Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-25
TRANSPORTATION OF CATTLE.

The problem of the proper transpor. tation of cattle is, like many other questions connected with the treat ment of dumb animals, essentially a modern question. In times when each country must feed its own, and 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 drover, the 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 pros pective purchaser when they arrived at their destination. 1t was to the in- terests of the droyer, therefore, to be very careful.
 With the advent of cattle-trains, however, it became possible to trans port 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 space of time which must seem to- his bewildered brain an eternity, but is really but a few days. His treatment en route can- not 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 all right, if few die of neglect or lack of water, or some other cause, the sell ler's reputation is good. The property interest cannot be relied upon in this matter of proper treatment of depend ents. It was estimated in the old days of slaye-trading that if half the cargo got through the dreaded Middle Pas sage alive there was a profit. The property interest was no safeguard there. It never protected any creature which could be ill-treated by thought less or cruel person with no immediate punishment. 1t is one of the charac- teristics of the callous and cruel man, as a rule, to be short-sighted. He sell dom sees that in the long run, humane treatment is profitable.
 In this case the trader and the rail- way man do not suffer much even when their treatment of cattle is ab- solutely cruel. It is the public which suffers and it is the nnhlic therefore which will have to take the matter III 4uSIC IS REGdC ulI- ference in the systems of various rail- roads and dealers in their treatment of cattle and sheep, and some are much more humane than others. But it is not so very long since sheep were packed like sardines in close cars, without a drop of water during long journeys, in the hottest weather; and cattle were subjected to the same treatment.
 Such conditions breed filth and dis ease, and diseased meat is not safe for anybody to eat. 1t will probably never be possible to ascertain the number of deaths which have resulted from the eating of impure or diseased meat, and for every death from-this cause there are many victims of disease. Some times the ailment is obscure and insid- ious, but it is nevertheless there. Sometime ago there was scare about | trichinae which resulted in many peo- 1 pie becoming Jews or Mohammedans I where pork was concerned, but much | of the beef which comes from cattle i trains where the animals are packed together in filth, discomfort and thirst l is not bit more fit for human con- sumption than measly pork. In these | days no man can tell where his but cher gets the meat which is confidently bought and eaten by his customers. It may be good, or it may not. It is time that the treatment of cattle, on trains of transportation and in sheds, during | the time before they are killed, should be regulated by law, and that every one concerned in their transportation
 and care should be required to see that they are i'll conditions as nearly health ful as the difficulties of the case al. low.