Year: 1868

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To the other horrors which invest Chica-
go in the summer months, the cattle dis
ease is now added, and the people there
are daily uncertain whether they are fed on
healthy food or on deadly poisonous meat
The Chicago Tribune gives the alarm in
the following editorial article


There is no doubt that the dreaded cat
tie fever has at length found its way into
the Union stock yards, though great pains
have been taken to prevent the fact from
being made public. A COW, which arrived
here on Monday from the infected district
of central Illinois, is known to have died at
the yards yesterday, aud it Is rumored
among those who attend there daily, that
about dozen cattle have succumed to the
disease during the past two or three days
some Of them being Texas cattle.


We have abstalned, for day or two
past, from giving publicity to these rumors
not wishing to excite an alarm which, after
all, might prove to be grouDdless. There
Is now no further occasion for secrecy the
cattle dealers are all posted, the state OF the
market resulting from that know ledge on
their part Is sufficiently shown In our stock
yasdS report In the commercial department
of this ISSUE


About five thousand head of native cattle
are now IN the stock yards, and some three
or four thousa I'D head of Texas cattle are
berded outside, On the north and west sides
OF the yards. 1t is stated that several cases
Of death have occurred Monday and yester-
day among native cattle which, belonging
to residents in the vicinity, have wandered
near the Texas stock. There seems to be
no good reason to doubt longer the fact,
that while they are themselves exempt
from the disorder, the Lone Star arrivals
do carry the seeds of contagiop, and COM
munlcate them to those more sensitive, or
less Injured to the disease.


1t is asserted on good authority that the
animal first named had been bought BY one
OF eur city butchers, and was being taken
away towards the slaughter house when
stopped by the inspector. We trust that
the stock yards authorities will show that
this act OF vigilance is but sample Of that
rigid examination which now, more than
ever, needs to be exercised for the protec-
ton of tue people from the terrible evils
which may be entailed by the avarice Of
some souless wretch, who would make an
extra profit Of Two or three cents per pound
at the expense Of trightful addition to
the mortality list. Te make assurance
doubly sure, there should, however, be a
thorough city inspection adopted immedi-
ately, and not q pound of beef allowed to
be sold where suspicion can exist that it
has been cut from the carcass of an animal
affected with the cattle fever.


We are informed that on one OF the lat
ter days OF last week an indignation meet
iug of some FIVE hundred citizens was held
pear kaakakee, in this state, where the
disease is raging. A large number of Tex
as cattle are herded in the vicinity, and the
owner was called to account, the people
threatening to kill off all his stock if they
were not immediately removed. The peo-
pie were, however, pacifed on his repre-
senting that it would do no good to remove
them after the harm had been done, and
promising to make good the loss of all cat
tie which should die Of the disease in that
neighborhood.