Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-06
THAT BEARDED BEEF AGAIN
Col. Osgood cites One Instance RE-
gsrding the Refrigerator Meas
Used In Camp.

Washington. Jan. 6.-coi. Henry u.
osFood, commissary OF subsistence.
who served at Tampa and at Camp
Thomas and Santiago. was before the
war investigation commission today.
Gen. Beaver asked many questions M
"a the quality OF the rntiona issued
during tho recent war.
In brief. Col. osgood said the rations
throughout the war were M good n
not better than those usually issued 20
the rLular army. The beef. he said,
was particularly good.and better than
any he had ever eaten at an army post.
II waH the first time. he explained.
that no had ever seen the refrigerated
beef Issued Ia the army. and u was
far better than the contract beef he
had generally seen at various posts.
lie said he had had under him butch
OF OF twenty two years experience who
was under ftrlct orders not 10 Issue a
pound Of had beef
Tho government. he said. had u very
good contract with Swift a Co. where
BY they kept n supply Of beef ON hand
In refrigerator ears aud ships. Each
day wl,norH called for what meat he
wanted and the contractor put II out
for II III the meat got 10 the troops.
and T. meat was bad when delivered
II wont back to the contractor. The
contractor made good whatever meat
was rejected.
Col. osPuod explained that there
wore many complaints as a. the APP
pcarnnco OF the meat. II had Ia.
green mould or beard" on the surface.
na had boon explained by other wit
neHHcn This was rcpulsiyc looking.
the witness said. but the meat under.
meath was perfectly sound and was
really prime beef, much better. IN fact.
than any beef killed ON the spot.
witncsG corroborated the testimony
of Mai. Duncan Harrison that after
the men who diHllked the appearance
Of the refrigerated beef had had short
experience with meat on the hoof they
were glad 10 get back TO the American
meat.
Col. oagood cited one instance where
n board OF survey ~ the Second United
states volunteers had condemned lot
~ bees and reported II rotten. The
contractor protested TO Col. Osgood
that the refrigerator beef was good
and brought n steak cut from one OF
the condemned quarters. The steak
was kept twenty-four hours longer on
the lee and then served 10 the mem
beers Of the board that had condemned
Il Trey did not know the antccedonta
OF the meat ana pronounced Il iine.
Gen. Beaver said, "col. Dsgood, ID
has been alleged before this commits
sion. not In sworn testimony. and not
IN way perhaps, To demand any
great attention. but stili II has been
stated that beef sent 10 Santiago was
prepared In some way with chemicals
To preserve n. Can you tell us any
thing on that head or why any one
should use chemicals on meat when ID
was apparently 50 easy 10 preserve Il
In refrlgcratorsT
YES. can tell a good deal about
that. The meat treated In that way
was not the property Of the govern
ment or any OF our contractors. I was
aboard the Comal one day and COL
Weston. chief commlssary, showed me
four quarters OF beef hanging In the
sun, which he said was process beef
II was prepared az the request OF an
inventor named Powell. who claimed
that he had discovered chemical
preparation that would keep meat In
n hot climate without ice. n was pure
~ private experiment. and was not
Issued To the troops, I looked at " and
II seemed to be perfectly good. There
was no mould ON II, nH on the refriger-
ator beef, and II had no smell be-
llcve Col. Watson tasted some OF a..
So far an | know, he was the only
officer who tested H."
Witness did not say what Col. Wat
son thought OF the process beef He
continued; u think Col DAILY saw