Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-03-01
CLARKECOURIER
Is Alger at Bay?
From Richmond Times.

cornered. Ii begins to look as if the
truth about the beef contracts would
be brought out. L, is true the Court
of Inquiry now beginning its sessions
is composed of officers of the army
who are the Secretary of Wars sub
ordlnates and whose meat and bread
depend In large measure upon him.
but they are officers of the regular
army and the swords and uniforms
of these give sanction that no other
official conduct under our govern
ment possesses. They may be over
awed, but we shall experience a most
painful surprise if they fail in their
duty
General Miles has deposited with
the War Department for the use of
this Court of Inquiry the document
AIRY evidence that he has collected in
regard TO the beef served the army
during the Spanish war and the New
York World of Sunday last publishes
IA sort of digest of it. We quote Ito
orally this morning from that digest.
The statements treat of the "em.
balmed'' beef and the canned beef
and, in the words of General Miles
they furnish overwhelming evil
dence" of the truth of his charges
that the beef was not fit for use. We
quote from the World as follows:
c. W. Stokes, No. Ill Broadway,
New York, writes that his duties for
two years kept him opposite the
slaughterhOuses of the Eastern Beef
Company. During that time" writes
Mr.. Stokes, Il saw thousands of sick.
aged and repulsive looking animals
driven in for slaughter. Such cattle
as you saw mired in the sloughs on
the plains or dying of disease by the
roadside were killed almost daily.
Such beef was boiled and canned as
corned and fresh beef. Some of the
choice Northwestern was shipped to
England, but that utterly unfit for
food was canned"
The entire mass of letters, reports
and affidavits shOrn of the verbiage
would make TWO pages of the World.
Following are some of the strouaest
passages, in all cases in the language
of the original:
Lieut-Col. Miner, Sixth Infantry
The meat was utterly unfit
for sick or we'll. 1t turned the stom-
achs of men who tried to eat it.
Col. Powell, Ninth Infantry-Pro-
duced disOrdered stomachs s.
soon became putrid and, in many
cases, was found in course of putri-
faction when opened.
Major Humphreys. Twelfth Infan-
try-"Nasty' is the only term. & =
Produced diarrhoea aud dysentery.
Col. A. T. Smith, Thirteenth In
fantry-Unfit to issue to troops.
Major O'Brien, Seventeenth Infan-
try-Nauseating and unfit for use.
Major Van Horn, Twenty second
Manipulating more than refuse
after various kinds of soups had been
extracted from it.
Major jackson, Third Cavalry
Nauseatng to large majority of the
men.
Col. Haskin, Second Artillery
Soft, watery and insipid. Men could
be induced to eat it only when it was
prepared as a stew.
Brig. Gen. Viele, First Cavalry
Miserable apology for food in hot
climate. Slimy-looking mass of beef
scraps. Unpalatable and repulsive
to the sight.
-, Ninth Cavalry-Men only
eat 1t when they have nothing else.
Major Thompson, Twenty fourth
lnfantry-Men disguised; would not
eat it.
The above are taken from the re-
ports of regimental officers and relate
chiefly to the so called canned beef"
which is elsewhere described as "the
fibre of the meat after the much ad-
vertiSed extracts have been pressed
out and some fat or tallow poured
upon the remaining mass"
Following are excerpts from eigh-
ty-eight letters written by officers, en-
listed men and civilians, touching
both the canned" and the "embalm-
ed" beef:
Major A. II. Bowman, Second |
| nifaH Stotao Info,t.,- I'D oo...~- -.