The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-05-24

been killing steadily since early
and he is tired and the
room is hot and the sweat runs
down his nose in a little rivulet.
He looks so much like a picture
of Gorky, broad, kindly face with
high cheek bones and a flow
ing mustache. His eyes twinkle
good naturally when he looks at
you. Beside him is his partner,
serious faced, stolid. He has 4 |
long electric rod in his hand. They
need this rod for often a terrified
COW, sensing the death that faces
it, instinctively raises or lowers its
head so the killer cannot reach the
vital spot for the blow. 1t is then
that the electric rod touches the
animal and in that moment Of fear
from this new danger the head is
flung about until it is in the right
position for the killer to strike.
Sometimes, they say, terrified
COW will crash through the pass
ageway before the door can be
closed and maddened by the smell
of flesh and blood dash onto the
floor in a frenzied effort TO es-
cape. Then the crealdng winches
stop and the COWS hang motionless
while the men wave their arms
and shout and yell. The cow dashes
about madly until it slips on the
floor wet with fresh blood. Then
the electric rod prods it while it
struggles to raise itself, prods it
until the head is in the position
the killer needs for the death blow
We stand there talking while his
hammer rises ard falls and with
every thud a cow is swiftly hoisted
by it's hind hoofs, a sharp knife
passes across its throat and a tor
rent of blood spurts upon the req
brick floor, scattering the men
nearby. This COW whose throat
has just been slashed-its eyes still
open. They are not glazed in
death; they are soft and the terror
that was in them a few moments
before still shows.
Over the creaking winches, the
gushing blood and the terrified
lowing of cattle the killer talks
about his work, his home. his wife
and children. He especially likes
to talk of his two sons at home
and the baby who cried half the
night because it was cutting it
first tooth.
"That's a good boy" he says
affectionately while the squirting
blood from a cow half browns hi
words. maybe be beeg man some
day. Maybe President, ha?"
The killer is one of the 5000
workers in the South Omaha pack
ing plants, a Russian in a field
dominated by foreign born worker
and with the number of hungr!
and destitute persons increase,
from 1000 before the depression
to $4,000 in 1888, and with Chart,
organizations estimating that 1913
will have close to 10000 begginI
for food in one of the country
! greatest food centers, these work
ers that the charities are ALLOWING
less and less food to each famil
because there is so little money
available for all the demands o
them; they have learned that tn
government has figured out to tn
penny how much food is necessar
to keep alive q man and a woma
and children of different ages, an
this precise amount is all the huT
CRY are being given.
A lowing cow sticks It's head
the opening and the hammer cut
short its cry of fear.
"You like this p 1 ask.
He looks little puzzled an,
shrugs his shoulders.
ooh. this is good job"
"You like to kill?"
"This is job" he says stoIidl,
Somebody got to kill 'em. q
to work. Got family to supper
Everybody do the same"
For moment his eyes lose the
twinkle and a serious note flash,
across them. He motions with h
head to the others in this brillian
ly lighted slaughter room.
Everybody do the same" F
kills SO that he and his may liv
The whole world kills in one wa
or another so it may live.
"How many hours do YOU wol
now?"
Maybe 80; maybe 49,"
"How many did you work
1927"
"Seventy-two."
''Then the MIRA has been go,
for you?"
"Good. Yes. NRA good. LIE
hours, but got to work faster. G
to kill more, quicker"
"How much did you make
1927"
make good wages. Maybe S
a week. Maybe $40."
what do you make now?"
Maybe SIT; maybe $19 a wee
- 1t was at this point that he
gan to laugh and commented a
miringly upon the company bel
smart people" The compa
had put something over. He COT
not understand how, with CO.
cheaper and wages cut about h:
and meat selling at higher pr
than last year, the company cor