The times., 1899-01-10
SWIFT DEFENDS HIS BEEF
A Day Of Delight for the Alger
Relief Board.
THE VIRTUE OF GREEN MOLD

Rnpid Transit Inspection by officials
al the ibnttoirs - Superintendent
Wilder Denies the Use of Chem
icaIs-Lieutenants of .Ie Chicago
Meat Packer Give Their Testimony
George T. Swift. slaughterer and packer,
with five OF his lieutenants, appeared be-
fore the Alger Relief Commission yester-
day and stimulated the commissioners in
their determination to prove that putr
meat is wholesome and that the Ameri-
can soldiers who did not relish this diet
were the victims of defective taste. The
gentlemen who testified yesterday We're
those who slaughtered, packed, sold, and
shipped the beef to the troops, and their
testimony in defense of their wares fe.l
melodiously upon the ears of the legged
investigators. 1t was just the character
of testimony which they had long sought.
Mir. Swift stated with earnestn and pos
itiveness that the beef which he sold TO
the American Government was all right.
He did not testify that he had partaken
of that particular brand which was sent
by him to Porto Rico, This is one OF the
questions which the Algerian relief party
forgot To ask.
An officer who has observed the course
of the investigation said Yesterday after
noon that il was remarkable with what
degree OF ease the commission could bring
witnesses from Chicago, and how dlfticu
1t was for this same commission TO get
a single witness from Porto Rico. The
charge was made that cargoes of beef
sent to Porto Rico were unfit for use.
The charge was made by men who were
in Porto Rico when the beef rea he'd
there. Yet, said this officer, the commits
sioners have not brought a single wit
ness TO the stand who could give any tas-
timony concerning this particular beef.
The country wants TO know, he said, what
kind OF beef was issued as rations to
soldiers in the field, and not what the
condition of cattle is in the stock yards
at Chicago, or what it looks like viii
hanging in the cooling houses of the
Swift packing plant in the Windy City.
The first witness to take the stand was
Frederick W Wilder. general superin-
tendent for Swift & Co. He explained
that his duty is to supervise all the de-
partments of the plant He told the
commissioners in close detail how the
cattle we're purchased at the stockyards
from commission men. These cattle were
then driven across the stockyard scales
and weighed to the buyer. In their
transit across the scales an agent of the
ment OF Agriculture inspected them. keep
ing Il particularly shrewd eye for that
contagious disease popularly known as
iumpy jaw. The animals were driven
to the abattoir watered fed, rested over
night and killed the next day.
An agent of the Department Of Agricul
ture made a post mortem examination of
the animals at the rate OF one hundred
and twenty an hour. In half a minute
this agent closely examined the lungs,
liver kidneys. intestines and general ap-
pearance of the dead beast.
Commissioner Connor thought this eX-
animation somewhat too cursory, but, on
the whole the commission expressed itself
as well pleased with the showing. II
the animal were condemned as having tu
berculolsis or for being otherwise unfit
for human food, the carcass was tanked
and converted into grease and fertilizer.
I The other caTcasses. having been washed
with hot water, were run into the re-
frigerating room and in about twenty
four or forty eight hours were slowed in
refrigerator cars for shipment to distant
points.
The witness said that no chemicals were
used in the preparation of the meat for
the market. To embalm beef would in
iure the meat. He described the green
mold which forms on refrigerated beef
and declared that this improved it. This
mold indicated that the meat was ripe"
or was properly aged.
Edwin Buckingham. shipping clerk for
Swift & Co, testified that all the beef sold
to the American Government during the
war with Spain. was OF good quality
and was in prime condition when he packed
il in the refrigerator cars at Chicago. He
believed that ii was in good condition also
when it reached Porto Rico.
John J. Murphy. superintendent Of re
frigerator cars for Swift d Co, testified
that the cars We're in excellent condition
when they left Chicago. He said that he
had personally superintended the trans
shipment of beef to the transports Massa-
chusetts. Manitoba and Mississippi The
meat. though it was concealed In cheese
cloth sacks, was. in his opinion all right
and he believed that any objection to il
was unjust.
Horace c. Gardner. manager OF cOnstruc-
tion and mechanical departments for Swift
& Co. was the next witness. He testified
that by request of the commssary general
he had inspected number of ships in New
| York harbor, which were to be used as
transports He examined the Port Victor
the Celtic King, OLDHAM. massachusetts,
Mobile, Panama Mohawk. Michigan. Mani
toba, ROumania and others. Each ship
in which refrigerated meat was transported
was equipped with a refrigeratng plant
and this plant was in charge of an engineer
in the employ of Swift d co. When asked
where he refrigerator engineer Of the
Manitoba was. the witness answered that
he is at present in Liverpool.
Charles Z. Barry, travelling salesman for
Swift d Co, testified that he concluded the
contracts with the Government for the pur-
chase OF the beef but he had no knowledge
of the quality of the meat itself
The last witness was Mr.. Swift. AT the
request of the commission he described the
methods employed in his business. He de-
scribed how cattle were bought and killed
The gist of his testimony was. as might be
expected. that he did not sell bad beef to
the Government and that the beef which
he did sell was not embalmed.
His evidence gave great hope to the COM
mission.
REPORT OF ALGER BOARD.