The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-15
All Lines Except The Hamburg Will
Take Cattle.
How Cattle are inspect
ed Here.
Interesting Interview With In-
spector Huntington.

DIR. Fred W. Huntington, the wsi
known veterinary surgeon Of this city
who 10 the government inspector OF all
the cattle and horses which leave this
port for shipment on the Engiish steam
ers, expects that the winter season this
year will he the tusiest ever known In
his department in Portland.
II anticipate that We will be kept very
busy this winter" said DIR. Huntington
to PRESS reporter yesterday. "Pians
are being made to take an unusually
large number OF cattle and horses from
this port to England during the next fsw
nonths This year all OF the lines OF
steamers, with the exception Of the Ham
burg Inns, will take cattle across the
water. The Hamburg limo will not take
any cstsle but IL will take horses. For
tas last several days, crsws Of working
men have Teen getting the sheds In rsadi-
ness for the season.
LAST year a big business was done ct
this port In sending live stock across.
there having been little over 1000 head
OF cattle and about 5000 horses. AL Of
these cattle and horses came FROM Chicago
and Canada and 1t IL from those points
that probably all OF them will come this
winter. Tomorrow on the steamship XII
donA Of the Thomson line 2s5 head Of cat
tie and $50 sheep will be taken.
'All 81 the cattle and horses wLich
come to this port arc first taken to the
stock yards for inspection. before they
left Chicago they were also inspected.
Most all OF them, have found, are In
good condition; In fact lsss than ona-half
of oEs per cent have been found to be sick
or Crippled. As soon as the cattle are be-
Ing taken from the car to the stock yard,
we begin the inspecting and oan almost
at onos see by steers aution VIII ether he
10 sick or not. Once In while 1t happens
that there is q dead animal In the car,
but of late years ths rate of morta lity
among the cattle that arrive here has
been very small
"lf thsrs are any sick cattle, we isolate
them in stable ana care for them.
Frequently they are obliged TO walt
over a ship before We tag them. If
steer is crippled badly, II he has troksn
his leg We have him killed.
1--WE export some splendid horses from
this port, draft, tsotters aud all kindr. !
think that We may have a hard time with
tbs horses this season for there are lIatle
to be quite a number Of them suffering
with 81 anders."
DIR. Hunting ton will have an assistant,
Fred Sargent, who will do the clerical
work and the tagging OF the cattle. The
req lstions les ued by the department OF
agriculture stipplats that no vessel shall
| DO permitted TO take on hoard eny cattle
or sheep unless the same have bsen al
lowed at least twelve hours Of rest In the
yards at the port Of EN- arkation before
the vessel sails, nor until the leading Of
the other cargo has been completed. Re-
gnrding horses no vessel shall be allowed
to take on board any that have been
8! ipped over 900 miles unless the same
have been allowed at least eighteen hours
| OF actual rest, In the stable or stables
designated by the inspector for export
horses at the port of en- barkatlon, before
the vessels sails. Horses that have been
shipped less than TOO miles shall remain
In the stables or yards rs the inspector
may desi gnats not less than six hours fer
the purpose of inspection and rest
Horses shall not be placed upon steamers
until the loading of the cargo has teen
pletei.
The rules also stipulate that the inspec-
tor may, In cass that he nnds any Of the
fittings are worn, decaJ ed, defective In
construction, or appear to to upsound.
require the same to be replaced before he
authorizes the clearance OF the vessel. Ths
inspector will also supervise the loading
of the animals and see thst they are
prot erly slowed and tied, and that a
sufficient amount OF good, wholesome
food is properly slowed.
In case the regulations are not complied
with, the inspector win Immediately
notify the department Of agriculture.