Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-04


What the Indian Once Says - sAs Chsssss
Made by Senator Msudefson.
The attack made on the Indian ONCE by Sen
stor Manderson on the floor Of ths Ssnat,
Wednesday, charging the Office with attempt
| ingto force rotten bacon upon the Indians q
Pine Ridge agency, South Dakota, IL said a
the Indian Office to have been based upon Z
Misrepresentation Of the facts in the case. A
statement Of the case given to . STAR reporter
at the Indian Office 10 40 follows: contract
for furnishing for the Indian service for tn,
year ending June so. 1892, 75O, 900 pounds Of ba
con, short clear sides, sound. sweet and mer
charitable, was awarded to the well-known firm
Of j. o. Armour & Co. Of Chicago, Ill Ont
hundred and twenty thousand pounds of thi,
bacon were shipped to Nashville. Neb., by raj
to be conveyed thence by Indian transporta
ton to Pine Ridge to be distributed among the
Indians. The meat WAS inspected before ship
ment in Chicago by an expert chosen by the
Secretary Of the Interior, and 1t was pro.
nounced to be fully up to the contract re.
quirements. Capt. Penney, acting Indian agent
at Pine Ridge, refused to receive the meat on
the ground that 1t was old, rusty, rancid and
unfit for food. Commissioner Morgan notified
the contractors and requested them to replace
tho bacon with better quality. The legal
representative Of the firm. in connection with
Senator CuIlom, called upon the Commissioner
dealt with. that the bacon was all they claimed
for it, and requested that final action should
be deferred until the matter could be fully in
vestigated. Accordingly. Commissioner Nor
gan directed that what bacon was still remain
ing at Rushville should be inspected by the
shipping clerk, Mr.. J. E. West, who was ap-
pointed to his position on the Recommendation
OF Senator Henderson and the other members Of
the Nebraska delegation, who had asserted that
ne was tho roughly competentand trustworthy.
he. with the aid OF two butchers and experts
inspected tho bacon and reported it fully I'D to
the requirements Of the contract Commits
sioner Morgan, in order to avoid any POSSIBLE
ity OF doubt. relieved from duty the man who
haa inspected the bacon in Chicago and ap-
pointed another man who was recommended
70 him as IN expert and directed him
10 proceed to Pine Ridge with instruc-
haustive examination Of the meat and report
the result OF his findings. He did 90, and said
that he found all. except little less than 1000
pounds. satisfactory. On this the commits
sioner directed the 1000 pounds to be rejected
ana replaced by the contractors with accept
able meat, and directed the agent to issue that
which had been found satisfactory. Capt
Brown, who had succeeded Capt. Penney, in
sisted that he was not willing to is
sue the bacon which had been pronounced
unfit for food by his predecessor and asked
that 1t be removed and otherbacon substituted
therefor. The commissioner then directed
that, pending the final determination Of the
question and awaiting change in the weather
when the bacon could be more fully examined
the acting agent should issue to the
Indians full rations Of beef in lieu OF
the bacon. Recently, on tho recommends
OF the interior, third inspector has been ap-
pointed and is now at Pine Ridge engaged in
making an examination Of the bacon and the
Indian ofhce Is awaiting his report