The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-25
HAMMOND CATTLE
WERE SIMPLY FILTHY
Meeting of Hammond Milk Distribu.
tiers Takes Place Last Night and
Inspector Tries to Impress on Them
the Necessity of the Occasion
Authorities To Be Here a Week.

As result of yesterdays invests
CATION of the milk supply Of HAM
mond and vicinity, by Ivan C. Weld, the
representative of the department of ag-
riculture, and Frank A. Tucker. con-
nected with the state department of
food inspection, there were some shock
ing revelations made and before the
state and government officials are
through with Lake county there will
be some sensational Developments.
The investigation is to be conducted
along two lines. There will be an in
vestigation of the distributing houses
in the city and of the producing houses
in the country.
While the dairy inspectors were
reticent about the revelations which
they made yesterday, enough has been
found to indicate that the conditions
under which milk is produced and dis
tributed in and about Hammond are
shocking, in a great many cases.
Cows Caked With Manure.
On one farm, near this city, the cows
were literally caked with manure. Mr.
Weld says that he is continually in
spetcnig dairies and makes that his
speciality, and yet he has never seen
such a filthy, dirty herd of cattle as
he found in the barns of the farmer
who lives near Hammond.
The premises of another farmer were
investigated and a revolving condition
of affairs was found From the milk
house the water which came from
the cooling tank ran down into the
yard into a low place. The slop from
the kitchen also ran through an open
sewer and then the cattle were turned
loose into the lot and got their drink
ing water from this filthy pool.
In another case it was discovered
that within a few yards from where
the milk was placed in the cans and
the cans were allowed to dry in the
sun, there as a privy and an old, filthy
well. There We're other conditions too
revolving to be described.
Neighbors' MIX Dirty.
Mr.. Weld says that the people have
a mistaken idea that milk purchased
from the neighbors is purer and bet
ter than that which is secured from
the milk man, but he declares that the
one and two COW dairies are often the
most filthy places in the city.
There was meeting of the Ham
mond milk distributors last night
which was attended by Mr.. Weld and
Mr.. Tucker. and the situation was pre-
sented to them for their consideration
They were shown how they will not
only destroy the confidence of the pub
lie in their product but will do incal-
culable damage if they do not clean up.
Mr.. Weld said that the Hammond
dairymen showed a commendable in
terest in the work of improving con-
ditions and will cooperate with him
in making the milk supply of Ham
mond more dependable
The investigation is to be carried to
every city in the county and to all of
the farms where milk is produced. AS
the investigators go through a place
evidence is secured, and in some cases
prosecutions are promised.
To Be Here a Week.
Mr.. Weld and Mr.. Tucker will be in
Lake county for about a week and
before they leave there are a number
of farmers who viii have to answer
to the courts for their conduct
Mr.. Weld says that it is against the
law for the farmers to feed distiIIery
slop to their milk cows. In one case
d laughable incident occurred. A farm
er found who had a wagon with
several barrels of distillery slop on
it. The farmer was asked what he
intended to do with that The farmer
replied that he intended to feed it to
the bull.
II was rather a big breakfast for the
bull, however, and Mr.. Weld found evi-
dence that the cows had been fed the
slop.