Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-06-07
RaoId rnaUff


Reed pay't.
He died then; but he left the con-
tract to VIM. j. Martin, who tried to
collect it, but died before he goi
through. Heleftit to BarkerJ Allen,
and he tried to collect it also. He did
not survive. Barker j. Allen lett il
to Anson G.. Rogers, who attempted to
collect it, and got along as far as the
Ninth Auditors Office when Death,
the great leveller came all unsummon-
ed, and foreelosed on him also. He
left the bill to a relative of his in Con-
necticut, Vengeance Hopkins by
name, who lasted four weeks and two
days, and made the best time on record,
coming within one of reaching the
Twelfth Auditor In his viii he gave
the contract bill to his uncle, by the
name of O-be-joyful johnson. 1t was
too undermining for joyful. His
last words were: Weep not for me
am willing to CO." And so he was,
poor SOUL Seven people inherited the
contract after that. But they all died.
So it came into my hands at last. II
fell to me through a relative by the
name of Hubbard-Bethlehem Hub
bard, of Indiana. He had had a
grurdge against me for a long time
but in his last moments he sent for me
and forgave me everything, and weep
ing, gave me the beef contract.
This ends the history of it up to the
time that | succeeded to the property
I will now endeavor to set myself
straight before the nation in every
thing that concerns my share in the
matter. | took this beef contract, and
the bill for mileage and transportation,
to the President of the United States
He said:
well sir, what can 1 do for you?''
] said:
"Sire, on or about the 10th day Of
October, 1861, John Wilson Macken-
zie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county,
New Jersey, deceased, contracted with
the General Government to furnish to
General Sherman the sum total of thir-
ty barrels of beef"
He stopped me there, and dismissed
me from his presence, kindly but firm
". The next day / called on the Sec
retary, of State. He said:
well, sir?"
/ said: Your Royal Highness, on
or about the lot day of October, 1861
John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam
Chemung county, New Jersey, de.
ceased, contracted with the General
Government to furnish to General
Sherman, the sum total of thirty bar
rels of beef"
THAT will do, sir-that will do; this
Office has nothing to do with contracts
for beef"
l was bowed out. l thought the
matter all over, and finally the follow.
ing day, | visited the Secretary of the
Navy, who said: Speak quickly, sir
do not keep me WAITING"
l said: "Your Royal Highness on
or about the 10th day of October, 1861
John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam
Chemung county, New Jersey. deceas-
ed. contracted with the General Gov
ernment to furnish to General Sher-
man the sum total of thirty barrels Of
beef"
Well, it was as far. as 1 could get
He had nothing to do with beef con-
tracts, or General Sherman either.
began to think it was a curious kind
of a Government. 1t looked somewhat
as if they wanted to get out of paying
for the beef. The followingl day ]
went to see the Secretary of the Int.
rior.
[ said: "Your Imuerial Highness
on or aboat the 10Th day of October
THAT is sufficient sir; L have heard
of you before. Go-take your infa.
nous beef contract out of this estab
lishment. The Interior Department
has nothing whatever to do with sub
sistence for the army"
Iwent away. But | was exasperateC
now. I said | would haunt them
would infest every department of thi'
iniquitous Government till that con,
tract business was settled; would
collect that bill, or fall, as fell my pre-
decessors, trying. | assailed the Post
master General l beseiged the Agri
cultural Department; wayiaid the
Speaker of the House of Representa-.
tives. They had nothing to do with
army contracts for beef. | moved up.
on the Commissioner of the Patent OF
fee.
7 said: Your August Excellency,
on or about
"Perdition have you got here will
your incendiary beef contract, at last
we have nothing to do with beef con
tracts for the army, my dear sir. =
"Oh, that is all very well-but some
body has got to pay for that beef L
has got to be paid now, too, or | ii con
fiscate this old Patent Office and every
thing in it.
But My dear sir
1T don't make any difference, sir
The Patent Office is liable for tina
beef. / recon, and, liable or not liable
thePatent Office has got to pay for it.
Never mind the details. 1t ended
in fight: The Patent Office won
But | found out something to my ad'
vantage. | was told that the Treasur,
Department was the place for me Il
90 10. / went there. / waited tive
hours and a half, and then | was ad
mitted to the First Lord Of the Treas
ury.
/ said: Most noble, grave, and rev
erend Signor, ON or about the l0ti
day of October, 1861, John Wilson
THAT is sufficient, sir. / have heart
of you. Go to the First Auditor o
the Treasury"
T did so. He sent me to the Secont
IT. QaoorJ Audifor eau