The Facts Is The Case Of The Great Beef Contract

[Mark TWAOt, Id his "Agricultural I)epartment" n the Oalaxy, tclls thu followng capital story of liovv things are done at Washington :] In as few words as possible I wish to [ay beforo tho nation wbat sbare, howsoever sm], I have had in this matter - this matter wbich hos so esercised the public rnind, engendered eo mueh ll-fueling, and so fillcd tbe newspapers af both oontinrnls with distorted statements aod extiavügnnt comments. The origia of this distressful thine was this - and I assert bere that every Fact in the following resume eau be ampl y provt d bj the official records of tbe General Guvcrnment : John Wilson Mackcnzie, of Rotterdam, Chcmung couuty, New Jereey, deceased, contractcd witb the General Govorament, on or about tho lOth day of October, 1861, to furaish to General Öhermao tho sum lotnl of thirty barrels of beef. Very well. He started after Shcrman with the beef, but wbeo he got to Washington Sherman had gODO to Manassas; bo he took the beef aud followed hiin there, but arrived too late ; bc followed bim to Naebville, and from Nashville lo Chattanooga, and from Chattanooga to Atlanta - but he never could overtake him. At Atlanta be took frcsli start and followed him clear through bis March to the sea. He arrived too late again by r ew days, but hearing that Sherman was going out in the Quaker City excursión to the Holy Land, he took shipping for Beirut, calculating to liead off the other vessel - When ho arrived. in Jerusaleei with his beef, he learned that Sherm&u had not sailed in lbo Quaker City, but bad gono to the Plaius to fight the Indians. He returned to America and etarted for the Eocky Mouutains. Afler eighteeu dnys of ardnous travel on the Plains, and when he had got witliin four miles of Sherman's headqDartcrs, be was tomahawked and scalped, and the Indians got the beef. They got all of it but no barrel. ShermarTs army captured liat, and so, even in death, the bold navgator pnrtly lulfiiled his contract. In iis will, which he had kept liko a joural, he bequeathod the contract to nis on Baitholoruew W. Bartholomew W. nu! e out the fulluwiog bill and thcn ied : 'iie Uxited States n acct. wltb John Wilson Mackcnzie, of New Jersey, deceased, Dr. To thirty bbls. ol" beef for General Bherman, a $100 $3,000 To traveling expenses and transpoitation 14,000 Total $17,000 Rec'd Pay't. He dierl then; but be left tho conract to Wm. J. Martin, who tricd to collect it, but died bofore ho got throuh. Ue left il to B'irkor J. Allen, and he tried to collect il also. He ('id DOt survive. Barker J. Allen left it to Anson J. Rogers, who atlempted to collect it, and gotulongas far as the Ninth Auditoi's oöice, when Death, the great Leveller, came all unsumnioncd, and foreclosed ou kim olso. Ho left tho bill to a relativo of his in Connecticut, Vengeance Hopkir.s by name, who lastcd i'our treeka ;u;J two dajs, and made tin; best time on record, coming within onc of reachiog "the Twcltth Auditor. In his will he gave tho contract bill to hi únele, by tlie Dsme of O-be joyful JohnBODi t was too andernaioiog for Juyful. His last words were : "Weep not fur me- om willing to go." And so he wus, po#r soul. beven peoplo iiiiierted tho cotitract afler that. Uut thev all Uied. So it carne iuto my lianas at last. It feil to me ilircugh a relativo by the name of Ilubbard - Beihlebem Hubbard, of IiHÜaua. Ho b d :i grudgo agaiust mo for a long t'me; bnt in his last u:omeut ho s;:nt for n;e, and furgave me everythiüg, and weeping gavo me tl. e beef coutract. TLis titds tl, e history of t up to the liüio thnt I sucetedcd to tbc propeity. ï V.Ü1 uow endeavor to set ïisyi-eH straight before the nsiticn n everytliiug tli.it eonoeroa mj sbare in tho matter - l look this beef contract, and tho bi'l for mileago and tnmsportation, to tlic Prfsidcnt of lbo L'uited Síatis. lie i sitiJ : "Well, Sir, wbat can I do for jou ?" ! I said : "Sire : On or about tho 20th day of üctober, 18C1, John Wilsou Mae ) kenzic, of llotterdani, Cbemung eoutity, New Jersey, dcceasod, coutracteJ witli the General Goverumeut to furnish to General Sheniuin tlio sutn total of thirty barrels of beef - " He stopped me there, and dismisscd me froin In e - kindly, Lut fi.my. The iKst di v I oalld en the Secretar; of State. He suid : "Well, Sif?" I fiaid : "Yoi;r Royal Ilighne&s: On or about tbe lOtb day of Octobcr, 1SG1 John Wilson Mackt uzic, of Rotterdam, Chemung county, New Jereey, iïcüsed, coutractcd with ihe (Jeneral GoveroaiBiit lo furuish to Genera] tjhermau tbc suiu total of thirty barrel of beef - " "That will do, öir - thiitwilldo; - this oiBco bas notbing to do with contiacis for beef." I was bowed out. I tliougiit the matter all ovei", and finally Ibe folio w ing day, I visitcd iho Secretary of the Navy, who said, "Spe::!: qnickly, iir ; do not keep uie wahing." I said: "Your Royal Ilifibness: On or sbout tl. e lUlb day of Octobcr, lfcCl, John Wilton Mackenzio, of Rotterdam, Gliemutig oounty, New Jersey, deecasfd, ooatractd with the General Government to furnish to General Shcrman the suia total of thirly barrels of beef - : Weil it was as far as I could got. - II had notliing to do wslh beef eon tracts for General Sberinau either. I began to tbink it was a curióos kiiul ot' a Goveinmeut It looked somewbat as if tbey wanted to get out of paying for that beef. The foüowing day 1 went to tbe Secretary oí the Interior. I said : "Your Jmpeiial Iligbness : Oa or about the lOth day of October - " "That L sufiicient, Sir - 1 have heard uf you befure Go - take your infamous beef contract out of this establii-h ment. The Interior Uoparttncnt bos nothing wbaterer to do with subsisteuee for the army." I went away. But I was exasperated dow. I paid I would baant boem; I would infest every department of this iniquitous Governtnent till that contract business was settlcd ; I wonld collect that bïllp or fall as fcli my predeceesors, trying. I assailed the PoMmaster General; I besieged iho Agrieultural Department ; I waylaid tlie Speaker of the Houss oí Representativo?. 2'hey bad ncithiug to do wiih a;ruy contracta for betf. I mo7ed upon the Commissioner of the Patent Office. I said : "Your august Excelleucy : Onor about - " "Perdition ! havo you got here with your iiiceudiary beef contract, at Ia#t? We havo DOtbing to do with beef contraets for the army, tny Dear Sir." "Oh, ihat is all vtry well - but torntbody las {;ot to pay f.r that beef. It hos got to bc paid now, ton, or l'll c::fisoato this (!d Pateut Otlica and everytliing in il." "But, ray dear Sir-" "It dou't make any differeuco, Sir. - The Patent Office is Hablo for that beef I reckon ; and Hable or not linble, tut' the Patent üfifoe h;is goi to pay for it.'' Never miud the details. It euded in afight. The Patent Office on. But I found out something to my advautage. I was told that the Tre;sury Department was iho proper place for me to go. I went tliere. I waited two hours and a half, and 1 as adiuitted to tbo Firfet Lord of tho Treaury. I eaid : "Most nobie, grave and reverend Signor : On or about the lOth day of Ootober, ISO" , John Wilson Macken- " "ïhat is Bufficient, Sir. I bave heard of jou. Go to the Firet Auditor of the Treasury." I did so. He Fent rae to tho Second Auditor. The Second Auditor sent me to tbc third, he sent mo to the First (lomptroller of the Coni-Beef División. This began to look like business. He examiii'd bis books and all bis loose papers, but found no minute of tbe beef contract, l went to lbo Second Comptroller of the Corn-Beef División. He examined his books and his loose papers but with no suceess. I was encouraced. During that week I got as fur as the Sixtli Coraptroller in that división ; the next week I got tlirouh the Claims Department ; tho third -veek I began and completed tbe Mislaid Contract Department, and got a ioothold iu the Diad Kfckoning Department. I finished that in tbree d:iys. ïhere was only ono place left for it now. I laid siege to the Commissiouor of Udds and Jinds To hi clerk, rather - he was not there lihnself. There were sixteen beautiful younj ladics in the room, wriiing in books, and there were seven well-favorcd youog clerks showing them how. The young women smilod up over their (■houlder?, and the clerks sniiled br.ck at them, and all went raerry c a mar bell. T'o or thice. olerks that weit reading the nowpapeis lookod at me hard, b t went on readinc nnc nobndy said au) tbing. UoTover. l hai been nsed to Ibis kind of alacrity fron the Fourtb Asiistant Junior Olerks al through my eventful career, from the vc-y u:y I rntcied the Crpt office of the Corn-Tieef Bureau clcar tili I psiescd out of the last ono !n the Dead Keekouing División. I got so accompHhed by Ihia timo that I could etaud on oue foot from the moment I entcred ;n office till aclfik poke to mo, without changing moro than two, or maybe tliree times. So I stood there till I had ehauged four diTerent limes, Then I said to one of tho clerks who was reading : "Illustrioua Yegrant, where is the Grand Turk?" ■ vi uai uo you mean, oír : nota uo you mean? It' yo!i meau the Cuief of tbe Bureau, lic is out." "Vill hu visit the hnrem to-day ?" yonng man glaied tipon uio a while, and then went ou reading his papor. J'ut I ttiew the waVs of thoae clerks I knew I was sufo if ho ot tbrough beforc anothor New York mail arrivec!. He only l:ad two more papers bit. Afier a wliüe he fiüisheíl tbem, and tlicn he y;iïücd, and asked uic whal I war.ted. 'RcDowned and honored Iojbecilo : - On or about - " "Vou are tiio beef oontract man. - Givc me your papers. He took tliem, aud for a long tirr.o bo ransacked bis odds and ends. Finally he füund the Northwest Pass -i go, as 1 regardod it - he found tbe loug-!ost I record of that boef contract - ho found the rock upon which fco mauy of my anecstors had cpüt bcfore tbey got to it was deeply moved. And yet I rcoicod - for I survived. I said wilh diolion, "Givo itme. The Goverument will tef.le with mo novv." He wayed nu back, and said tliere was aouiethiu be done fir&t. "Where ia tuis John Wilson Mackeuio ?'! said he. "Dcad." "Wheo didbodio?" "He dido't die at all - lio was killed." "How?" "Tomuhawked." "Who tomahawked him?" "Why, an Indian, of course. Tou didn't guppose it was a superintondeut of a Sunday school, did you?" "Mo. An Indian, was it ':' "The same." "Name of the Iudinn ? ' "Ilis namo! ƒ dori't know his naoio." "Must have bis n:irae. Wbo saw tbc oma! awking dor.o ?" "I don't know." "You wore not present yourself ihen?" "Wiiic'.i you oan suo by my b;iir. I wai absent." "Theo :iow do you know that Mackenzie ia dead ?" "Because he ccrtainly diod at that me. and I have every reasou to bolieve hat he han been dcad ever sinco. I know ho lias, u faet." "We must havo proofs. Havo you got the Iudinn f" "Of courao not." "Well, you must get him. Have you he tomahawk f" "I nevcr thought of such n thing." "Ycu must get the tomahawk You must prodwe the Indian iud tho tomaïawk. If Mackenzie's death can bo )roven by theee, you can thea go before ,ho Oommistion appoiuted to audii laiüis, with some show of getting )our )ill under such headway that your ohilIren may possibly live to receive tho money and enjoy it. lint that man's eatl must be proven. However, I may is we'.l teil you that the Goverinnont will never pny that transportación aud lioso traveÜDg-cxpcnscs of the lamented Mack;.'nzie. It may possibly pay for the arrt'l of beef that Sherraan's soldiers apturcd. if you can get a relief bill hrough Congress making anappropriaon for tliat purpose; but it will not pay or the tweoty-uiue barrels the Indiaas te." "Thcn there is only a hundred dolars duo me, and that isn't certain ! Vfter all Jlackenzie's travels in Europe, Vpia, snd America with that btef; ftor all his trials and tribulations and ransportation ; after tlie shughtcr of all !ioso innocents that triud to collcot that )ill ! Youug man, why didn't thu First Jomptroller of tho Corn-Beof División 11 me tliis ?" "Ho duln't linow anytliing about the Tenuuiüucss of your ciaim." " "Wby didn't tho Becond teil mo? why didn't the Third ? why dido't all hoso divisioos and departmeuta teil me?" "Noneofthem knew. Wedothing9 y routine here. You have followcd the ontino and found out what you wanted o know. It is the best way. It is the on!y way. It is very regular, and very low, but it is very certain." ''Yes, certain dealh. It bas been, o the mot of our tribe. I beoiu to 'cel that I, too, am called. Young mau rou lo?e the bright ernature vonder with the qjentle blue e_v and steel pens jcliii. .1 her ears - I . ■■c it in your placees ; you wish to marry her - bu; vou are poor. lleve, liold out your land - here is the beef contract ; go, ta!;e her and bo happy ! Heavcn bless you, ruy childreu I" Tliis is all I bnow about tbs great beef contract, that has crsatcd bo much talk in the community. The clerk to whom I liequeathed it died. I know uothing further about tbo contract or uny ono connected with it. 1 only know that if a man livcs long cnough, he can trace a thing throngli the Circumloeution Offioe at Washington, nnd find out, after much labor and tiouble and dclay, that whicb he could have found out on ibc first day if the business of the Circumlccution Office were as ingeniously systematized íis it would be if it ere a great private morcanlile instituiion.