The morning news., 1898-12-31
ARMY CANNED ROAST BEEF
sANANNAH'S VOLUNTEERS HAD
THEIR SHARE OFT.

They Are Glad to see That Its
WorthlcssneSs Has Been Fro
Dounced by Gen. Miles and Regu-
lar Army Officers Genernuy-Was
Commonly Issued AS Travel Hn-
tions-Gen. Miles SInJ- Have Been
Mistaken in Saying The Fresh
Beef Was "EmbnImed,' aut II DId
Not Taste Risht-Starving Cubans
Now Being Supplied with Uncle
Sans Canned Ronst beef"
The many ex-volunteers Of the war with
Spain resident in Savannah read with in
terest the published reports of the con
demnation by army officers of the "can-
ned roast beef" which was furnished the
army in such liberal quantities. These
reports are the result of an investigation
conducted by the commauder-ln-chlef,
Gen Miles who had already expressed his
condemnation of the article known as
"canned roast beef in no uncertain terms.
The Savannah volunteers are glad to
know that this stuff known as canned
roast beef has at last received official con-
demnation, for the reason that their stom-
achs often suffered from IT, This canned
roast beef has been staple article with
the government ever since the beginning
of the war. 1t was almost as staple as
hardtack and was furnished about as Oft
en-. 1t was almost always furnished for
travel ratons, whether the men were on
march or whether they were being trans
ported from one point TO another. When
the Second Georgia Regiment moved from
Tampa to Huntsville. a three days trip,
this canned roast beef was the chief art
Gle of diet in The meat line.
Not even the much abused bark tack
was more hated by the volunteers than this
canned beef. 1t was usually issued in two
pound cans, and one can was expected to
suffice four men for a meal. As a matter
of fact there was usually a good deal left
as it required a strong stomach and very
hungry one to eat the stuff. The roast
beef, SO called by governmental courtesy
was an unsavory mess Neither by sight
nor smell nor taste could it be told wheth-
er it was beef or pork or Old horse. The
men usually spoke of il as "mule meat" II
was tasteless and without favor. In APP
pearance 1t looked as If the scraps and
refuse of the packing houses had been
compressed and tnen covered with soap
grease.
IL is no wonder that the stomachs of the
men revolted against the stuff Whenever
they had the opportunity they would swap
it off for anything else eatable. 1t was a
common thing when the troops were being
moved across the country to see the men
toss cans of the roast beef from the win
dows to people who asked for souvenirs
When the troops left the trains dozens of
unopened cans would be left on The cars
1t is wei that the condemnation of The
canned beef is pronounced by regular army
officers, as otherwise the complaints
of the volunteers would be attributed to
their unwiihngness to come down 10 army
grub.
Another article Of food frequently is
sued 10 the soldiers which was almost as
much detested as the roast beef was
the canned beans or pork and beans"
as it was supposed TO be- AS a matter of
fact the beans were as unattractive to
appearance and taste as the beef and in
stead of pork there was a covering of
white, tasteless fat at the top of the can.
The beans could be cooked or warmed up,
however, ana a hungry man could manage
to make a meal out Of them.
All Of the large packing houses appear
to have participated in the canned roast
beef iniquity The brands of Armour,
Wilson, Swift and others, were to be seen
on the cans issued to the troops. A lot
OF the stuff, by the way was included in
the shipments of rations to be distributed
to the starving Cubans This is probably
the best disposition that could be made of
it, If the starving Cubans can't eat il
nobody can
This canned roast beef should not be
confounded with the canned corned beef,
which is a staple article on the market.
The latter is so far superior 10 the former
as an article of food that there is no com
parison between the two.
Gen Miles may ehaVe made slip of
the tongue in speaking of ''embalmed'
beef and the Western packers are likely
10 make a point on him there He prob
ably meant refrigerated beef. SO far as
aDpearanCe was concerned, the fresh beef
furnished to the troops at Tampa, Chickd-
rnauga ana elsewhere was as fine as could
be had anywhere 1t was frequently com
mented on by the soldiers, however, that
the beef was fiat and tasteless, and that
IL lacked flavor the men lost their appe
tites and ceased to fa.l in line with a
rush when the dinner cali was sounded.
The tastelcssness and lack of flavor of the
beef was attributed by some to the un-
skillfulness of the cooks. Others thought
it was due to the fact that the beef, after
being kept in refrigerator cars and ware
houses for days and even weeks, was ex-
posed to the heat for several hours before
being used after being issued to the com
panies and that the chemical change re-
sultng from this accounted for the lack
Of flavor It was noticed that occasional
" the beef wonld appear to be very good
while ordinarily 1t seemed TO De lacking in
flavor.
Life-SayinE Dogs.
From the New York World