The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-07-14
WORKOUT HORSES.
The Animals Turned to Account
When Dead.
From Their Carcasses Oils and Eertilixing
Material Arc Rendered = How the
Different Parts Arc
Used.

of them. They sell them as low as two
dollars apiece to an establishment here
that converts the animal into fertil-
izer, and then later on the farmer pur-
chases the fertilizer and plants the out
put of his old horse where it will enrich
his crops and hasten their growth. The
concern that deals in old horses, says
the Chicago Tribune, is In the business
of producing fertilizer, and the more
horses available the better it is for the
trade, for this is an industry that has
always prospered despite hard times
and business depression. The concern
stands ready to purchase all the
horses that can be procured. The
price paid is one dollar and half to
two dollars head. They are worth
nothing to the owners, and when it is
considered that about five hundred
pounds of fertilizer is procured from
each animal it can easily be seen that
q good margin Of profit is made. II
the supply holds out they kill on an
average three horses day ell the year
round at these works, and, as the busi-
ness is of long standing, it is estimated
that enough horses have been disposed
of to supply a large standing army.
The ages Of these infrm brutes range
from fifteen to twenty-five years, and
their condition depends largely upon
the life they have led. Many of the
animals look rs If they hadn't seen
oats since they were colts, and others
are spavined-sprung at the knees and
blind An apartment of the building
is set apart as the death house, as it is
here the executioner wields the instru-
ment of death.
The manner of disposing of the ami
mails is this: When led from the pen
the horse is tied to a post and the
sblaclz cap" placed over its head. The
executioncr then strikes it o blow
across the head with an ak and the an,
imal falls helpless to the floor. Its
throat is then cut and life vanishes.
This done, the process of dissection
and separation begins. The hide is
first removed and the carcass boiled, If
it contains any fat. The grease is des-
ignated as ''horse OIL" The bones of
the lower limbs are boiled, and the fat
extracted from them is called meats
foot OIL" When the flesh OF the car
cass has been thoroughly boiled and
the grease SKINNED off the surface of
the vat it is thrown into the cellar and
allowed to remain there for over three
months, all the time being subjected
to the influence of potash and gypsum,
which is mixed with it, and which rots
it.
The bones pass through two crush
ers, the first of which reduces them,
and the second grinds them to powder.
Several chemical ingredients are then
mixed with the bone dust. This prep
aration is what is commonly known as
bone fertilizer, and Is probably the
best artificial commodity used in agri-
culture. The horse hides are disposed
of to leather manufacturers, and bring
more than was originally paid for the
entire animal. But not horses alone
are used in the production of fertilizer.
A great many cattle 60 that way too,
and as for bones, those of any animal
are valuable. The concern here does
not draw the line on live animals; dead
ones will do, providing they are not too
old. It is very strange coincidence
that but very few cows are disposed Of
in this way, and that may explain
where much of the tough beef comes
from.
Several qualities of fertilizer are pro-
duced from animals, it all depending
upon the amount and quality of the in
gradients used. Various vegetables
and cereals require fertilizer of GER
tain strength, and while certain quail
ity will produce good results on one
kind of vegetables it will destroy an
other. The price per ton ranges all
the way from twenty to thirty-fve dol
lars. The product of this one plant is
disposed of direct to the farmers and
about one thousand tons are sent out
annually. The works are capable of
turning out three tons per day. The
present executioner of horses has been
identified with the works ever since
they were established, about fourteen
years ago, and during that time it is es-
timated that he has put to death three
thousand animals