Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-06

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He said:
"Wel, sir, what can l do for your
said:
"Sire: On or about the 10th day of Octo.
Der, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rot
terdam, Chemung county, N. j., deceased,
contracted with the General Government to
furnish to General Sherman the sum tota
Of thirty barrels Of beef
He stopped me there and dismissed me
from his presence kindly, but firmly. The
next Gay called to see the Secretary Of
State. He said:
"Well, sir?'
I said: "Your Royal Highness On or
about the 10Th day Of October, 1861, John
Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung
county, N, j., deceased, contracted with the
general government to furnish to General
Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels Of
beef"
"That will do sir-tbat will do; this Office
has nothing to do with contracts for beef"
was bowed out. thought the matter
all over, and finally, the following day, l
visited the Secretary Of the Navy, who said,
Speak quickly, sir; do not keep me wait
ing" l said:
"Your Royal Highness: On or about the
10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson
Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county,
New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the
general government to furnish to General
Sherman the sum total Of 30 barrels Of
beef"
Well, it was as far as could get. He
had nothing to do with beef contracts for
General Sherman either. began to think
it was a curious kind of Government. i,
looked somewhat as if they wanted to get
out Of paying for that beef. The following
day | went to the Secretary of the Interior.
! said:
"Ycur Imperial Highness: On or about
the 10th day of October
"Tha, is sufficient, sir-I have heard Of
you before. Go-take your infamous beef
contract out of this establishment. The In
terror Department has nothing whatever to
do with subsistence for the army
went away. But l was exasperated
now. said l would haunt them; i would
infest every department of this iniquitous
Government till that contract business was
settled; | would collect tha. bill, or fall as
fell my predecessors, trying. l assailed the
Postmaster General besiesed the
Agricultural Department; l waylaid the
Speake. of the House of Representatives.
THEY had nothing to do with army contracts
for beef. moved upon the Commissioner
of the Patent Office. 1 said:
"Iour august Excellency. On Or about
"Perdi,on. have you got here with your
incendiary beef contract, at last? We have
nothing to do with beef contracts for the
army, my dear sir"
has got to pay for that beef 1t has got 10
be paid nou, too, or III confscate this old
Patent Office and everything in it,"
"But. my dear sir"
at don't make any difference, sir. The
Patent Office is liable for that beef, l reck-
on; and liable or not liable, the Patent
Office has got to lay for it,
Never mind the details. 1t ended in a
fight. The Patent Office won. But found
ont something to my advantage. | was told
that the Treasury Department was the
proper place to 60 to. l went there.
waited two hours and half and then | was
admitted to the Firs, Lord of the Treasury
| said:
Most noble, grave and reverend S gnor
on or abou, the 10th day of October, 1861
John Wilson Macken--"
That is sufficient, sir. I haye heard OF
you. Go to the First Auditor of the Ire as
ury.'
did so. He sent me to the Second An.
ditor. The Second Auditor sent me TO the
Third, and the Third sent me TO the First
Comptroller of the Corn Beef DIVISION
This began to look like business. He ex.
amined his books and all his loose papers,
but found no minute of the beef contract
went TO the Second Comptroller of the Corn
Beef Division. He examined his books and
his loose papers, but with no success.
was encouraged. During the week l got
as far as the Sixth Comptroller in that d.
vision; the next week got through the
Claims Department; the third week / be-
gan and completed the Misaid Contracts
Department, and got a foothold in the Dead
Reckoning Department. ! finished that in
three days. There was only one place left
for it now. | laid siege to the Commission
er OF Odds and Ends. To his clerk, rather
he was not there himself There were
sixteen beautiful young ladies in the room,
writing in books, and there were seven we'll
favored clerks showing them how. The
young women smiled up over their shoul
ders, and the clerks smiled back at them,
and all went merry as a marriage bell. Two
or three clerks that were reading the news
papers looked at me rather hard, but went
on reading, and nobody said anything.
However, had been used to this kind of
alacrity from Notwithstanding Clerks
all through my eventlul career, from the
very day entered the office of the Corn
Beef Bureau clear Till passed out of the
last ore in the Dead Reckoning Division.
had got SO accomplished ty this time that
could stand on ore foot from the moment
entered an Office till clerk spoke to me,
without changing more than two, or maybe
times.
SO stood there till had changed four
different times. Then said to one of the
clerks who was reading:
"liustrious Vagrsnt, where is the Grand
Turk ?"
"What do You mean, sir? whom do you
mean? II you mean the Chief of the Bu-
reau, he is out"
"Will he visit the harem, to-dav?'
The young man glared at me awhile, and
then went on reading his paper. But
knew the ways Of these clerks. l knew
was safe. if he got through before another
New York mail arrived. lie only had two
more papers LETT. After while be finished
them, and then he yawned. and asked me
what | wanted.
Renowned and honored Imbecilc. On
or about
"You are the beef contract man. Give
me your papers,
He took them. and 70. long time he ran.
sacked his odds and ends. Finally he found
the Northwest Passage, as regarded it
he found the long lost record Of that beef
contract-he found the rock upon which so
many Of our ancestors had split before they
ever got to it. was deeply moved. And
yet rcjoiced--tor had survived. | said
with emotion, "Give it me- tho Govern
Ment will settle now" He waved mo back,
and said there was something yet 20 be done
first.
"Where is this John Wilson Mckenzie :"
said he.
Dead
"When Gid he die p
"He didn't die at all-he was killed."
"IEow?''
"Tomahawked.'
"Who tomahawked him ~
"Why, an Indian, of course. You didu't
suppose it was Superintendent of Sun
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