Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-14
THEY USE CHUCK
For Canned Beef in This Chi
cage Packing House.
Claim That Il Is by No Means Worst
Part Of the Carcass.
ia,peclor peyos's Report on Condemned Bee
viii be Hunted Up.

(NhlOQRO. N'''
was made, today. by the government
court of inquiry investigating the beer
controversy. Nearly dozen witnesses
were examined, three of them being IN
spectors of the government bureau OF
animal industry and the rest OF them
employees in various capacities at sew
eral Chicago packing houses. Col.
Davis, recorder of the court stated. to-
night. that he was unable to approx
mate the length of time it would take
TO exhaust the list OF Chicago wit
nesses but it seems likely that two or
three days will be required and pOssi-
bly the entire week before the mem
hers OF the court can leave for Kansas
city.
Edward Tilden, treasurer Of the
Libby, Mcneil 4 Libby Packing
Co. was the first witness call
ed. today, in the army beef investi-
CATION. Referring to the grade of
stock reported in the newspapers as
"canners," he said:
II understand that it refers to a
cheap grade of cattle. but so far as the
packing houses are concerned 1t is
misnomer and does not signify any
thing"
Witness said their aim is to get
uniform class of beef for canning
about 1000 pounds live weight. Gener-
ally the forequarters are used for can
ming.
Major Lee-"Is it not matter of
fact that you can what might be term
ed the inferior part of the forequar-
ters?"
mo, sir. it is a matter of fact that
we can the best part of the forequar-
ters, the chuck"
Is it not fact that chucks were sold
10 the troops at WATERFOWL. N. Y, and
other points for cents pound?'
III they were, somebody must have
been very anxious to dispose of them.
The market price would be about =
cents The chuck is not by any means
the worst part of the carcass; we look
upon 1t as one of the choicest parts.
In fact the forequarter of the carcass
is the only part eaten by an Orthodox
Jew"
Major Lee-"Then the price would
depend upon the number of Jews in
the community"
mo sir, not at ALL"
two grades of roast beef, one grade of
corned beef. A very small amount of
this lower grade was sold to the gov
eminent. The firm sold about 100000
pounds of canned roast beef to the
government in all Witness thought
that the second grade was delivered at
Camp Alger The difference in price
between the two grades was / cent
pound
DR.. George Little. an assistant in
spector of the bureau of animal indus
try, who had been on duty at various
packing houses in the stock yards. tes-
tilted that about one in 500 cattle was
condemned. If the animal was to be
entirely condemned the inspector fol-
lowed it to the rendering tank and saw
it put in. In the case of bruises. the
bruised portions were cut Off and con-
demned.
Meat withdrawn from the tank would
not be suitable for food. Witness Sa1d
he had no knowledge of any beng
withdrawn from the tank nor any rea-
son for suspecting it. He never mad
any occasion to believe or suspect that
chemicals were used for the preserVa-
ton of the beef. He had no jurisdic-
ton as to chemicals.
II beef were rubbed down with cloths
cloths containing boric acid it would
not be a matter within his jurisdiction.
The witness stated that cows had re-
Gently given births to calves were con-
slemned within Il certain length of time.
The limit was nine days after delivery
or up to within a month prior to deliv
cry. A COW carrying n calf seven
months would not be condemned. The
larger portion of the Gamers were
cows.
DR.. O. f. Pyeson, who has been in
spector at the stock yards since 1893
testified that his duties were to look
after the other inspectors and see that
they did their duty. He had Is or &
men to look after and had reported
only two In year for negligence.
He said it would be possible to take
out meat from the tank when once
thrown in. but he did not think it very
probable. The condition of the beef
would not be very inviting. After once
being thrown into the tank the bee
witness thought could not be used fol
food.
Witness said he had no occasion Il
believe or suspect that that practic,
existed in any registered packing house
within the last four or five years. HI
never had any positive evidence o
anything occurring prior to that time
but he was stationed at q house wher'
there were rumors or reports that prob
ably such a thing was done. He hat
no reason himself to suspect anything
OF the sort.
After it was reported he used all tn
vigilance he could. He made no inves
tigation or report with reference to tn
matter. as 1t was outside Of his duty
Some cattle thrown out at the yards
he said. were driven to what are know
as little houses'-houses, that had n
inspection and were killed under tn
supervision of the city inspectors.
DIR. Dyeson said that cattle con
demned at the ante norton examina
ton In the yards for various causes
II they passed the post mortem inspec
ton might be brought into the pack
ing house and used He had neve
seen chemicals Of any kind used excep
boraX and things of that sort aroun
the hog houses. He said that a case q
umpy Jaw does not necessarily con
denim the meat unless the disease
4pneralzed