The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-09
PORTO RIcAN RATIo.s.
Letter from Lieut.. Col. Smith in De-
fenAe of the Beef.

fense of the Beef.
WASHINGTON, Jan. S.-Commissary Cen
eral Eagan, of the army, to-day made pub
lie a letter from Lieutenant Colonel A. l..
Smith, of the subsistence department,
touching the use of refrigerated beef fur
nished to troops in Porto Rico from that
landed at Ponce. In this letter Colonel
Smith says in part: Among others to
whom the refrigerated beef was issued, l
remember the following officers as having
spoken of the immense superiority of it
over the native beef: Major II. +. Biz
mingham, surgeon of the general hospital;
Captain Irvine, Eleventh Infantry. who was
acting as commissary for the steamship
Panama Q think, loaded with GONZALES
cents en- route to the United States; Cap
tain w. z. Evans, commanding battalion,
Nineteenth Infantry; Captain Hoppin, Sec
ond Cavalry, commanding cavalry squad
ron
There were no preparations made for the
receiving and taking care of the beef on
shore. 1t had to be unloaded by lighters
and thrown on the floor of the commissary
storehouse until the troops called for it in
open wagons. 1t was therefore subjected to
the worst possible usage in handling. 1t
was frequently twelve to eighteen hours off
the vessel before being issued. One issue
to Captain Hoppin was over twenty-four
hours in the storehouse. Notwithstanding
this the meat was in good condition, ex-
cept pieces which had not been sufficiently
protected, but could be trimmed off with
some loss / inspected the refrigerator beef
each morning before it was issued, and
know that it was in good condition except
as stated above. Cases where it was re-
jected were / think. due to the prejudice
arising from the appearance when out of
the refrigerator a short time, and TO the
fact that it was known the beef had been a
long time on the vessel in Porto Rican
waters. The officers without exception, to
whom 1 spoke condemned the use of the
native beef, which had to be consumed the
same day it was slaughtered"
Colonel Smith also has the following to
say about rations for the soldiers: II fur
ther beg to call your attention to the fact
that with the exception of soap and candles
for two or three days there was never a
time after my arrival when the main store
house at Ponce could not issue the complete
ration, fresh vegetables not included These
spoiled so rapidly that it was deemed best
to commute the ration of them for several
weeks, and give the troops the money value
to buy other articles. Coarse salt was IS
sued in lieu Of fine on one or two occasions.
Commissary stores had been so unsyste-
matcally unloaded and stored at Ponce
that it was hard to tell what articles were
on hand in the island in sufficient quantity
to provide for the wants of the soldiers.
81 further beg to call your attention to
the receipts filed with my July and August
returns in your office from the commissary
officer of each artillery, cavalry and in
fantry command, which left Port Tampa for
Porto Rico up to Aug. is, with sixty days
rations. These receipts will show that COM
plete rations were furnished to every vessel
with the exception of a small portion of the
fresh vegetables. that it was well known
could not keep sixty days.
Il further state that about 10 a. m. Oct.
TO- on taking leave of General Henry, com
manding United States troops at Ponce, he
requested me, among other things, to say
to the honorable secretary of war on my
arrival in Washington, that the rations fur
nished to the troops in Porto Rico were
abundant in quantity and excellent in
quality"
Colonel Smith was on duty at Ponce from
Aug 25 until Oct. II, when he was ordered
IN Havana