Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-10-23
WORKOUT HORSES.
Tho Animals Turned to ACCOUNT
When Dead
From Their Carcasses Oils and Fersnasine
Material Are Rendered - How shs
Different Parts Are
Used.

Farmers whose horses are played out
and useless now know where to dispose
of them. They sell them as low as two
dollars apiece to an establishment here
that converts the animal into fertll-
izer, and then later on the farmer pur-
chases the fertilizer and plants the out
mt 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. Inc
price paid is one dollar and q 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 all the year
round at these works, and, as the bust
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 as 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 1T Is
here the executioner yields 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
"black cap" placed over its head. The
executioner then strikes it a blow
across the head with an AK and the an
imal 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 the carcass boiled, II
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 rot:
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 theI
mixed with the bone dust. This prep
aration is what is commonly known a
bone fertilizer, and is probably tn
best artificial commodity used in agri
culture. The horse hides are dispose
Of to leather manufacturers, and brini
more than was originally paid for tn
entire animal. But not horses alon
are used in the production of fertilizer
A great many cattle go that way toe
and as for bones, those of any anima
are valuable. The concern here doe
not draw the line on live animals; dea
ones will do, providing they are not to
old. 1t is n very strange coincidenc
that but very few cows are disposed c
in this way, and that may explai
where much Of the tough beef come
from.
Several qualities Of fertilizer are pre-
duced from animals, it all dependin
upon the amount and quality of the il
gradients used. Various vegetable
and cereals require fertilizer Of a Gel
tain strength, and while certain qua
ity will produce good results on on
kind Of vegetables it will destroy al
other. The price per ton ranges a
the way from twenty to thirty-fve do
lars. The product of this one plant
disposed of direct to the farmers an
about one thousand tons are sent OF
annually. The works are capable
turning out three tons per day. TIL
. present executioner of horses has bee
identified with the works ever sine
they were established, about fourtee
years ago, and during that time it is e
timated that he has put to death thre
thousand animals.
IEATTEN ON RARRERsC wAlAs