower
into a mad stampede. Quick as a fasl
the leader whirls to one side at the foo
of the approach, and the herd, carried oil
by its own impetus, charges madly u
the ascent and into the waiting room o
death. Philip has sent another hundred
of his kin to their doom. The big gate
are closed behind his victims and they
are led into the slaughter mill, one b!
one, almost as fast as one can coup
them, to come out fayed, drawn anC
CHARTERED for the butchers block.
Philip knows no pity, no remorsc. Hi
confidence is seered and callous. As HI
avoids the slaughter pen by an adroi
turn and sends his followers on to theil
death he drops his head between hi
knees and seems to chuckle with ghoulisl
delight as he listens to the clatter of hi
victims hoofs as they Chamber pellmell "
the fatal "shoot."
To stay the butchers knife from his Owl
neck Philip has betrayed 100000 fellow
creatures which looked to him for guild
ance. Chicago Times.