New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-21
nr,1n1lmrn RrEE- AGAIN.

The "emhalmcd beef" question was 'horous"'
f., "dlsnosed Of some time ago. But II per
sis,cnrly and somewhat surprisingly comes ~
lin, front AGAIN. Tho salicyl'c acid found IN re-
federated beef by Surgeon naiy was a'couh'c'
for as coming not from the beef regularly iui'
n,>hcd 10 the Army. hut from one Of Jew car
asses treated In FLORIDA 10y man VITA PAT
ont process which the packing firms Would no'
nsc This man on hi> own account pul 'hN
b,ef on hoard n transport in an endeaNor 10
show what could be done with 1t. and. we were
told Surgeon DAILY had 10y mistake GOT hoid 81
This heef instead Of the regular beef, ana from
,ha, b,undcr the "cmbalmed beef charge had
,urunp This explanation was plausible, ana
doubtless many people believed that the ON
balmed" phase of the inquiry was closed an"
ooked for the explanation Of the Illness OF our
Rooms in tho quality Of the boiled meat sold
\. canned roast beef" rather than In that OF
tho refrigerated beef II was well known that
large quantities OF chemical prcservatives were
,olA in the meat business. and that salicyhc
acid was much used in vegetable and fruit
canning. and It was by many thought not I'M
likely that ii might have been used as an ad-
srional security for meat which was being
,h,nred n tropical climate. Nevertheless, with
Surgeon palv's discovery disposed Of" TO use
General Beavers expression. the packers ap-
neared 10 have their refrigerated beef safely
through It's trouble.
SUNDAYS testimony m Fort Teavcnworth,
however. will no longer permit them 10 con
fine themselves 10 defence OF their boiled
meat. Another charge OF "embalming" must
he faced and an extremely definite one. Ser
reant Edward Mason. Regular, who was regl-
Of no
states Cavalry at Lakeland, Fla. and in the
Cuban campaign. declared that carload of
beef found by him on May 2S or % az Lake
land had been chemically treated and painted
over with something like parafine wax. He
objected 10 the appearance of the meat and
refused TO take st. The agent Of Armour n Co,
the shippers OF the beef assured him that 1t
was all right and that what he thought was
IFS bad appearance was simply due 10 the chem
!cal treatment, saying: That is 'preservatine
That is the chemical we use 10 protect the
"meat-to preserve it," Still the sergeant re
fused 10 take the meat, and the commissary
officer came and also refused to accept it. Scr
geant Mason gives the names OF the commits
stoned officer and others who were present, and
describes the Armour agent that there
should be no difficulty IN identifying him and
making n thorough investigation Of this clew.
lie says that other refrigerated beef AT Lake
land had the same appearance Of parafinc.
though he is cautious about making positive
general statements In regard 10 II, and that
caution gives weight 10 his detailed testimony.
The packers have already sweepingly
denied that they used anything but cold air in
preserving refrigerated beef either for the
Army or the general market. that they have no
recourse but to deny the truth Of Sergeant
Mason's story. 1t is too late now for them to
give any Of the explanations about harmless
coating 20 exclude air used in only r. few
~kes. which might have been accepted al the