Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-07-28

To Make Sausagcs from Horse Flesh.
Belford, n. j., is to have new in
dustry. Half mile east of it is row
of yellow buildings that a man could
find in the dark on account of the odor
that proceeds therefrom. These build
ings constitute the fish oil factory Of the
Lawrence Fischer Fish Company, and
they will also be the scene of the new
industry. Heretofore the company has
been engaged in extracting oil from
menhaden and selling the scrap for
fertilizing purposes. Now it proposes
to make departure.
Mr.. Fischer, the head OF the concern,
has figured out that there is demand
for sausage in European countries
greater than the supply In the coun-
tries where this demand exists, Mr..
Fischer declares, the main requisite for
sausage is that it shall be sausage.
no particular attention being given to
its composition. He proposes, there
fore, to buy up all the old horses he
can and to make sausage meat out of
them.
In pursuance of his plan he has now
in the broad meadows surrounding his
factory fifteen horses waiting for the
sacrifice. They were all taken there
from New York, having been purchased
by Henry Thatcher. of that city, who is
Dir. Fischcr's agent.
When l found AIr. Fischer lie did
not leny he was about to go into the
horse meat sausage business. He said ::
People in this country do not un-
derstand it, but in European countries
sausage is standard article of diet.
The flesh Of the horse is regarded as
highly over there as that Of the COW is
here. 1t is true that propose TO en-
gage in the manufacture of sausage
from horse flesh, but all my products
will be shipped to agents in Hamburg,
who will dispose of them in France,
Germany, Belgium and Italy. shall
make brand Of sausage known as
"Metwurst," i" and l shall guarantee it to
keep two years. My agent in New
York is buying up horses. We want
them cheap, for only by getting them
on easy terms can we compete with the
sausage factories of Europe. He buys
broken down horses of any kind and
sends them here. I tnrn them out to
graz, and they probably have a better
time than they have ever had before.
Il expo ct to begin killing the horses
in October. shall kill shoats and
bulls and other cheap animals and mix
their flesh with that of the horses, thus
making sausage that will take well
in Europe. Before the horses are kill
ed ] will have each Of them examined
by q veterinary surgeon, and no animal
which shows the slightest taint of or
ganic disease will be allowed to become
sausage"
Chambers is fatal to the prospects of q
horse for transformation into sausage,
| and Mr.. Fischer admits that bolts
would likewise be drawback. Broken
legs, general attenuation or Charley
horse do not destroy or decrease value
in this particular line, however. In
deed, A::. Fischer likes to get these
horses. They are generally nervous
and tough. The tougher the horse the
more enduring the sausage, according
to Mr. Fischer.
went out into the meadow where
the horses destined for European food
purposes were grazing. They were in
all stages Of decrepitude. They looked
ready to die, but not fat enough to kill.
Mr.. Fischer was with me, but he was
only able to give me general idea of
the previous condition of servitude OF
the doomed animals.
He pointed to one horse which he
said had done long service as the mo-
tive power ola Broadway car. A very
thin gray, he said, had been long con-
nected with feed store in New York,
but it did not look it.
Some of the citizens of Belford look
with distrust on the gathering of these
equine hat racks in their town, and
they are opposed to the establishment
of a horse sausage factory. There can
be no more odor from the prospective
slaughter house than now comes from
the process of making oil out of "moss
| bunkers," anyway.