St. Landry democrat., 1892-12-24
FROM TEXASTO THE TABLE
BOW THE LON E-IORNED STEER
JOURNEY TO LONDON
and at the End People i'll Picca-
diIly Feeds on Him.

/ r
marked evidence of human prog
w. ress than this-that cattle born
| 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 wonderful age-an age in
which a country where the wheat crop
fails can get its -four from any laud in
the temperate or semi-tropicaL regions ;
an age in which the question of the fresh
meat supply has been solved by tue ap-
| plication of ammonia for freezing and
steam for transportation an aye, 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
Engiishman rather fanc:es having cuts
from animals killed within his imme-
diate purview, and that is the reason
why the Texas steer Journeys in ali his
frisky and long horned entity from the
plains to Piccadilly. AS a calf he faces
the sun, feeds on the luscious grass and
fees the norther. His horls grow, he
defes the hcrler 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 a corral. then chased into q 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 the 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 precipltating their own destruction.
Years ago the cattle 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 steamer side
through chute Of the same style IS that
used at corrals aud .by the railroads.
Once aboard they are packed to 1ether
in compartments almost as close as sar-
dimes, and during the voyage depend
upon.the "cattle boss aad his assistants
for food, drink and indeed for life. The
boss gets from $50 to 800 per trip and
the hands are given their passage across
to England and back aud all the way
from one to twenty dollars in money.
They rave a week ashore and nothing to
do on the return voyage.
It is in the care of the cattle that GER
tain abuses have developed which arc
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 iIr. Pum-
soil, indicates in few words just what is
thought Objectionable. Said the well
known member Of Parliament when in
New York:
"People who have not seen the SUI
ferings of the poor brutes cannot tell
what agonies they endure. They are
packed in the hold, between decks aud |
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 ne that
they have seen cattle jammed 50 violently
against the bulwark of steamer in 4
gale that there legs were ground OF,
while other wretched brutes were
trampled to a jelly on the deck. Some
times they are crowded together SO
tightly that cattle lying down would be
trampled to death and to prevent this
fires are lighted under the cattle, or
paraffine put in their ears. It was any
thing to keep them on their feet, any
thing to save their flesh. This is horci-
Bile and inhuman. 1t would be humane,
and perhaps would pay Letter in the end,
to transport the beef than the live
stock"
To this ''hand" has recently added
bis testimony regarding life on a 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
,hirty-six hours. Says the narrator:
"The cattle had not been fed or wa
ered since they were put on shipboard.
Tne boss had become sober enough to
'eaize his negligence, bus was still
Trunk enough to want to make repara-
ion. We were short of hands, only one
having been sent to every forty cattle.
t took US nearly two hours to give the
,attle hay, and it took me about three i
hours more to pick the splinters AID I
histes out of my hands. The next l
morning the boss had us up at four to :
water and feed the cattle. The water I
ng came first. Condensed water is
lsed. Pipes connected with the conden-
er ran to all parts of the ship, except
O points where 1t was needed. 50 far
S convenience is concerned, it would d.
ave been just as we'll to leave the wa
er at the donkey engine as to draw it
If into barrels and be obliged to pack !
from them. ,
"My clothing was dripping wet, and =
Notwithstanding the severe exercise, l :
vas thoroughly chilled. It took US E
hree solid hours to water. Then we -;
ad half an hour to sit by the fiddler :
0 dry ourselves. After breakfast came =
be haying, and after the haying we had :,
, All tha barrels with wafer That ! y