THE GREAT BEEF CONTRACT. 21
ceased, contracted with the General Government to
furnish to General Sherman the sum total of ihirtv
barrels of beef—"
Well, it was as far as I could get. He had
nothing to do with beef contracts for General
Sherman either. I began to think it was a curious
kind of a Government. It looks somewhat as if they
wanted to get out of paying for that beef. The
following day I went to the Secretary of the Interior.
I said, " Your Imperial Highness, on or about the
loth day of October—"
" That is sufficient, sir. I have heard of you
before. Go, take your infamous beef contract out
of this establishment. The Interior Department
has nothing whatever to do with subsistence for the
army."
I went away. But I was exasperated now. I
said I would haunt them; I would infest every
department of this iniquitous Government till
that contract business was settled. I would collect
that bill, or fall as fell my predecessors, trying. I
assailed the Postmaster-General; I besieged the
Agricultural Department; I waylaid the Speaker
of the House of Representatives. They had nothing
to do with Army contracts for beef. I moved upon
the Commissioner of the Patent Office.
I said, " Your August Excellency, on or about—"
" Perdition 1 have you got here with your
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