Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-23
MEAT PACKER TO CAN COW PONIES
AND CAYJSES OF MONTANA TO FEED
HUNGRY OF FRANCE AND HOLLAND
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
Butte, April 22.-From the ranges
of Montana to the horse eating peoples
Of Europe is the route proposed by r.
M. Chapel, Of Rochester, N. Y, for
the understood range cayuses of the
state, according to plans announced by
him while in Butte this week attend
ing the meeting of the Montana Stock
Growers association.
Mr.. Chapel proposes to furnish
cash market for that class of horses
for which there now exists no market
and by SO doing he promises financial
assistance to stockmen and ranchers
and at the same time to relieve the
range Of the burden Of feeding these
horses, leaving the feed for the cattle.
He figures that there are about D.
100000 Of the undersized horses IN the
west and northwest, horses weighing
from 700 to 900 pounds, either the old
COW pony type or the light delivery
stock for which there is no longer
delivery truck. These horses will be
fat in June. when he expects to begin
buying and shipping them to packing
plant in the middle west for the pur-
chase or leasing Of which negotiations
are now in progress.
Buy Horses BY Head
The horses will not be purchased by
weight but by the head and the price
they bring will depend to great meas
ure upon the freight rates from the
shipping point to the packing plant.
Mr., Chapel expects to be able to ham
die 1000 head per week at the plant
and figures upon full years oper-
alton. The meat will be shipped to
Europe where it will be marketed prin-
cipally in France and Holland. In pre-
pairing for this new business MIR. Chap
pei has made three trips TO Europe
and has spent 10 months there out OF
the last three years.
In telling Of the proposed new indus
try and of his experimental work IN
connection, Mr.. Chapel said:
IL have spent over 20 years in the
livestock and meat packing business,
going into it from every angle. Dur
ing the late war / bought and sold
to the allies over 10000 horses and
came in contact with number OF
foreign army officers. They re-
neat edly remarked that something
should be done to furnish their people
in Europe the cheap meat food we
have on our western ranges.
100000 Cayuses in State
''Knowing we had some 100000
of these undersized horses in the
United States, Of which between
100000 and 100000 are here in Mon
tana, / became interested and after
the armistice came west and slaugh-
tered six horses to determine the
value of the meat and by-products as
compared with cattle.
II was astonished at the results.
Tt was as fine looking meat as the
best of cattle and had a slightly
greater food value, owing to the
sugar it contained. I Immediately
saw it's possibilities and vast eco
nomic Importance. I cured some Of
the meat, put some in brine, made
dried beef. solomi and other sausages
and went to France with six barrels
as. samples.
1.-The French consulate in New
York informed me / would have no
difficulty in getting the product into
France, but upon arriving there
found there was law prohibiting the
importing of horse meat, except on the
hoof and, of course. railway freight
and ocean rates prohibited shipping OF
live horses to France. ! finally sue
ceeded in getting the French minister
nf agriculture to say It the United
states government W0ulu give HoISc
meat the same federal inspection as
cattle he would recommend repeating
the prohibitive law.
Inspect Horse Meat
II returned to America and got in
touch with your state veterinarian. DR.
W. J. Butler. We went to Washing
ton and interested the officers Of the
bureau Of animal industry, number
of senator's. congressman and others
and after three months of continuous
work succeeded in having horse meat
put in the same category as cattle,
sheep and swine and given the same
federal inspection. An appropriation
Of 100000 was provided to carry out
the first inspection work.
II then slaughtered some more
horses and returned to France with
them in barrels and after making upI
the finished product and displaying itI
in Paris to thc government officials
succeeded in five weeks in obtaining a
decree permitting us to import horse
meat into France in any form we saw
fit.
Previous to 1914 France slaught-
cred approximately 100000 horses q
year for, food purposes. In 1919 and
1920 over 100000 horses were slaught |
cred in Paris alone. mostly worn out
war horses that could in no way com
pare with the Montana range horse as
a food animal While in Europe ! ar
ranged with selling agencies to take |