Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-08-29
WOMEN BUTCHERS.
How They Came 10 MonopoIize the
Trade In Paraguay.

HOW They Came to MonopoIize the
Trade In Paraguay.
Of all occupations that Of a butcher
seems one of the least suitable for the
fair sex, yet there is at least one eoun-
try where this trade is entirely monop-
olized by women, and mo men need
apply"
That country is Paraguay, where
many occupations which among US are
Invariably assumed by the sterner sex
fan to the lot of the women. The /
cause Of this state Of things is the he
role war waged by Paraguay more
than thirty years ago against the over
whelming forces Of Brazil, the Argen- |
tine Republic and Uruguay combined. |
This war, which lasted five years, bore
many singular points Of resemblance
to the recent Boer war 1t ended in
the almost total annihiiation Of the
ablebodied male population Of the
country. and the results may be read
in the following figures: Population
Of Paraguay in 1857, 1887 .439; in 1878
/ three years after the termination OF
the war; it amounted to only 221,0T9,
and Of these nearly all were women
children and very old men. When the
war was over, the people had been re-
duced to the most AFFECT poverty and
were on the verge of starvation, being
driven to such expedients as to eat
cats. dogs and horses. Worse still, ow-
ing to the destruction Of the male pop
ulation, perfect anarchy prevailed, and
all the work formerly performed by
males fell on the fair sex. They re
built the houses which had been
burned down. titled the fields and woye
for themselves rough homespun cloth
ing from the cotton grown in their own
fields
To this day the butchers in all parts
Of Paraguay are women. In the pub
lie slaughter houses the cattle are dis
patched by men, who sever the spinal
column by cutting it with sharp cut
! lass lust behind the nape Of the neck.
When the animal falls to the ground
IFS throat is cut and 1t is allowed to
, bleed to Death This is the only part
of the work done by men. The AM
e NAL is skinned and otherwise prepared
S nv women. Carcasses are then con
( yeyed to the butchers stalls, where
I the meat is cut up and sawed by Wo
y men who are dexterous in the use o
/. the saw and knife. It is then serve'
d out TO customers, also by women-no
e generally by weight, but by the piee
S and the price is so low that poun'
d of the best meat may be bought TO
J. about a penny.
Women Of all ages act the part O
g. butchers; some are young and pretty
e others old and wrinkled. The wome
q are great bargainers, and keen as mui
4. tard to pull a new arrival almost
N pieces in the hope of securing his Gu
tom. These women butchers earn GOO
y wages. and many Of those in bushes
- on their own account acquire a mode
= fortune.
= In the larger towns the meat Is on
" allowed to be sold in the public ma
pc ket place. where stalls (owned by Il
a municipality are let at auction to Il
no highest bidders The public b
ne every security that the meat is fires
for ali that is left unsold at night
, destroyed by the authorities, needf
precaution in warm climate. I
ed result is that just previous 10 closi
time there is great reduction
ui- prices, and crowd of bargain hunt'
ate appears on the scene-economical hou
a wives. keepers Of cheap restaural
Ips and the like-for rather than see
or meat thrown away or destroyed.
.ge keepers Of the stalls sell the remAal
ish at almost any priee.-Milwaukce Ser