The Van Buren press., 1899-03-25
lrmy Beef seond-l Reaches ST. Louis.

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evening. From St Louis he proceeded
20 Omaha. where he i said to be en-
gagged in obtaining evidence germane to
the points at issue. Friends Of General
Nelson a Miles have taken up the work
in st. Louis started by Colonel Gar
lington.
Some IS or 20 witnesses have been
sounded, and if runors are true their
testimony will prove highly interesting.
Most Of these men are ex-soldiers, who
can testify Of the beef served to their
respective regiments and companies.
Among these prospective witnesses.
who are said to be on the inspector
general 5 list. are NJ E McCarty Of
No. 4446 Laclede avenue. and Louis
Mare, corner Of Sarah and Laclsde
avenues. The former was a member
of Captain Forbes company Of the
Fifth Missouri Infantry, stationed at
Fort Mcpherson. He is butcher by
trade and the son Of meat packer. and
thoroughly eonyersant with the packing
and quality of meat He anhesitating-
ly condemns the quality.of the meat sup
piled the army, declaring that it was
worse than that which Is every day con
demned on the St. Lonis market by the
health officers as unfit for food.
Mr.. Marie served in the First Tnfan-
try in Cuba, and keenly experienced the
privations Of trying to subsist on gov
ernment rations. He afirms that the
canned beef supplied the army was not
only bad. but rotten that many of the
soldiers could not eat it at all. and that
those who did eat it were made sick. As
for himself, his stomach so reyolted at
the diet that he lost his usual robust
health. became weak and emaciated and
finally so sick that he came near dying.
On one occasion. he states that his Of
ficers, in order to give their men taste
of palatable meat, traded off large
quantity Of the canned beef for two lean
old steers, whose meat, when butcher
ed, was considered relish.
Colonel Darlington s visit has already
resulted in bringing to light some sensa-
tlonal developments as to practices in
vogue among St Louis meat packers
and certain class OF butchers 1t
would appear from these revelations
that the Chicago meat packers have not,
by any means. monopoly on the en-
balming process, but that the art of rs
ing embalming fluids on all kinds and
qualities Of meat is well known and ex-
tensively practiced by St. Louis deal
ers.
According to Mr. Weber, West End
butcher, located near Vandeventer and
avenues. all the large packing
houses deal in preserved and embalmed
beef and poultry. The meat, he states,
is Of cheap, inferior grade that, but
for this preserving process, would be
available only as refuse. The liquid
used has the effect of giving to the most
meat fresh, healthy ap-
pearance, and after being treated it is
Of to cheap butchers, who, in
turn. serve it to their trade at prices to
catch the unwary. To embalm beef the
fluid Us injected into the arteries imme-
diately after the animal throat is cut
and while the blood is yet warm and
Beeves can thus be pre-
pared that will keep for an indefinite
time unless subjected to excessive heat
when the meat decomposes rapidly.
Poultry is treated with the liquid after
first removing the blood through hole
in the head and injecting the fluid In
this way. Mr.. Weber states, large
packing house prepares thousands of
chickens each year. They are bought
when the market is low and after being
embalmed are placed in cold storage
until the market rises to satisfactory
price.
Poultry thus treated" continued
Mr.. Weber, has every appearance of
being fresh so long as it is kept on ice,
but butchers who deal in such products
are careful not to expose them to
ordinary temperature for any length of
time, knowing that the carcass will soon
decompose and putrefy. Poultry of
this character, as well as beef can be
bought and sold at prices to tempt those
who are ignorant or who are not par
ticular as to quality of their food. The
former class is to be pitied, for I'M
wholesome food cannot but breed disease
and death. Who knows what per cent
Of our sickness and mortality is due to
this cause2 If the truth was known it
would, | am sure, be startling. EN-
balmed beef is readily detected by
good cook. 1t possesses no juices and.
instead of frying and browning nicely
when put on the skillet, turns almost
white and simply sizzles. Gravy can
not be made from this kind of meat.
Food Adulteratlon.
From the st. Louis Republic
L.