The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-17

through the silver bristles and made them
look like painted hogs. Each animal was
marked With a stamp showing that the in
spector had looked 1t over and passed upon
Il for killing. and later on ! saw that every
piece of meat was likewise stamped. There
are, all together. about 400 inspectors em-
ployed. of whom 15 are women microsco-
pists The inspectors were going over the
cattle while l was in the beef hall. The
examination was thorough. although many
of the animals were fierce. The bulls were
led through the yard with their eyes blind
folded.
HORSE MEAT IN EUROPE.
Leaving these halls 1 visited some of the
slaughter-houses where horses are killed
for food. and also the shops where the meat
is sold. Not only in Berlin. but in almost
all the great cities OF Europe horse meat
Is eaten by the lower classes. There are
great slaughter-houses in Paris which kill
thousands OF horses every year. In Vienna
more than 5000 horses and a number OF
donkeys are annually killed. and Berlin eats
horse meat by the thousands OF pounds
every day. Such horses are inspected both
before and after killing, and every piece of
meat must be stamped as healthful by the
Inspectors
Have you ever seen a piece of horse flesh?
1t is redder than beef and looks for all the
world like venison and tastes not unlike II.
There are 200 butcher shops IN Paris which
sell nothing else 1 saw II sold side by
side. with beef IN the butcher shops In
Switzerland, and have no difficulty in finding
horse meat chops here. In Berlin the meat
Is advertised as horse meat, and there is
no chance OF having horse steak passed off
upon you as venison or beef.
IN A HORSE MEAT SHOP.
one OF the shops which ! visited IN the
poorer Quarters OF Berlin had steaks, roasts
ana soup bones nicely dressed and ready
for sale. The meat was black where Il had
been exposed to this air. but red when fresh
cut.
Upon the walls hung horses sides half
cut up. and on hooks from the ceiling hing
no,ses' hams. smoked and dried. Onsone
wall were long strings Of little sausages
plack az Ink. speckled with bits of white
rat. Each string weighed a pound. and
the bare-armed butcher behind ths counter
told me that 1t was made of ground hors.
aesh. n sold for IL cents a pound. He
saia 2 gooa ioin roast cost 8 cents and the
best steak 10 and IL cents. He showed me
Q pile OF Hamburger horse steak at a lower
price. and also some yellow horse fat.
which he says the poorest classep use al
cooking butter. He says that horse fat is
As GOOD As goose grease to cure q cold. and
mat morse Oil 10 excellent for rheumatism.
HOW HORSE TASTES.
This mans family IVES at dinner when I
called. and upon my asking II he ate horse
meat himseIf he. took me into his dining
room. where his wife and children were
desourtng plates Of soup made from horse
bones. h children looked healthy, and
he told me that their bodies were largely
made OF horse flesh.
He asked me to sample a bit of the meat,
and ! did SO. 1t tasted like tough deer.
withNa slight gamey favor. / don't like 1t,
but that may DO owing to prejudice. or It
may be that the bite I took was from an
Old street car plug, tougher than ordinary.
IN THE HORSE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
I have visited several of the horse siaugh-
ter-houses. The first one was like a big
barnyard surrounded by low stables and
fenced In At one side with long buildings Of
red brick. It the right Of the gate stood q
group OF butchers. their shirt sleeves rolled
up above their elbowS and their bare.
brawny arms covered with blood. Each
butcher had a leather apron, we'll spat-
tered. and looked. all together. rather rp-
pulsive than otherwise. l had a permit to
see the establishment. and In addition gave
q email fee to one OF these men, 30 that
everything was thrown open to me.
The first room we entered contained the
horses that had been killed that morning.
There were several score OF them hung
like bssves from the rafters, with their
aeads downward. A splendid bay horse
which had Just been killed was being
Creased on the floor. 4 white horse was be-
ing skinned. n an Inspector was going
over the various cuts OF those hung from
the rafters and stamping them.
KILLING A HORSE.
. Leaving this room / was taken to another
where thet were killing. As l watched
them a magnificent black carriage horse
was brought In. worth. l was told. 100
marks. or Us. 1t was not moro than six
years old. and . month or 80 ago his value