El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-31
WHY IS HORSE
FLESH TAB00ED?
Bible Bans It Because of It's
Hoof;; Local Dealers Say
Nothing Doing"

Now that there is a probability that
horse flesh is to become a part of the
menu OF thrifty American households.
the question has been raised why the
horse has not been used as food be-
fore this The answers have been
varied, many replying that the dis
taste for serving horse meat is purely
psychological; while others, with an
acquaintance with history, point out
that Leviticus Of the old Testament
had a whole lot to do with the matter.
It was the 18th book Of Beviticus that
presented the ban upon four footed an
lInals who did not have cue and
cloven foot in common Under this
classification the horse and ass came
10 be regarded as unclean food
Directed at Swine.
DR.. Henry Easter said he thought
that the origin Of the Judaic idea was
directed at the swine and, in order TO
make 1t binding, animals with some OF
the swine traits were included AT
that time" said Dr.. Easter. the people
where the Jews lived in great num-
bers had pork IN everything they ate,
as pigs were easy TO grow and the
meat might be carried from o. fason
When a bar. was placed updtlft as a
part of ones food, il was impossible
for the Jewish people to be neighborly
people about them, as neighborliness
consisted in 4 large measure Of par
taking of food Gradually the wall OF
separateness was completely buiided
still cling to the outlawing Of swine
Look Up Levitieus.
Dr. Martin ZfeIonks laughed when
questioned as to the ancient Iegisla-
lions against pigs and said: Look up
Leviucus-" Leviticus was then hunted
up on the library shelves and IL was
found that. in addition to much leEis-
lation on the matter Of what animals
10 eat and what not TO eat. the story
also disclosed that the leaders Of the
tribe and the priests did not lose any
by the method Of killing and sacrifice.
Told in One Sentence.
The Instructions to the Jewish peo-
PIE in LeTIucus are attributed to God
and, according to the book. were deliF-
cred 20 Moses and Aaron The sentence
which tells the whole story reads:
Whatsoever parteth the hOOf, and is
clOVen footed and cheWeth the cud
among the beasts, that shall re eat"
It was pointed out at that time that ]
the camel, the hare and the swine
might be used and the response was /
that while the camel cheWed . cud, it |
had no cloyen foot that the hare /
cheTed cud but had a straight hoOf; I
and that the swine had straight hoofs !
cut did not chew cud- Not possess
ing both qualifications they were all /
left from the menu
UneIean Birds.
At the same time the eagle, vulture i
kite. raven, owl, cuckoo, swan, pelican. I
stoTk and heron were all declared to I
be uIsclean among the birds-perhaps 4
because OF their habits: while fish
without scales were classified as n
good -
Philip Lfcata. manager of the Futon
market when asked If he would handle
horse meat provided II was placed on
the local market, replied; Never on
my life VII I handle such mat It is
Eot clean I would MT tE1nk Of offer
>-ft--tc.-rIly customers" And as he /
made the eminent he glanced over to !
hiE meat stock where rabbit meat and
all sorts % strange things from the
sea which il took humankind ages to
learn how to eat were stacked in
BLESSING hears.