The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-05
DISEASED CATTLE SALES
CITY HEALTH BOARD AND FEDERAL
INSPECTOR WILL STOP THEM.
Cooperation Decided on Last Night
Dispute Smallpox Epi-
demic Bills.

DR. Turner. the federal live stock inspector
at the Indianapolis stockyards, asked the
cooperation of"the Board Of Health at its
meeting last night TO prevent diseased cat
tie from being sold to small butchers Of the
city who retail 1t as wholesome meat at an
immense profit.
He said he had received a communication
from the Washington authorities in which
he Is authorized TO condemn all diseased
cattle brought into the stockyards and order
them set apart for disposition according to
the state or city laws. rules or regulations"
All such cattle must be marked with a metal
tag, on which the words u. S, condemned, -
are printed, the tag to be clinched in the
animals ear after the manner of an car
ring. These animals are then TO be placed
in separate pens reserved for diseased cattle.
Here the power of the federal inspectors
ends, and 1t was with the purpose of get
ting an expression from the board as to how
far it would support the federal authorities
in the effort to have such cattle put out of
the way that DIR. Turner consulted the
board.
While the new regulation leaves the final
disposition of the animals in the hands OF
the city or state authorities, DR.. Turner sug-
gcsted that the city cooperate with hlm in
carrying out the regulations he now has in
force. Whenever a diseased animal comes
into the yards now it is put in the con-
demned pen and the owner is allowed to
take the animal to some slaughter house
where there is federal inspection and have II
killed. If it develops, on a post-mortem ex-
animation that the meat is not harmed by
the disease. which. in many cases. is of
local nature, he can then sell it, But if il
proves to be tainted with disease it must
be dumped into a sealed tank and disinte-
grated.
Until recently it was easy for the owners
of such animals to sell them to small butch
ers whose slaughter houses were not in
spected. and. while there are many cattle
which display outward signs of being dis
eased, but which are not really unfit for
food, the most Of 1t Is harmful and its sale
a menace TO the health of the city and State.
DIR. Turner stated that he knew of several
butchers who made ii business TO buy all
such cattle as they could find and sell them
as good meat at tremendous profit. Under
the new rules all owners OF such animals will
have their choice of either having them
thanked" after yard inspection or of TAX
ing them to either Kingan & Co.'S. Coffin &c
Fletcher's or the Moore Packing Companys
slaughter houses TO be killed and given
post-mortem examination. These three es-
Establishments maintain government inspec-
tors, and the question can therefore be Off
cially settled there.
The board decided to back up the federal
officers on every point, principally for the
reason that diseased meat, when taken from
the stockyards, is generally sold to some
of the small local killers and disposed of
among the people of this city to their harm.
Ex-Judge Frank McCray last night sent
In a petition to the board as attorney for
Norris Hatch, of No. $50 Toledo street, ask
ing that his client be allowed $50 for the de-
struction of his household goods and loss of
salary while confined in the pesthouse. The
petition sets forth that the household furni-
ture consisted of beds and bedding, tables.
a bicb e and PICK and
Feb by order of the board. Hatch further
complains that he was taken to the pest
house under the superstition that he had
smallpox, when he was certain that he had
nothing of the kind. He was kept there
thirty days and was turned loose with
neither money, home nor prospects. He
values the furniture at SIS and his time
spent in the pesthouse at $25. making total
of $50 1t is probable the board would have
allowed his claim last night were ii not for
the fact that similar petition was SUBJ
mitted from George Miller. who. it devel-
oped, lived with Hatch and was taken 10
the peSthouse at the same time. Miller's bill
Is for the destruction of the same articles
itemized in Hatch's petition. and. a.
the board did not feel like paying twice for
the same things, both bills were held up un-
til the next meeting in order to allow DR..
Clark to settle the matter between the two
men as TO which of them owned the goods.
Another disputed bill was that of G. j.
Truemper, who furnished quarantine tents
during the smallpox epidemic. He sent in
bill for s107 but the board decided to offer
him his choice of accepting 1915 moth
ing. Dr. Clark stated that he had
made a verbal contract with Truemper
to rent the tents at 81 apiece, but the bill
contained an additional item of So for put
ting up and taking down each tent, besides
claims for damages by reason of several of
the tents being burned. Other regular bills
were passed.
A communication was received by the
board TO the effect that DIR. Spencer. of the
City Dispensary, had withdrawn his objec-
tions TO the appointment of DR.. Karschner
of the new internes, and the board
decided TO drop the matter for all time.