Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1884 — Why Are Butchers Fat? [ARTICLE]

Why Are Butchers Fat?

“I give it up, ” said a jolly big butcher when asked if he could give any reason why so many butchers were fat. “It’s a butcher’s misfortune that he is fat. I suppose one reason we are so fat is be - cause we eat enough, keep pretty regular and get up early in the morning. There’s something queer about it how so many butchers are fat, but if we stay in the business any little time and have any constitution at all to build upon, we invariably become busters. ” “You butchers are all a jolly, goodnatured class; hasn’t that got something to do with it?” “Yes,” said the butcher, “we always look on the bright side of life and try to keep about even-tempered. I don’t think the business has anything to do with it. If it is a man’s nature to be fat he will flesh, np, no matter in what business he may be engaged. While a very large nnmber of the men about here who actually handle the meat are corpulent, still there are some skinny fellows here who if they stayed here forever wouldn’t get fat. The business is healthy; the men who are in it were healthy before they went into it, and of course as a natural consequence they flesh up wonderfully. We don’t have anything to think about or trouble our heads about, and I guess that’s the principal reason.” The reporter went along a little further and soon encountered a tall butcher, fully six feet and of huge proportions. * In reply to interrogations, he said: “They come here,” said he, “strong, ragged, healthy young men, and although their work is lalx>rious it is not exhausting like other kinds of labor. To be sure they have to do some heavy lifting, bnt, then, they have considerable time between acts to rest. They, as a rule, take pretty good care of themselves, and then, I notice that they always take home the best pieces of beef. No chucks in theirs. In ° word, good living and a good constit ti \ make the butchers fat.”— Bos ton i lo e.