The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-06-06
USED UP OLD PLUGS.
HOW A eELvIDERE CONCERN DIS
POSES OF WORKOUT HORSES.

"A Mecca Tor Superannuated Equines
Where the Animals Are Killed and Re.
duced to FertiIizing Powder-CattIe Also
Used, but Cows Are Left For Beefsteak.
They have at Belvidere a place that
is facetiously alluded to as the Mecca
of superannuated horses. It is SO called
because when wornout plugs have ex-
ceeded their days of usefulness in that
vicinity and elsewhere they generally
reach there to give up the last pound of
bone and flesh in the interests of man
kind. 1t is almost madness to calculate
the value of horse at the ridiculously
low price Of So when it is considered
that blooded thoroughbreds rate up in
the thousands, but when the average
horse degenerates from spirited animal
Of strength and speed to am old jade that
can neither trot nor work unappreciative
man, as rule, has no further use for it
But the Belvidere Mecca is the place
where all the earthly troubles of old and
friendless horses are quickly brought to
an end and their carcasses afterward
transformed into variety of articles of
utility much more valuable than the
animals intact.
The concern that deals in old horses
is In the business of producing fertilizer,
and the more horses available the better
it is for trade, for this is an industry
that has always prospered despite hard
times and business depression. The con-
Germ stands ready to purchase all the
horses that can be procured. The price
paid is 81. so and So per head They are
worth nothing to the owners, and when
it is considered that about 900 pounds
of fertilizer is procurable from each ami
NAL it can easily be seen that good
margin of profit is made. If the supply
holds out, they kill ON an average three
horses q day all the year round at these
works, and as the business is of long
standing it is estimated that enough
horses have been disposed of to supply
large standing army. The ages of these
infrm brutes range from Is to 90 years,
and their condition depends largely upon
the life they have led. Many of the ami
mails look as though they hadn't seen
oats since they were colts, and others are
spawned, sprung at the knees and blind.
The manner of disposing of the ami
mails is this: When led from the pen,
the horse is tied to a post and the
''black cap placed over its head. The
executioner then strikes it blow across
the forehead with an ak, and the animal
falls helpless to the floor. It's throat is
then cut, and life vanishes This done,
the process of dissection and separation
begins. The hide is first removed and
J.<~. 1aI 49,, 60
The grease is carefully gathered togeth-
er by Swimming and is designated as
''horse OIL !" The lower bones of the
limbs are boiled, and the fat extracted
from them is called neatsfoot oil. When
the flesh Of the carcass has been thor
oughly 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
while being subjected to the influence
OF potash and gypsum, which is mixed
with it, and which rots it.
AT present the remains of fully 200
horses are undergoing the fertilizing
process. The bones pass through two
crushers, the first of which reduces
them, and the second grinds them into
are then mixed with the bone dust
This preparation is what is commonly
known as bone fertilizer and is probably
the best artificial commodity used in
agriculture. The horse hides are dis |
posed Of to leather manufacturers and |
bring more titan was originally paid |
for the entire animal.
But not horses alone are used in the |
production of fertilizer. A great many |
cattle go that way, too, and, as for |
bones, those Of any animal are valuable |
The concernf at Belvidere does not draw |
the line on live animals. Dead ones will |
do, provided they ere not too "old." Il |
Is strange coincidence that but very |
few cows are disposed Of in this way, |
md that may explain where much of |
he tough beef comes from. The car
,asses of cattle go through precisely the |
'ame process as those of horses, but |
heir horns, being too hard, cannot be
and IN consequence are disposed
If TO dealers, who convert them into
buttons and combs.
Several qualities of fertilizer are pro-
luced from animals, it all depending
Upon the amount and quality of the in
redlents used. Various vegetables and
ereals require fertilizer of a certain
trength, and while certain quality
viii produce good results on one kind of
vegetables it viii destroy another The
rice per ton ranges all the way from
90 to $35.
The product Of this one plant is dis
osed of direct to the farmers, and about
900 tons are sent out annually. The
forks are capable of turning out three
ons per day. The present executioner of
orses has been identified with the works
yer since they were established, about
4 years ago, and during that time it is
that he has put to death 3, 900
nimals. -New York World.
Her Message.
A young lady organist in church was
Wit <l,n <@q /