Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-30

celyed on the ho0f and at marv d.
inland native beef was. Cant p,. Yo'nss
said. still being delivered. oy
IT Major Lees request, Cant po.
erOy related conversation win ~.
smith. who was for time chief oc's ~
missary, and who had told him ~.
the beef was guaranteed TO ke.,, -
hours on shore, because OF a procsss =. =
preserving 1t. The colonel had ~ ~
ever. stated that he did not knov -.
The process was.
capt. Pomery said that he had hs,a
led 10000 pounds Of canned roast ~
while depot co:nmissary but haA go.
cnilculty In getting the men to tau. 4.
They complained he said. "th..
inns beef was repulsive In appeararcs
uhappetizing. tasteless and not nutr,'
tious' ''
Not to exceed 10 per cent. of n va.
taken and when the men did accen, /,
they generally threw Il awav nv.
tried to sell this canned beef IN the =.
yves and succeeded for a time hut M,
lohe. AS matter Of fact the canned
roast Deer and also the canned boiled
Deer sent TO Ponce was OF very little
Vaiue. The men complained that the
meat made them sick He also mon
TONED q preserved meat secured from
Kansas city which he said the troop.
liked This meat was not cooked. but
ne did not know the process for its
preservation.
capt. Pomeroy said that the native
Deer only gave fair satisfaction and
that 1t was not as good as the refrie.
Grated beef under the most favorahIe
circumstances.
| Major Black was recalled at the in.
| stance OF Major Lee and asked to give.
| details OF conversation he had had
with Gen. Eagan.
II called upon General Eaean" Maior
| Black said, ito confer with him concern
ing the conduct of our affairs at Ponce.
lie asked me why the refrigerator beef
was not issued at Ponce, and l replied
| that 1t was because the issue commissary
did not want 1t. as they were getting ma
| i've beef Thereupon Gen. Eagan became
very much excited and exclaimed:
God damn them, they have no right
to refuse you. consider 1t the best beef
In the United States and. God damn. ia
have made them take it,"
Major Black also stated that at the
Time the Manitoba was on the reef he had
some conversation with Gen. Miles about
the vessel, and while there was casual
reference TO the beef on board the gen.
eral seemed principally concerned to get
the troops and horses of.
The afternoon session began with Gen.
ChaS p Eacan late coumicsarv xou..ot
of the United States army. on the stand.
He was recalled to take cognizance of
points which have been developed since
he gave his first testimony. Gen. Eagan
said that he had conversations with the
representatives of Swift Co. prior to
the letting of the beef contracts, but as
he had also talked with others on the
same subject, he could not recall the de-
tails of his remarks. He remembered
that Mr.. Swift had taken exception to
some of the terms of the first draft Of the
contract as being very harsh.
Explaining his plans in general Gel.
Eagan said 1t was his first intention to
take refrigerated beef, thei in case of
failure. to take beef on the block, and
last, for the government to have it's own
herd. Everybody. he thought, understood
that his preference was for refrigerated
beef, which naturally received the con.
tract.
Gen. Eagan said that the matter Of sup
plying the army with beef was considered
from the beginning very serious prob
lem. He had first thought of having
ships ply up and down the Cuban shore
and it was with tnis in view that he de-
cile1 n Sl fnr hoo hat -,
hours. He had also fcl, that there would
be difficulty in landing ii: Santiago Ills
reason for inserting in the con-
tract the clause STIMULATING that the beef
should be good q hours after leaving tn.
refrigerator was that he did not wish the
troops to know that the contract called
for beef that would keep y hours for fear
that 1t would not keep long.
When crOss-examined by Major Lee,
Gen. Eagan said he exercised his own
discretion in the letting of contracts
without suggestion from the secretary
of war. When the lowest bid was as
certained he had been in the habit of
making an abstract Of the facts and
submitting it to the secretary.
The general said that in providing for
the soldiers in the tropics he had acted
upon his experience at Fort Mojave.
Ariz He was convinced that beef
cooked before the animal heat was out
of it, was positively injurious. He re-
called his conversation with Mr.. Gard
ner of Swift 4 Co., who. he said. had
assured him that with proper care re-
frigerator beef could be kept for ~
hours. He was however. doubtful of
the care the army would give 1t il it
was known the beef would keep 7s
hours hence his agreement to the in
sertion of the 24-hour clause sou
Ibid you understand 1t was to keep
in good condition y hours after being
taken from the ship refrigerator" ask
ed Major Lee.
Yes. sir. that was the understand
ing." Gen. Eagan responded.
Here he again referred to the 24-hour
clause. explaining that his whole idea
was that there should be a 72-hour
time limit though the contract should
state it at ~ hours. The retention so
strongly of the 12-hour idea in his
mind explained his forgetfulness of the 4
.4-hour clause in giving his testimony
on a previous occasion and his state
he tvs W.