The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-06
SOLDIERS DO THE SELLING.
THEY DISPOSE OF PART OF THE
RATIONS GIVEN THEM.


II Pays for Them Are Apparently
BASED on Misunderstanding Of
the Facts-Naj. Ruthers Points Out
The Errors of baltimore Critic.
There has been less selling of army sup
plies IN Savannah, judging from all re-
ports. tnan at any other place where large
bodies Of soldiers nave been camped. Else
where many thousands of pounds Of -four,
/ bacon beans and other commodities sup
piled to the men for food have been dis
posed of 10 the retail or wholesale trade,
either for money or in exchange for other
articles which were desired. While there
has doubtless been some Of this done here,
il has never, it is said, reached the magni-
tude that il did at some other points.
il may surprise many 90 learn that sol
diers can sell their rations. instead of
eating what the government provites for
them Such is the case, though, and out
Of these sales have grown some charges
which are unpleasant reading and not cal
culated TO reflect especial credit on the
system that permits of it.
Mr. Percy Donaldson of Baltimore, pres
ident Of the Numsen Manufacturing Com
oany, has been visiting Jacksonville, sa-
vannah and other points, and on his re-
turn home gave a statement to the Baltl-
more papers which made spicy reading.
although in some vital respects it appears
to be decidedly faulty, Mr.. Donaldson's
information the officers and soldiers state,
not being as accurate as he doubtless inI-
AGNES it to he
Mr.. Donaldson said that while in Savan-
nah he talked with some prominent job
hers and that one of them told him he
had bought from the army 200 barrels Of
vinegar at cents a gallon. Vinegar was
selling al i2 to 16 cents a gallon, and 'ad-
hitting that the government goods were
bought cheaper" Mr.. Donaldson contin-
ued, They could not possibly be sold az
that price without heavy loss"
another iObber, well known in Savan-
nah" he continues, got also from the
army thousands of pounds of bacon at
cents a pound, which he told me he would
have been glad to have bought at cents
a pound ! asked him especially whether
the bacon was good bacon or condemned
He said the bacon was the prettiest he had
ever seen. He simply told me he had got
ten it from che army and had paid cash
for a part and exchanged goods for the
rest. The meat was shipped from the
camps In Jacksonville one Of the lead
ing iobbers stated to me that he had
bought 10000 pounds of bacon at Il cent
a pound, also other goods at ridiculous
prices That the bacon was sold at a ride
ulOus figure was evidenced by the fact
that some of ii was sent by the purchaser
10 Savannah, to Charleston and to New
Orleans, and altogether over s. 900 had
been cleared on the transaction, even af-
ter the purchaser paid freight on the goods
to those points and sod at a low price
himself. This man also bought 100 barrels
of vinegar at cents gallon.
There were numerous other merchants
and iohbers who had made large pur-
chases of army ratiOns in this way One
thing about the matter is the extraordi-
nary quantity of vinegar sold. Consider
ing the quality of food the soldiers were
given they did not need much vinegar.
At one point it was figured out that
enough vinegar was shipped to the camp
to provide each soldier with fifteen gall
Ions Goods were shipped in huge guam
ties without regard to needs, and often
large SURPRISES were received at the camp
which were not needed. This Is the way
in which they were disposed of. The thing
is an open secret in the South. All the
iobbers know of the dealings and have
their own opinions concerning them. oats.
hay and other food for horses have also
been sold at Tidicuously low prices The
names OF the jobbers to whom these sales
were made are known to me but I re-
frain from giving them. as I have no wish
to uselessly reflect upon them. If. how
over. an investigation is made the names
win be forthcoming"
The charges made by Mr.. Donaldson
were brought to the attention of Mai Ruth
ers depot commissary, yesterday. After
reading them carefully Mai Ruthers said:
The gentleman is partly right and
largely wrong He found that there were
supplies which had been bought by the
government at good prices being sold by
some one at very low prices and he did
not take the trouble TO investigate and
find out who it was that did the selling
If he had done so he would have given a
different version of the matter. In two
instances only of those referred to by him
We're goods sold by the government, and
neither of these was at Savannah. Not
one cents worth of army supplies has
been sold by the government at Savannah.
In one of the instances referred to there
was 10000 pounds of bacon sold at the
price mentioned by this gentleman one
half-cent pound. But he overlooked the
fact that when sold 1t was on the way TO
the crematory to be destroyed. Ii had
been condemned and orders We're issued
for its burning. The party who bought il
said that he could make use of il and Of
fer5d one-half-Cent a pound for IL or $3.50
for the entire lot. His offer was accepted
and the stuff turned over TO him. was
afterwards told that the shippers were
picked out OF he meat and At was fumi-
gated or otherwise improved in looks and
odor and shipped 10 Savannah and other
points for distribution among the island
negroes. It is quite probable that the
purchaser did make the amount mention
ed by disposrg Of the condemned meat IN
some such way. We were not aware what
ne proposed doing with it when the offer
was made for il.
"Then there is the other case. OF thou |
sands Of pounds of army bacon being sold |
at cents a pound This was another in
stance where the meat was condemned |
so far as issuing it to the soldiers was |
concerned. II was put up to the highest |
bidder and sold al between and cents /
But these are isolated cases. The sell /
ing which Mr.. Donaldson probably has !
most in mind was that carried on by the |
soldiers themselves He is doubtless not |
aware of the fact that soldiers are allow
cd TO dispose of Shy surplus rations which |
they may have on hand. Such Is the case |