Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-05
KNITTING A SHEEP.
Modern Slaughter House Method
Painless and Rapid.

iuAAh Vi Is Tue way Sneep are Killed In
the packing houses. Most persons mis-
takenly imagine that they are treated
horribly and see in their minds q
bloodthirsty man, with shoulders like
hams, standing over a poor. defense
less sheep with a bludgeon in his
hands ready TO send the creature
straight 10 the promised land. But
there is where the sentimentalist goes
completely wrong. for if there is an
animal that is treated right-in speak
ing OF its death-it is the sheep. There
is only one thing that doesn't look as
though death was absolute pleasure for
the sheep. and that is right at the very
start Of the killing operation.
The sheep are driven from the yards
up long chute. and when they enter
the pathway a leader sheep puts him
self at their head TO take them up into
the killing room. These sheep are
trained and are nearly always black
so that there will be no mistake made
and the leader sheep killed.
This leader takes the animals up the
chute to a pen that will hold about
la SdCCp. mere d Ildn CdlCncb luCA1s
two at a time. and shackles them by
their hind legs. This is the operation
referred to as the only one painful to
the sheep.
The animal is then swung on to what
Is called the Ferris wheel. This wheel
is constantly revolving. and as it reach
es a certain spot the sheep are trans
ferred 10 a track from which they
hang head downward. At that point
their suffering ceases, for the next
workman is the man who kills them.
The killing process is one that is abb
solutely painless TO the sheep. The
workman is adept and never misses
the mark at which he strikes. With
a sharp knife in his hand, he moves
down the row OF hanging animals, and
as he comes to each one he feels Of
the head just behind the ears and finds
the point where the bones Of the head
leave an opening. In this the knife is
thrust and goes through the head Of
the animal. completely severing on
both sides large artery. The sheep is
killed instantly. Five hundred sheep
can be handled every hour at this
point They are then 'pated." an op-
GRAFTON that consists of skinning the
fore part of the head and the neck.
The next workman cuts through the
hide on the breast and skins just one
spot below the neck. The fore legs are
then broken and cut off to be sent to
| the bone room.
The fact that there is time for ev-
erything and one man to do just his
part and no more is emphasized in the
sheep room when one sees just one
hind leg skinned by one man and the
other skinned in an entirely different
operation. The sheep is then put on
what is called the endless cham. This
| chain consists of hooks at intervals
and is constantly moving, making the
rounds Of the room in about twenty
minutes. Along this chain are the
! workmen. and as the sheep is passed
on TO them by the chain they do their
work and wait for the next carcass.
After the two hind legs have been
skinned the back is partly skinned and
the animal is passed on to the next
man who is called a ''pelter." He
grasps the pelt just above the hind
| legs. and. with a few deft twists Of It
it is pulled off and the sheep passed
on to the next workman.
After being skinned the sheep are
carefully washed and wiped, a new
towel being used on every animal Ar
endless chain is in progress here also
for when a towel is used it is thrown
into q vat Of boiling water, washed
and put into a drier to be used over
and over again. After the animal has
been washed the head is taken off anC
the neck washed In the same manner
as the rest of the carcass. The gov
eminent inspector then gets it, and fl
is subjected to a rigid examination
after which the stamp Of approval Of
tie United States is put on.
After the head is taken of it is sem
70 the floor below. where the tongue il
taken out and the remainder of it sem
70 the bone room.
There are two ways OF dressing thu
sheep. Some of the buyers insist OF
having the caul fat with the animal
while others do not care about it. Il
he fat is desired it is put on the hind
part Of the animal. covering about one
half Of the body. and is then split, re
vealing the carcass shorn Of the Wis
cera.
The dressed animals are hung OF
overhead tracks and put on an eleya
or to be sent to the cooling ROOM
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.