Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1899-09-13
CITY'S DEAD ANIMALS.
Much Profit in Removing Them
from the Streets.
Contractor Bids for the Job At One
Dollar a Year Money Made
In Rendering the
CRrcasses.

The superintendent OF streets and
alleys reports that 80 800 dead animals
were removed from the city during the
last year. That is nearly 100 for
each day of the 36S days in the year
They were all kinds Of animals that
are seen in the city-horses. mules
COWS, goats, dogs and cats. The super.
intendent adds that these removals
have been made without expense TO the
city.
At an early day, when the town wa.
small, il was the custom to appoint
scaveneger whose duty it was to re.
move dead animals and all noisome OBJ
lscts and matters out of the streets
and into the country. First the .cav
enger was paid by the day, ney. by 8
fee of so much per head, but when the
city had greatly increased its arsa and
population the job was let out to tn.
lowest bidder. After awhile il fell into
the hands of contractor. who was
paid lump sum to do the work. He
did il to the satisfaction of the au-
thori'ies, and 20 he held the job for
many years.
In the earliest days nothing was done
with the dead animals. except to cart
them out into the country and there
throw little dirt over them As the
country more and more filled up with
people il was required that the dead
animals be buried. But when the con.
tractor got control of the business he
soon found out how best to dispo..
of The flesh and bone product of his
scavengering. He erected a rendering
plant out in the country and by means
of il converted dead horses, mules, etc.
into phosphates and several other val.
liable by-products. He made a good
deal of money in the sale of these va.
rious products and at the same tim.
received large sum from the city. The
Office of scavenger of Chicago is on.
that few persons would like to fill and
for that reason only a very few persons
know that il is worth considerable
sum. This ignorance served to protect
the contractor in the position for a long
time, during which ii never occurred
TO anyone to inquire If he was getting
rich out of scavengering. The work OF
removing dead animals increased enor.
mously and his rendering business in
creased in proportion. Better thar
that for him, the amount of money the
city was paying him increased too
Finally he was paid on contract with
the city $4,000 year. His business
had grown up naturally. but now il
was so large that naturally it attract
ed the notice of other men who could
see. or smell. n good thing
II is good thing to be scavenger
of Chicago. even without pay from
the city. Two years ago John Melon
aid astonished the contractor, who was
getting $4,000 from the city. by put,
ting in a five years bid of one dollar
n year and offering to guarantee that
the work would be well and thoroughly
done. OF course he got the contrac,
and then. with his two sons, he com,
menced business He introduced at the
start some improvements in the teams
and wagons used in the city and in tn,
cars for conveying the dead animals
out into the country. Formerly tn.
wagons were not well adapted to THEN
purpose. and when loaded were
nuisance wherever thoy passed Now
they are specially constructed and ar,
hardly noticed as they pass. The car.
formerly used were nothing better
than oldfashioued box cars for cattle
Now refrigerator cars are used for tn.
purpose and no ofrense is given to tn,
people of the suburbs through which