Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-03-04
TELL ABOUT THE BEEF.
more witnesses Give Evidence Before
Inquiry Court.
PENNSYLVANIANS TESTIFY.
captain Groom Never Heard of Com.
plants About Canned Il oast Meat.
Colonel Case Thought 1t Was
Very Satisfactory.

Washington March 4.-Captain Groom
of the Philadelphia City troop was the
hrst witness before the beef court of in
quiry. About two weeks out of four
While in Porto Rico his command lived
on canned roast beef. He never heard
any complaints of it from his men,
1T was our food, and we ate it," said
the witness. That's all there was to it.
We never ate it cold. but had it made
into stews with such vegetables as we
could get whenever we could get them"
OF the refrigerator beef Captain
Groom said II was occasionally tainted
on the edges and had to be trimmed;
otherwise it was excellent meat"
Aboard the transport witness had
charge of feeding the men and saw to it
that the meat was drawn at night and
cooked as soon as the galleys We're un-
occupied, thereafter being served to the
men in satisfactory condition. Witness
invalided home four men of his COM
mand and brought back 80 in as good
condition as when they sailed
Colonel j. A. Case of the Fourth Penn
sylvania, who served with General
Brooke in the Porto Rico campaign,
said he had had about six days expert
ence with canned roast beef. At first
the men tried to keep the meat after the
cans We're opened. but it spoiled be-
tween meals.
Satisfactory In Stews.
He ordered the company cooks to
make SteWs of whole can at A time,
and it proved very satisfactory. There
was some complaint over the lean, tough
beef furnished from the native cattle
more complaint, in fact. than from any
other one cause.
Captain A. Nj. Gray of the Sixth Mas
sachusetts. which went to Porto Rico
on the Yale when she carried General
Miles south. said the principal cause OF
complaint among his men was not as tc
the quality Of the ations. but because
they were short in quantity. He sale
the transport went first to Cuba ant
the troops We're aboard longer than had
been expected, so he understood the
men We're put on short rations for feal
there would not be enough to last.
did not the Yale carry provisions II
her cargo aside from the mems trave
tatlOnS. asked CORONER Dd\lS.
~ understand that she did
did you report this state of things
| 20 any higher authority?'
81 reported to my colonel"
WAS there any higher officer OF
board?"
YES. There was the general com
mandine the army"
| While on detached duty on shore wit
ness said his men got hold of one lot o
| very poor canned beef. tWo-thirds O
which was spoiled and the remainde
| OF worse quality than he had seen else
| where.
New Term For the Beef.
Alfred F. Foote of Holyoke. Mass,
| sergeant of the Second Massachusetts:
who served at Santiago, had new ad
jective for the much discussed canine
roast beef He said it tasted "bleached.
Some of it, he said. seemed to be sim
ply boiled to death and the other wa
absolutely putrid Probably one-thir
was spoiled in this way. The men talk
ed the meat over, abused it privatel!
and some declined . eat it. hut the
did not complain to their officers.
His command got comparatively hit
refrigerated beef, most of it spelling bt
fore il could be cooked and failing aftt
il was cooked to keep from dinner
supper
The only time ashore when the reg
ment was very short of ratlons Wa
while digging trenches on San Jua
hill. Here for 4S hours rations 66 me
Of his company received only % ha'
tack in all and half pound OF pace
for each man. The shortage was al
to lack of transportation.
Captain NJ. b. Critchfield OF u
Eighth Ohio, which also served IN u
ba. described the voyage south on u
St. Paul as feast of plenty cornt
, and roast beef being piled up pH u
ton on deck where the men could get
for the taking.