Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-07-26
rRANsrOarATIoN or oArrIn.
Neglect Of Animals in Transportation
Diseases the Neat.

Diseases the Meat.
The problem of the proper trans
portation Of cattle is, like many
other questions connected with the
treatment of dumb animals, essen
TALLY modern question. In times
when each country must feed its
own, aud the only way of getting
cattle or sheep or horses from one
place to another was TO drive them
in herds, under the care of a drover,
tho problem was in one way simple.
The animals could not travel more
than a certain distance each day
without definite injury, which would
probably be visible to the prospective
purchaser when they arrive at their
destination. 1t was to the interest
of the drover, therefore, to be very
careful.
With the advent of CATTLE trains,
however, it became possible tc
transport all sorts of live stock round
the world if necessary, in less time
than it used to take to cross a state
The railway takes the Texas steer
and lands him in Chicago in a space
of time which must seem TO his be.
wildered brain an eternity, but is
really but a few days. His treat
ment en- route cannot we'll be so cruel
as to depreciate his ultimate value
in any way which the purchaser can
see moreover, in such cases the
purchaser often buys on faith, and
pays without seeing. So long as
most of the cattle get through ali
right, if few die of neglect, or lack
of water, or some other cause, the
seller reputation is good The prop.
erty interest cannot be relied upon
in this matter of proper teatment Of
dependents. 1t was estimated in the
old days of slave-trading that if hall
the cargo got through the dreaded
Middle Passage alive there was d
profit. The property interest waf
no safeguard there. Il never pro.
tected any creature which could be
ill-treated by a thoughtless or cruel
person with no immediate punish.
ment. 1t is one of the characteristics
of the callous and cruel man, as g
rule, to be short-sighted, He sci.
dom sees that in the long run, hu
name treatment is profitable.
In this case the trader and rail way
man do not suffer much even wher
their treatment of cattle is absolute
| ly cruel 1t is the public which will
suffer, and it is the public which
will therefore have to take the matter
in hand. There is a great difference
in the systems of various railroads
and dealers IN their treatment o.
cattle and sheep, and some are mucl
more humane than others. But i
is not so very long since sheep wert
packed like sardines in close cars
without drop of water during lonl
journeys, in the hottest of weather
and cattle were subjected to tn,
same treatment.
Such conditions breed filth anC
disease ;and diseased meat is not saf,
for anybody to eat. 1t will prob
ably never be possible to ascertain
the number of deaths which hav,
resulted from the eating of impur
or diseased meat, and for every
death from this cause there ar
many victims of disease. Sometime
the ailment is obscure and insiduous
but it is nevertheless there. Some
time ago there was a scare abou
trichinae which resulted in man,
people becoming Jews or Moham
medans where pork was concerned
but much of the beef which come
from cattle-train where the animal
are packed together in filth, discom
fort and thirst is not a bit more f
for human consumption than meas
| ly pork. In these days no man cal
tell where his butcher gets the mea
which is confdinglY bought an
eaten by his customers. 1t may b
good, or it may not. It is tim
that the treatment Of cattle, o
trains of transportation and i
! sheds, during the time before the
are killed, should be regulated b
law, and that everyone coDcerne
in their transportation and car
should be required to see that the
3 are in conditions as nearly healthfI
as the difficulties Of the case allow
A Poor Millionaire. T
Lateiy starved in London bocaus
D he could not digest his food. Earl