The record-union., 1899-04-01

that the nutritive qualities of the beer
were extracted in boiling, and my per-
sonal opinion is that as food 1T was OF
a low order Of nutrftive value. 1t was
a very trying food unless eaten with
the eyes shut
THE roast feature of it, he added,
was all in the label-not in the can.
He had been unable to trace any spe-
cial disease to the food, but he thought
that the use of, the canned beef would
tend to weaken the men and cause as
ease. Upon the whole, he would not
advise the use of beef for food in the
tropics and he thought the bacon ra-
ton would have been better.
The refrigerator beef DR.. Pope pro-
nounced good. The troops had been
compelled to trim off spoiled parts, but
after this was done and the meat nice
ly cooked it was very palatable ana
nutritious. Most of the canned beer
used at Santiago bore the label OF lhe
Wilson Packing Company.
Major Lagrade, in command OF the
reserve hospital at Siboney, stated that
the canned beef had been furnished at
his table. at the hospital and to the
patients.
II was not especially fond of it, he
said, ''but, as a substitute, it took the
place of fresh beef When we coulo
cook it with vegetables it was far more
palatable than otherwise. The patients
in the hospital used the canned meat
regularly, and there was no especial
complaint about it, There was conslo-
erable diarrhea, however, and l pre-
sumo much of this was due to the use
of this and other meats. Ihe ratlon
contained more meat than it shoulo
have contained for food in the climate.
Captain Ashton B. Heyl, CHIEF sur
geon of the Rough Riders brigade III
the Santiago campaign, the hfSt VII
ness at the afternoon session, testllleu
to being made violently sick ON three
different occasions by eating canHeu
roast beef, and on one occasion seVerai
others who spartook of the meat Will
him also became very i'll. Soon aIuer
this experience he had found a piece
of bacon lying by the roadside. Inns
he had taken up, cleaned ana cookeo'
and had found it very palatable. 1hlS
meat had not caused any inconvenience.
The beef had occasioned vomiting on
each occasion.
The surgeon of the Tenth Cavalry
had reported similar experiences among
the men of that regiment as result
of eating the canned beef. others hau
eaten it without apparent i'll erect
The beef was tough, stringy, tasteless
and devoid of nutrition, and DR.. Heyi
thought it's use had promoted disease
in the army.
At this point the line of surgeons I'M
der examination was broken in upon
by the introduction of George H. oiu-
dings of San Antonio, Tex, VINO nau
put in bid for supply of beef LOT
Cuba on the hoof.
Tn reply to a request from MAJOR
Lee Mr.. Giddings detailed the particu-
lars of various interviews with General
F,a gan concerning the letting OF the
contract for beef. His first conversation
had related to the specifications Ior
bids. at which Mr. Giddings had called
attention to the fact that they We're
vague General Eagan had then SAID
that the specifications were necessarily
vague as he could not at that tl1ne
give any specific information. General
IA gan had at that time said his pref
erence would be for refrigerator beef, II
he had any confidence in it; but he ala
not think the refrigerator beef couid
he made available in the Cuban climate.
81 had been in Cuba about this time
mvself" said the witness. and agreed
with him that it would be Impossible
to keep the refrigerator beer IN thas
climate without refrigerators
Mr. Giddines then told of his visit to
the Commissary General on the lst Oh
Julv when the latter told him that the
Secretary of War had sent for him the
1ol coi6
to the difference in price they had bet
ter give the refrigerator beef trial.
and that he would have to do this
Il then asked General Eagan II ne
had any confidence in the proposition,
and he replied that he had very nttle'
but that the refrigerator mei- were pre-
pared to give bond to keep the peel
good for seventy-two hours after leav-
ing the refrigerators. He also stated
that they had a preserving process py
which they were able to keep the beef
in condition, but he said that II there
was dissatisfaction after the contract
went into effect he would upset 1T and
give the Texas cattlemen a chance
Mr. Giddings then proposed to make
a proposition to keep his combination
of cattlemen together for the purpose
of taking the contract IN tne eIIlel-
gency indicated, and this he did. He
produced a copy of this document. HE
had represented, he said, that the COM
bination was fully capable of carrying
the contract into effect
Mr. Giddings said in reply to a ques-
ton by Major Lee that General Eagan
had told him that when he was an
officer in the field he always drove his
beef with him on foot, and that he
(Eagan) thought this the proper way
to supply beef for the army.
Repeating his interview with Secre
tary Alger General Eagan had said,
according to Mr.. Giddings:
well, the Secretary sent for me last
night, and told me that there was so
much difference in price that we should
give the refrigerator beef a trial.
Did he order you to do that?' I
asked.
NO he replied. but his wish
amounts to an order General Eagan
then repeated his want of confidence,
and reiterated that if the beef did not
<I,n