A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



business experience I was brought in contact with 

 that work and the officers in charge. Shortly after 

 going with the Armours I was given charge of com- 

 missary supphes in their work, both for the American 

 and Enghsh armies. It was under my direction that 

 the process of canning uncooked bacon was evolved, 

 simply applying the new process of sealing tins in a 

 vacuum as against the old process of eliminating air 

 by the application of heat. Canned bacon was 

 originally introduced in i-pound and ^-pound cans 

 for the retail trade in sliced form, and was the 

 original of what is now packed in glass jars and seen 

 in every retail grocery in America. When the 

 product was announced The Kansas City Star pub- 

 lished a staff story about it. Several days later we 

 received a telegram from Maj. John Weston, pur- 

 chasing commissary, stationed at San Antonio, Tex., 

 asking for samples; upon receipt of which he wrote 

 us that he was very much interested in the product 

 as a part of an emergency ration which the Govern- 

 ment had under consideration. This gave me an 

 idea, and I did not stop until it became a great 

 factor in the supplies of the American and English 

 armies, the latter using millions of pounds during 

 the Boer War in 23/^ and 5-pound cans, taking it 

 originally raw, but later processed in the cans. 



Upon receipt of Maj. Weston's letter I urged the 

 Armours to extend a cordial invitation to the com- 

 missary department of the United States Army to 



[57] 



