Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-01-19
KNITTING A SHEEP.
INSTANT DEATH IS ASSURED.

One 0sxtsrsvs Thrust Through Ne
Animals Hssd BY IN Expert Wssh.
man Ends csnselsvsnsee-Nss ths
Carcass 10 Skinned end oessssd.
The easiest way you could possibly
think OF L. the way shsep are killed In
the packing houses. Most persons mis-
takenly imagine that they are treated
horribly and Sc In their minds .
bloodthlrsty man. With shoulder IKE
hams. standing over q poor. defense
less sheep with q biudgeon In his
hands ready to send the creature
straight to the promised land But
there II where the sentimentalist goss
completely wrong. for II there u an
animal that IL treated rtxht-in speak
Ing Of Its death-it II the sheep. There
il only one thing that doesn't look ~
though death was absolute pleasure Tor
the sheep. and that IL night at the vesy
start Of the killing operation.
The sheep are driven from the yards
up a long chute. and when they enter
the pathway q leader sheep puts him
self at their head to take them mp into
the killing room. These sheep Are
trained and are nearly always black
10 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 bold about
nfty sheep. Here a man catches them.
two at a time. and shackles them BY
their hind legs. This u the operation
referred to az 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 ~ It reach
es a certain spot the sheep are trans
ferred to q 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 IL one that y ah-
soutely painless to the sheep. The
workman is adept and never misses
the mark at which he strikes. With
sharp knife in his hand. he moves
down the row Of hanging animals. and
as he comes to oach one he feels Of
the head just behind the ears and nnds
the point where the bones Of the head
leave an opening. In this the knife II
thrust and goes through the head Of
the animal. completely severing or
both sides a large artery The sheep II
killed instantly. Five hundred sheep
Gun 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 OF to be sent to
the bone room.
The fact that there is a 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 Mt intervals
and Is constantly moving. making tho
| rounds Of the room In about twenty
minutes Along this chain are the
| workmen. and as the sheep II passed
on to them by the chain they do thei'
work and walt for the next CARCASS.
After the two bind 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 few deft twists Of II.
1t Is pulled OF and the sheep passed
| on to the next workman
After being skinned the sheep are
carefully washed and wiped. 4 new
towel being used on every animal An
| endless chain II in progress here also.
for when a towel n used It n thrown
into a vat Of boiling water. washed
and put into a drfer to be used over
and over again. After the animal has
been washed the head = taken Oh and
the neck washed In the same manner
as the rest OF tho carcass. The gov
eminent inspector then gets It. and 1t
is subjected to \ rigid examination.
after which the stamp OF approval Of
the United States Is put on.
! After the head Is taken Oh II il sent
to the door below. where the tongue II
taken out and the remainder Of 1t sent
to the bone room.
| There are two ways Of dressing the
sheep. Some OF the buyers insist on
having the caul tat With the animal.
while others do not care about It. II
the int Is desired It II put on the hind
| part OF the animal. covering about one
half Of the body. and IS then split. ~
veai!ng the carcass shoru OF the Wis
cera.
| The dressed animals are hung on
overhead tracks and put on An eleva.
tor to be sent to the cooling ROOM
| st. Louis Globe Democrat.