The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-12-26
DICK, THE DECoY STEER.
End of a Famous Bunco Animal in the
Chicago Stock Yard.

Chicago Daily Tribune.
''Dick," the bunco steer at Phil
Armour yards, got too lzy FOR his
JOB and was led % the slaughtering
p,n just lie the animals NJ had de-
coyed q death before. The del-it-
ful old beast is drasscd beef now.
Dick was a big, fat, brown steer that
had winning ways and cold, treach-
erous heart. Many and many are the
coniiding country yearlings and heifers
Dick has led up to the butchers steel
hammer.
Probably there never was beef
"sritter" that had 80 wide a celebrity
"a Dick. Every visitor who went 20
see how the packing houses work had
to have look at this steer. Foreign
princes and pT,.sty summer girls have
marveled at the skill and diplomacy
with which he steered the unsuspic-
ious range cattle TO the place of death.
Dicks picture has been printed in
the papers many a time and columns
have been written about the be;ist's
crafty tricks. Dick was just as much
one of the sights Of the town as the
Masonic Temple or the Lake Shore
drive, or Policeman Steve Rowan
This is the way the creature got its
notoriety:
When the long horns from Texas
and the short horns from Missouri
came into the stock yards and are un-
loaded they are naturally exasperated
over their rough trip and are full Of
suspicion The result i they are rebel
liOus, especially in the matter Of going
into chutes. Now, unless a steer goes
into one of the chutes in the packing
house it cannot have its throat cut, and
throat cutting Is the aim and object of
their coming to Chicago. - il i neces-
sary TO have decoy steer, a crafty Old
beast, that can get the confidence Of
the rural beasts and lare them on to
death and destruction.
Many years ago, Dick arrived at the
yards, and being a beast Of more than
usually sagacioIs appearance, was
picked out for the work. Dick was
carefully trained in the art Of walking
up a chute at the head of a bunch of
cattle and then quietly dodging to one
side, leaving the bunch to walk on 70
the place where the hammers swing.
After years of practice the big steer
had grown expert at his treacherous
work Dick would saUnter down into
pen full of new and unsophisticated
cattle and scrape an acquaintance with
two or three of them. Then the wicked
brute would begin to look wise and
talk knowingly about the racy sights
TO be seen in the big ghite house over
beyond the fence. When Dick offered
to lead the way there was a grand
stampede to follow. Up the gangway
went Dick, aud after him clattered the
greenhOrns. But just before the bunch
got a sight of the big butchers waiting
inside, Dick would unOstentatiOusiy
shy of through a side passage and
leave his victims 10 transact business
with Mr.. Arnour's men.
50 Dick grew famous. But like
many other famous characters he grew
puiied up with pride, gos lazy, and
began to ''lay down on the job" IL
got to be 80 easy this thing of leading
wild-eyed country cattle up into the
chute, that Dick didn't seem 70 care
he worked for his feed or not.
Mr.. Armour grew displeased with this
apathy. He does not like to have his
loaf on their jobs. 30 orders
were issued concerning Dick. One day
last week the wise old rogue was Lead
ing the usual bunch up the gangway,
but when he got to the usual jumping
OFF place there was none there. Dick
had to 90 on with the herd. Before
long he had been converted into dres-
sed beef. Now that Dick has suffered
the same fate a. his thousands of dupes
his WORK all devOlyes on his former
partner, known 10 the butte hers as
phil