New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16

Total ............ ................-lloe 3
Dead calves. sheep and hogs might be taken
ont Of the list because the animals did not die in
the city. their carcasses having been seized at
the markets by the meat inspectors.
The offal dock is at Thirtieth-st. and the North
River and TO that point ordinarily all the bodies
Of dead animals found in the city hauled in
wagons loaded on scows and sent to Barren ISL
and TO be converted into fertilizers. Thomas F.
White is the offal contractor. and his present
contract is for five years from January % 1S0I
II is made with the Board Of Health. which re-
ceives an annual appropriation for the work of
removing dead animals and other offensive mat
Ter from the city. The annual sum received by
the contractor is $4,000 which barely covers
the cost of removal. but he makes money out Of
the manufacture of fertilizers. The Health De-
partment and the police unite in supervising the
work of the contractors employees in the city
and in sending information 10 the offal dock TO
direct the movements OF those employees.
4 system Of reports by which the presence OF
dead animal in any part OF the city Is mace
known 10 the contractor has been in use several
wears Under that system every policeman in the
CITY is bound to make written report of every
dead animal he finds on his post and he Is sure
10 be brought before the Commissioners, tried
and fined if he fails 10 make such report. So
stringent is the regulation that II a patronan
fails 70 discover dead cat in the gutter on ms
most on O dark night, and somebody else finds II
and makes a report. the policeman is sure 70 be
placed on trial II is therefore part Of police
mans task TO keep a sharp lookout for dead
cats and dead dogs on his post at all hours ana
in all conditions Of weather. A policeman can
sometimes excuse himself for falling 10 discover
81 burglar when the thieves get into q building
by a rear window or back door. but there ls no
excuse for falling 20 report the presence or a
dead animal.
Sometimes dead cat is thrown into the street
at the corner OF another street or avenue, that
II lies at point where the beats OF several po-
licemen meet or cross each other. Then all the
policemen make reports but the discriminating
sergeant concludes that there Is only one dead
cat and makes a report accordingly. The
sergeant's report is sent direct to the oifal con-
tractor by telephone or by special messenger.
The patrOlmen make their reports Of dead ami
mails after the end Of their tour Of patrol duty,
and therefore a delay Of several hours may Oc
cur II q policeman discovers dead animal when
he begins his walk on his beat. Meanwhile if
the weather is and the presence Of the
carrion is made painfully evident 10 the resi-
dents Of houses there may be a dozen complaints
from block. and the complaints may be sent
70 the Health Board. TO the police station, to Po-
lice Headquarters or to the offal dock. There
have been instances Of dozen reports about one
dead animal arriving at different times through
several channels. but the clerk on duty at the
offal dock has not been unduly excited on that
account
There is a tradition at the Oak-st police station
that fifty reports about single dead
made by the patrolmen Of the precinct in single
afternoon. band Of mscheyous boys found
the dead cat on Cherry Hill. and began TO drag
II around by string in imitation of fox chase
with cat carcass IN place or an anlsc-seed Dag.
The boys covered nearly the entire precinct in
the chase Whenever policeman was sighted
there would be shout OF Cheese It! Cop and
the gang would scatter The policeman would
saunter along until he sped the dead cat and
then he would take out his notebook and make
q report On the spot. After he had gone further
on his beat the young rOgues would get hold or
the string attached 10 the dead cat and resume
their travels. The result was that Policeman
Quinn reported dead cat in Cherry-st.. Police
man Mcguire reported dead cat in Oliver-st.,
and
When the sergeant received the fifty reports
at the 6 D. m. rOllcall he wondered what had
happened to the cats Of the precinct. ana &c
tectlve was sent out to inquire II there had been
a cat pOisOner at work His disgust when ne
learned the cause OF the many reports was moth
ing to the swearing OF the driver from the ona
dock who spent half the night seeking dead
cats about which reports had been turned In
and finding only one.
In another precinct there is a tradition OF
police roundsman who made use OF dead cat
10 catch delinquent Iatrolman. The rounds
man could not find the patroman on hs post
although he raped and whistled until he was
tired He came 10 the conclusion that his man
was hiding In q convenient liquor store and he