Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-04
EAGAN'S LETTERS
Regarding Methods Of Put
ting Up Beef Published.
Big Meat Packing Houses Explain
Their Methods Of Packing.
Letters Relating 70 Gsa. Miles Alleged Crit.
cism o. Beef Also Published.

Washington. Jan. S.-Commissary
Gen. Egan has been steadily prosecu-
ting the inquiry. into methods followed
by the beef packing houses of putting
up the meats supplied to the army dur
ing the war. Last week, he made pub
lie formal statement from the Ar
mour Company, and, today, he gave
out for publication letters addressed
to Lieutenant o. M. Smith, purchasing
commissary at Chicago which came
from all save one of the first firms
which supplied the army meat, either
refrigerated or canned. The following
was sent by Swift & Co, Chicago:
Replying to your letter of the q
inst, We wish to state that we do not
put up timed beef, and therefore are
not able to answer your interrogatons
with regard to the timed beef We are
slaughterers and shippers of refrige-
rated beef and in all of our experience
have never used any chemicals whatso-
ever with refrigerated beef. We have
made shipments Of refrigerated beef
to Santiago, Cuba and Porto Rico and
have supplied the United States army
during the month of December in the
follc wing places:
Admission and Huntsville. Ala, Knox
vile, Tenn. Savannah and Augusta,
Ga, and Greenville, Somerville and
Columbia, S. c. The beef shipped to
Santiago Cuba and Porto Rico, and to
various United States camps has been
handled exactly the same way as that
used to supply our various branch
houses and different cities and towns
in the United States and England,
with which one can become familiar
by visiting our branch houses and
slaughtering plants"
Libby, Mcneil and Lusby of Chi
cago, wrote:
In reply to your letter of the 9th
inst, in regard to roast beef. we COM
menced packing it Is years ago. 1t is
sold by all wholesale grocers and re-
tailers and used by the mass of peo-
pie and especially in mining camps.
In cooking the beef before putting into
cans there is naturally more or less
juice that comes from the meat the
same as there Is when cooking at your
home, which is sometimes saved and
used in making soups. The beef is not
cooked for the extract. In regard TO
the cooking of roast beef. we consider
it cooked as much as corned beef to
make it tender, the same as corned
beef. but it is done under higher de-
gree of heat and consequently does not
take as long to cook it"
Nelson, Morris & Co., through their
secretary. w. F. Burrows, also denied
that there was any unhealthy ingredi-
ents in the preparation of the food.
Commissary General Egan. this at
ternoon, gave out for publication addi-
tional correspondence relative to crlti-
cisms passed by Gen. Miles upon the
quality of the meat supplied to the
army during the war.
First is a Letter from Maj. Black. who
was Gen. Miles chief commissary Of
ficer during the Porto Rican campaign
In view of the regulations forbiddlns
the destruction or condemnation OF any
supplies except upon the finding of
Droperly constituted board of survey,
he was asked as to the correctness OF
statement attributed to Gen. Miles that
100. 900 pounds of canned beef had been
condemned in Porto Rico. His reply
was, as follows:
.Replying to your communication or
Dec. 81. relative to boards Of survey,
I have the honor to state that find 10
report of boards of survey on refrlger-
ated beef or timed roast beef among
my papers"
Following up the inquiry into the al
Legations against the quality of the
roa4t beef furnished the army, Gen.
Egan says he directed special exam
ination to be made of ell the meat the
minute he heard teh first complaint.
The first report to come to hand was
the following:
office Purchasing and Depot Commits
sary Tampa, Fla. Dec. 81, 1898.
.CeApmissary General Egan, Washing
ton, .. c.:
''Sir-It has just occurred to me that
with the intensely unjust things that
have been said about the beef business
connected with the commissary gen.
erals department. it might be graft
flying to you to remember that, unde,
yout direction. examined very large
nppfber of cans of beef, both roast and
corned. representing hundreds of thou
sands of cans, and found none bad
You will remember that 1 did this witt
agfeat deal of care and it occurred to
ME that inasmuch as l went through
the war of '61-65 from beginning to END
andissued this kind OF beef to both brig
AIDES, that was connected with in this
wal dISt lidNIlS IlduC LHlS cNdiuiIet-
tion as referred to. it would be crafty
ing to you to personally know that
have never seen in this somewhat ex
tended experience better beef in cal
than you have furnished. 1 trust 20,
Will pardon this seeming intrusion. bu
cannot refrain from testifying. from
personal knowledge. as to the goo.
quality Of this beef.
.Fia'.1 am very respectfully yours.
E L. r. HUTCHINS.
Captain and c. s., U. s. ". Purchas
ing and Depot Commissary."
The last Of the letters relate to tn
issue raised between Gen. Miles an
Gen, Egan as to the authorship of
certain newspaper criticism upon tn
army supplies and includes Ger
EgAn's letter and Gen. Miles reply. a
foIlcws
The adjutant General OF the Army:
= "General-I enclose herewith an arti
;, Gle from the New York Journal date
New York. Friday. Dec. 90. 1898. head
ed: Miles Makes Grave Charge
against the Administration. Poison
Used in Beef Made the Soldiers II
Tons of Fad Meat Semitic Troops i