The record-union., 1899-03-12
thing for that beef to last forty-eight
OF seventy-two hDurs?"
sNo eli do r1ot

ina troops In the held. Inc WltHess
was then dismissed.
Lieutenant Colonel H. B. Sharpe was
next called. He was in Camp Thomas
from April 23d until General Brooke
was ordered to Porto Rico, about July
10th, when he was ordered to accom-
pany him as Chief Commissary of the
First Corps After he had told of the
filthy condition of the wagons used for
hauling meat at Chickamauga, the wit
ness was asked:
Had you any reason to believe or
suspect during your stay at Chicka-
manga that the beef had been treated
with preservatives?
No, sir
The witness then explained to the
court how fresh beef was furnished the
troops when they first landed in Porto
Rico. He arrived in Ponce about Au-
gust Sd, and was there about a day
while General Brooke was in consulta-
ton with General Miles. The beef fur
nished the troops at that time was
taken from native cattle which had
been purchased in open market. He
examined the beef in the refrigerator
room Of the Massachusetts, the temper
allure of the room being below zero.
The beef was in perfect condition, and,
as far as he could judge. he had no rea
son to suppose that it had been treated
with a preservative.
'.AIl spoke of the excellent quality of
the beef he said, adding: "a great
many complaints were received from
the troops as to native beef
Tn, ri 20 Ia L,
said he had received no formal COM
plant while in Porto Rico, but he had
been told that it was not very appetite
ing. In some instances the men stated
that they preferred the roast beef to
the native, and, again, others claimed
the native beef was better
DR.. W. r. Devol, Chief Inspector of
the Bureau of Animal Industry, De-
partment of Agriculture, was the next
witness. He described in detail the
system Of Government inspection in the
packing houses. Under the law, the
bureau has Jurisdiction over beef in
tended for export and for interstate
commerce.
The witness was asked: Can any
beef go through Registered packing
house establishment without undergo
ing the supervision of the force under
your control?'
No, sir. Independent of it's ultimate
destination, the carcass is inspected by
our bureau. Beef for canning leaves
our control at the canning rooms; re-
frigerated beef leaves our control at the
loading platform. Animals condemned
al the ante-mortem examination cannot
possibly get into the packing houses
Judging from your visit to the can
ming rooms, what kind of beef was
canned there?"
Il have seen nothing except what was
fit for canning. The Gamer is a class
of animal purchased for that purpose,
thinner than other classes, but good for
canning In point of wholesomeness
and fitness for human food 1 consider
the meat excellent. I have never found
any pfeservatiyes in the water with
which the carcasses are washed. When
an animal is condemned in the ante
mortem examination the shipper stands
the loss and no title to the animal pass
es to the packer Last summer. when
there was great demand for Gamers
the packers Were compelled to purcha Sc
and use for canning many cattle of the
best grades
Major Lee asked: Were you not
sent here in 1894 to investigate the
complaints about the bottomless
tanks %
Yes, sir. The charges as to bottom
less tanks Were not substantiated: the
testimony came principally from dis
charged employees, and was not salts
factory. 1t was, however, pretty well
substantiated that in some packing
houses quarters had been removed from
the top of the tank and sold in this
market. I refer, of course, to con-
demned meat
Subsequently DR.. Devoe said he
wished it distinctly understood that the
firm to which he referred as having sold
condemned beef in 1894 was not Ar
mour & Co., and that so far as he knew,
their business had been conducted hon
estly
Were Instances not common in 1894
of diseased cattle being found in the
shambles?'
NO, sir; not to my knowledge I do
not think there would be possibility
of a carcass condemned for lumpy Jaw
getting into the packing houses. Our
final inspection is made in the cooling
room. We have no jurisdiction after
the postmortem."
The witness stated his only knowledge
of the use of preservatives on dressed
beef was the reading of such expert
ments in the newspapers; he never
knew that it had been put to any prac-
teal use.
General Gillespie asked: '.In transit
would it be possible for anyone to open
the cars for the purpose of chemically
treating the mat?"
Not without breaking the seal of the
car, and that would be a violation of
the law"
By Major Lee: do you wish the
court to understand that beef shipped
by these companies to be supplied to
the troops at Tampa could not be take1,
from the car by anyone except the Gov
eminent Inspector at Tampa?"
We have no Inspector at Tampa;
the cars would doubtless be opened by
the contractor
The labels on the canned roast beef
have no reference to any inspection be-
yond the inspection of the carca
they do not relate to the canning pro-
cess, do they?"
No, sir: that is correct"
Drs. H. G. Paxson, w. A. Bennett
and A. N. Kasper, Assistant Inspectors
Of the Bureau of Animal Industry tes-
titled as to their various duties. Their
testimony was corroborative of that
given by DR.. Devce
The court adjourned until 10 o'clock
Monday morning.
Disastrous Fire in Missouri.
KANSAS. CITY, March ia special
to the Star from Mountain Grove