The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-26
WICHITA IS IN It.
EmbaImed Beef Inquiry Board
Lands a Wichita Product.
DOLD'S SPECIALITY BEST
Stands the Test of Tropical
CIime," Says Gen. Eagan'

The dispatches yesterday morning from
Washington relative 10 the two hours
session Of the court of inquiry inyestisat-
ing the beef charges bore some signlncant
news directly affecting one of Wichita
chief industries. Former Commissary
General Eagan continued his testimony
all of which appeared in Saturday morn
ing's Eagle, and one feature of it was
as follows:
Five thousand pounds of the Dold
meat" responded General Eagan, "a
canned preparation that made a nice
hamburger steak, were sent 1t found It's
way to Porto Rico. was used, and every
body was delighted with il. 1t was very
expensive and was not purchased fur
Their"
An interview with Manager George ?.
DOld of the local branch Of the Jacob Dold
Packing company brought forth some in
teresting facts relative to this matter. as
well as the various processes which the
big packers have adopted in preparing
the much mooted refrigerated beef and
also the canned roast beef. which latter
article has been especially subjected to
roasts in more senses than one.
In the first place the testimony sub
jected by General Eagan relative TO the
only single article which stood the test
as a food product in the army assigned
to tropical conditions was very strong
and to the credit of the article and the
firm producing it. The above excerpt
from General Eagan's testimony was in
the nature of reply to directly put
question by Colonel Davis, which was as
follows:
Were any rations of any kind sent TO
the troops at any time as an expert
ment?"
The reply above given says that no ra-
lions gave such satisfaction as the Dold
single instance failed of the rigid test,
and not only proved the best and most
adaptable commissary article but as stat
ed, everybody was delighted with it,
Now as a matter of fact, this very arti-
Gle was nothing more nor less than the
justly celebrated Dewey Philippine"
brand of the Wichita house ham sau-
sage. The Eagle has before referred TO
the remarkable reputation this one article
has achieved, such firms as THE Fair"
Siegle, Cooper & Co, and Rothschilds. of
Chicago, begging for exclusive sale of it.
This abattoir product is put up by the
Wichita house exclusively in ten-pound
muslin bases, and is carefully prepared
from the choicest cuts of prime finished
beeves and selected pork, and the cutting.
done by especially constructed machinerv
contrived for the sole purpose. Then the
seasoning and mixing is under the charge
of an expert sausage maker from Ger
many, and once hung up in the cooling
rooms and thoroughly cured and chilled
there is no climate this side of Fighting
Bob Evans famous assignment of thu
Spanish which can affect it.
Shortly after the declaration of war by
the federal congress Mr.. ]. c. Dold, man
ager of the Kansas City branch of the
concern, hurriedly left for Washington,
accompanied by Congressman Mason Pc
ters from the Wyandotte district and the
latter presented the big packer in person
to General Eagan. The commandant OF
the commissary department of the United
States troops, who were about to enter a
war with Spain, is a very careful and
conservative man, reserved by nature
from years of experience in this problem
atical profession. How best to feed the
American troops, and that, too, in a eli
mate so greatly different from their ma
tive land as to entirely upset all army
regulations of years standing, was puz-
zler. To feed a lot of almost idle soldiery
at the various western posts and forts is
a simple problem, but to adequately take
care of these same men in a climate torrid
enough to melt an editors heart. was
vastly another thing. Then, too. the presi-
dent himself, the secretary of war. and
the commander in chief all had philan-
thropic and elevated motive in furnishing
our patriotic soldiers with the very best,
and in attempting to do this over-reached
themselves. in that they failed to thor
oughly appreciate the great difficulties in
transporting fresh meats. Bacon. sow
belly and beans, they reasoned were good
enough for Spanish soldiers. but the brave
volunteers of Uncle Sam ought to have
native beef custard pie and prunes
Hence all this unpleasantness following
the war. No one was to blame as all de-
sired the best interests OF the soldiers.
but the experiment was bound to fail ana
from conditions perfectly natural. Cen
eral Eagan listened to the proposition OF
Mr.. J. c. Dold and was at once impressed
with his ingenious and feasible plan. The
proposition was this: To furnish this per-
fectly cured food product. which, by the
way. is a concentrated food. az the rate
OF 50 cents per pound delivered At Tampa
This was accepted with the proviso in
serted in the contract that this article
should be in cans instead Of in cloth
sacks. the usual manner OF putting * UP
for the trade. This was readily accepted.
and the Dold company at once set 10 work
and adopted the plan Of tin cans hermet-
icaily sealed, this to provide for weeks
rations per man. or ABOUT one and a half
pounds per day. which in the concentrated
form, would mean more nuiritive eie-
ments than a whole Kansas SOW could
furnish n her maiden state. The govern
ment was under contract for other meats