New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-31
TO PROTECT CATTLE.
CRUELTY IN SHIPMENT.
Mrs. Fiske and S. p. &. 4. to Seek
Rigid Enforcement of Ld5u.

Al effort to lesson the sufferinss in winter OF
cattle in transport on Western railroad cars and
the herds on the plains has been begun here
The intention is TO have the present laws en-
forced and defeat the efforts OF the railroad
lobby at Washington to bring about their modi-
fcation.
Mrs Minnie Maddern Fiske. the actress. is
chief among those who have taken Up the tight
for the better protection Of animals In ship
ment Last winter while her company was on
the road she travelled through. many Western
States. Her car was sidetracked time and again
at lonely stations. giving her ar opportunity to
see the condition Of cattle on sidetraoked trains.
She found not only frequent violations OF the
Law, but that even if the law had been carried
out to the letter the cattle would not have been
properly cared for.
1T seems incredible that human beings should
infict such cruelty dumb orutes as / saw
she said yesterday The worst case that came
under my personal observation was at little
station near Detroit The night was bitter cold
and a stock train was stalled the siding In
one car we found that every animal had died
from exposure Again and again. west Of Chi
caso I Witnessed the most terrible suffering on
cattle trains. 1t made my heart ache TO think
OF these poor brutes, cooped up in the open cars,
exposed to the full blast OF an icy Western
wind"
Mrs. Fiske asked a number Of railway men
what could be done to alleviate the suffering.
1T is necessary that cattle shipped in crowded
cars have plenty OF ventilation" said one expert
on cattle shipping. 1T would be entirely FEAST
bic. howeve-'. to drop a canvas spread over
the windWard side OF cattle cars The expense
would not be great and the value Of cattle
saved would more than meet it,
When still further West Mrs. FiSke looked
into the condition OF the herds turned out on
the plains.
The cattle are turned out on the prairies to
care for themselves" she said. The snow covers
Up the grass, meagra though 1t IS under the
most favorable conditions The happy ones
die; the unfo-tucates weather the winter. II is
ures in the spring. hardly aole TO stand AFTER
their long period OF enforced starvation
1T can't be that the owners know the suffer
ing for which they are responsible" declared
Mrs Fiske. "One can't imagine that human
being would be Unspeakably cruel They are
tno1 ghtless. Perhaps If they knew. if a paper
like The Tribune brought it to their attention,
they would make an effort to bring about better
conditions
John P. Haires president OF the Society for The
Prevention OF Cruelty TO Animals. said that the
entire resources OF the society would be back
Of any effort 10 bring about better conditions
for the cattle on the plains and to lessen the
suffering in shipment. The present law fer n
protection Of cattle in shipment was considered
satisfactory, he said, il IL could be rigidly e.
forced. The railroads consider IL too severe. d-lc
time and again have endeavCred to have IL
modified The law prohibits in the transport
"confning the same in cars boats or vessel c.
any description for a longer period than TWEEN -
eight consecutive hours, without unloading tr-
same for rest. water and feeding for period
vented from such unloading by storm or othe-
accidental causes