Rock Island Argus., 1899-03-31
WAS WASTE OF TINE
To Eat the Canned Beef Sent TO
the Army Last Year, Says
Major Webb.
M00NsHINE In A MANS MOUTH

Would BE Nutritious, He Adds-wit-
ness Who Saw the "Embaimed" Beef at
| Lakeland, Fla, Corroborates Sergeant
| Mason-Armour's Agent FlstIy Contra
/ diets the Testimony and Disputes q Com
| missary's Memorandum.
| Washington. March 31.-There were
| two original witnesses before the army
| beef inquiry court yesterday and twu
/ former witnesses were recalled. Lieu
| tenant CAMPER, who was coramissary
of subsistence at Lakeland, Fla, and
| Major Creigton Webb who was on Gen.
eral Lawton's staff in Cuba, testified fer
the first time. Colonel Woodruff, of the
commissary department and Mr.. More
house, the Tampa agent for Armour &
Co., who superintended the supply OF
fresh beef to the troops at Lakeland,
were those recalled. Major Webb's tes-
.imony dealt almost entirely with the
ianned roast beef, which he denounced
as useless as an article of food. Lieuten--
ant CAMPER said that representative
of the Armours whom he took to be
Aorehouse had told him that chemicals
we're used to preserve the beef. This
NOrehouse, when recalled, denied.
Gives the Refrigerated a Bad Name.
George A. Gapmfer. who was lieu
Jenant in the First Ohio cavalry during
the Spanish war, occupying the position
ofreSimental commissary while the troops
were camped at Lakeland, Fla. For a
time he occupied the position of brigaCe
commissary. He described the manner
of receiving the fresh beef at the depot
and said it came in on ordinary express
cars wrapped in burlap bagging. Two
sr three total assignments of meat We're
rejected. He stated that much of the
beef had been sour. acrid and bitter and
emitted a disagfeeable odor when the
burlaps were removed. There were
spots of a light greenish hue on the beef
when the bags were removed showing it
to be tainted.
Corroborates 1fason's Testimony.
Camper said that on one occasion
while the agent of Armour & Co. was
present his attention was called to the |
spots and he replied that the beef was
all right, saying" said Campers, the
spots are due to the chemicals we put
or the meat to preserve il and prevent l
its spelling within the sixty hours called |
for by the contract" CAMPER then /
presented a memorandum kept by Cap /
tain Carmichael, his predecessor as
brigade commissary showing that the /
total consignment of meat was rejected |
on the 5th. 9th and 9TH of August, that |
2S2 pounds were refused on the I'd OF |
made on two other days. Gampfer /
thought Morehouse was the agent who l
had spoken of the use of chemicals. The.
had taken place in the
presence of Captain Carmichael (who
committed suicide), and DR.. |
Castle. CAMPER had gotten the i'm |
preston that some kind of liquid COM |
position had been used for CLOSING the |
meat over.
Major Webb's Opinion of the Canned.
Major c. Webb, who was General
Lawton's inspector general, gave testi-
mony concerning the meat issued in the |
Santiago campaign referring especially |
to the canned roast beef. 1T was not 4
food he said. 1T was non-nutritive, |
strirgy, fbrous and had no taste. 1t
looked like the fag ends of beefsteak. 1t
vas like opcE::ng your mouth and let
ting the moon shine in it. 1t was not |
something we didn't want |
and couldn't give way, even to the Gu |
ban troops, who preferred hard bread"
You do not then regard it as a suit
able ration for the army?"
Il do not" Major Webb replied; cit is |
4 weighty thing to carry and it a waste |
IF time to eat it." Major Webb said he |
had found the refrigerator beef general |
y good. though some of it became
outrid in the not climate. He had never |
heard of embalmed beef until he re-
urned north.