The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-15
Purchase of Canned Roast Beef For
the Army.
RESPONSIBILITY. FIXED
ORDERS CAME FROM THE COM
MISSARY GENERAL
Some of the Beef Was Bought By
Eagan Himself - Purchased BY
Sample and Never Inspected-Ea-
gan's Misstatements Concerning
the Refrigerated Beef Contract.

Chicago, March i4-Colonel Q. n.
Smith. purchasing agent of the govern
ment at Chicago since 1885, testified to-
day before the government court Of in
quiry that the stores Of canned roast
beef bought by him during the Spanish
war were ali upon the direct order of
General Eagan. the commissary gen
eral. He also stated that some pur-
chases of canned beef were made with
out his knowledge by the conlmissary
general.
Another Of the days important Wit
nesses was Gustavus +. Swift. head of
the packing house of Swift & Co. Good
PROGRESS was made by the court today,
but the end of the list of witnesses to
be examined in Chicago is not yet in
sight.
Captain Homer T. Aspinwali, assist
ant quartermaster and acting commits
sary Of volunteers during the Spanish
war In command Of the transport Mani
toba, testified that he took on board at
Newport News l. 755 quarters OF refrig-
Grated beet II arrived in good condl-
ton and gave satisfaction TO the
troops.
q remained at Miowa until Septem-
Der Z and then was ordered TO take
some troops to New York.
The witness stated he had approx
mately on board when he left Newport
News 100000 pounds Of meat. About
$4,000 POUNDS were issued
by whose orders did you make the
voyage to New York;
4 received my order from the depot
quartermaster.
Was it known to him that there was
I'D rana fsr7q
issued?'
Eyes, sir"
The witness stated that when the
Manitoba sailed for New York, Sept. Z,
The beef was in good condition. He had
used some Of it for his own and the
officers table during the voyage"
What was done with the beef?'
al reported its condition to the depot
commissary, Colonel Woodruff, and a
board of survey was subsequently, APP
pointed. There was sone argument
about the ownership Of the meat,~but
the board proceeded in the regular way
ana made their report. / applied TO
the chairman for copy OF the pro-
ceedfngs and he told me the proceed
ings had been stopped. But l obtained
a copy and learned from it that the
beef had been condemned and ordered
disposed OF. In about ten days
lighter came alongside the ship and
took the beef away. l received a tele-
gram from MIR. Barry OF Washington,
who. I understood, was a representative
of Swift & Co, TO deliver it to the
lighter"
did you have any occasion to sus-
pect that the beef had been treated with
a preservative?"
mo. sir.
CONTRACT WITH EAGAN.
The recorder then called Gustavus F.
Swift, president of Swift q Co. he
testified to two contracts entered into
by his company and the United States
government with reference to the sup
rlving Of refrigerated beef TO the
troops in Cuba and Porto Rico.
by whom were those contracts made
on the part of the United statesY'
asked Colonel Davis.
by General tlagan. Advertisements
We're issued and proposals received IN
the usual form. We agreed to be re
sponsible for the beef keeping twenty
four hours from issue. supposed
there would be reasonable protection,
as for any other commodity. Nhen
NE deal in beef. We deal in q perish
able article. 1t certainly should be
protected from the tropical sun.
IN the preparation of your refriger-
ated beef. what agent DO yen rely upon
as = preventative?
.'Refrigerated air; nothing else
Have you used at any time in con-
nection WITH the preservation OF re-
frigerated beef any chemical preserva-
tive OF any kind ??
no, sir
Mir. swift was questioned at length
as to his Interpretation of his firm 5
contract with the government, ana thlS
questioning developed a marked dit !
ference OF opinion between 1lr. swift
and former Commissary General Ila-
gan as 10 the length OF time the beef I
was guaranteed 10 keep after being
removed from the refrigerator ship.
General Eagan had testified that the
beef was to keep, under normal condi-
tons. remaining sweet ana proper IOod, 4
sererty-tNo hours after it left the re-
frigerator ship. Mr.. Swift maintained +
that his firm had contracted TO furnish I
beef thai would keep seventy-two ,
hours ia the retrgerltorS ashore aIter 4
IT'S delivery from the refrigerator SHIPS, I
or tWcHty-four hours after being is I
sued from the refrigerator buildings on (
shore. and he maintained that the con- 4
tractors were not liable for meat con- 4
denneG after having oeen seVenty-tWo |
hours away from the snip. Where 4
there were no refrigerators on shore, /
he maintained that the contractors
liability ceased after twenty-four !
hours.
The next witness was Horace c. I
Gardner. the manager OF the construc- (
ti0a and mechanical department Of
Swift & Co. He repeated the incl (
dents attending The closing of the con- I
tract between Swift & Co. and General !
Eagan.
What conversation was there as to I
the application Of your practice OF /
keeping meat in Cuba and Porto Rico .
as to refrigerator plants?" he was /
asked. (
IL told him it would be necessary, to /
meet the eNigencies OF that climate, to 4
erect refrigerator on shore; thst did !
not think it would be safe in any other f.
way. but that SO Tar as treating beef (
with any process with chemicals TO I
preserve it, We would not do ii at all; I
that il we could aot get the business
and do II according TO our regular
process Of refrigeration, we would not
take it,"
Jesse Sherwood. a commission man al
the stock yards. said the term can
ncrsr VAS n misnomer. II a canning
house bough, cattle, the cattle We're
called "canne~s but if a dressed beef
mousse bought the same cattle, they
would not be termed Gamers.
Major Lee tried TO show from the
Witness that the lowest grade OF cattle
were used for canning. but the witness
would not make any such admission.
GENERAL EAGAN'S ORDERS.
Colonel o. N Smith. who has been
the purchasing conlmissary of the gov
egnrlent at Chicago since 1895, WAS the
next witness. lie said he purchased
between May and July 10. 1898, ?. 1922
pounds o. canned roast beef. The or
ders for purchase came from the conf
raissary general in every case.
AT the request OF Colonel Davis, the
witness produced copies of orders He
said the orders were all rush orders.