Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-03-30
HADATALK WITH EAGAN
Major Black Tells of an Interview
With Ey-Commissary General.
CITES STRONG LANGUAGE,
Says That General Engun S,yore be-
cause the COmInissaries at Ponce
Did Not Want Any Re:ris-
orator Beef.

Washington, March 30.-At the beef
inquiry hearing Major Black, who was
chief comrissary on General Miles
staff during the Porto Rican campaign,
was asked by Major Lee to detail a con-
versation he had with General Pagan.
at that time commissary general, after
his (Elack's) return to Washington last
fall. The statement he made proved to
to be somewhat sensational.
Major Black began by saying: II call
ed upon General IIagan to confer with
him concerning the conduct of our at
fairs at Ponce. He asked me why the
refrigerator beef was not issued at
Ponce, and replied that it was because
the issue commssaries did not want 1t,
as they We're getting native beef There
upon General Eagan became very much
excited and exclaimed:
- - them. They have no right
to refuse it. ! consider it the hest beef
in the United States. and - - them,
I'd have made them take it, "
Major Black also stated that at the
time the Manitoba was on the reef at
Ponce he had some conversation with
General Miles about the vessel, and,
while there was casual reference to the
beef on board. the General seemed prin-
cipally concerned to get the troops and
horses off.
Major Black said he was aware that
telegram had been sent from General
Miles on the I'd Of August requesting
that no more fresh beef he shipped.
When the Manitoba returned after an
absence of ten days at other points the
troops were supplying themselves in the
interior with beef on the hoof. More
over there had been no notice that the
Manitoba was to bring the beef. The
vessel was sent on by General Miles to
other points, where the stores could he
more easily issued to the troops.
Major Black stated that the engineer
| volunteers brought their fresh beef with
them, but that it was spelling when
they arrived. so that it became neces
sary to corn the beef.
Captain Frederick Fl. Pomeroy also
of the volunteer subsistence depart
ment, who was for time Major Blacks
/ assistant at Fan">, gave testimony
| along the same line. At Major Lee
request Captain Pomeroy res ted a con-
tSTbdlItU HllIl 1olOIlHl NIIlJtu, WIZ Was
| for time chief commissary and who
had told him that the beef was guar
| anteed to keep - hours on shore be-
| cause OF process for preserving IT,.
| The colonel had, however, stated that
| he did not know what the process was.
General Eagan was recalled to take
! cognizance of points which have been
| developed since he gave his first testi-
mony.
| He said his principal reason for in
serting in the contracts the clause stip-
ulating that the beef should be good "a
hours after leaving the refrigerator was
| that he did not wish the troops to know
| that the contract called for beef that
would keep p hours for fear that it
would not keep SO long.
Admiral Stewards Evidence.
Rear Admiral Edwin Stewart, pay
master of the navy, who was the first
witness of the day, stated that canned
roast beef was one Of the articles of
food used by the navy and explained in
detail the careful inspection that was
demanded by the department regula-
tons. Occasionally the beef when de-
! livered would be found to be unsatisfac-
tory, and it would then be rejected He
| estimates the average purchases of this
character of food for the navy to be
500 900 pounds per year. the purchases
being made through the New York rep
| resentatives of Armour & Co., Nelson
Morris & Co. and other firms. The
! canned beef was portion OF the regu-
lar navy ration, and very little Of it
was ever condemned.
Major Lee asked the admiral for spec
ifications in the matter Of reflections
but these facts he was unable to give at
the time, though he thought he would
be able to later. Reflections were al
ways due to the fact that the grade OF
the beef offered was not up to the re-
uuirements, the specifications requiring
the best OK beef. The marines at Guam
tanamo were supplied with this beef
There had been no complaint concern
ing it to his knowledge either from the
| marines or from the navy.
Paymaster Henry G. Colby. assistant
chief of the bureau of supplies Of the
navy department. also testified concern
ing the use of canned roast beef in the
navy. He stated that where any ques-
tion arose as to the quality of beef i,
WAS submitted to chemical analysis
The navy had found that the canned
beef kept we'll at sea, and in some cases
II WAS held from year to year.
Mr.. Colby had personally inspected
cans opened In the tropics, but the
quality did not appear to be arecteo
by the heat. The meat was used 10!
making SOUPS and hash and was wei
regarded by the men in the navy. Re
frigerator beef had been used by the
navy only since the beginning OF the
Spanish war. There had been few losses
of this beef. AS an 'llustration he stat
ed that the Celtic had recently arrived
at San Fro ncsco with beef in good con
dition that mad been in refrigerator FOL
eight months