Poison Cups
The Chicago Columbian Exposition opened, celebrating Columbus’s 400 years.
The first Ferris wheel was displayed, copied from Somer’s 1892 wooden observation wheels at Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Coney Island. Cleveland started his second term, as the first non-consecutively elected President. Using Marines from the US Boston, US-educated Hawaiian merchants force the ouster of Hawaii’s queen. A stock market crash triggered bankruptcies and a recession that lasted until 1897.
The National Guard Camp at Sea Girt had become a tourist attraction. Extra trains brought people from the northern resorts. Parading the troops, shooting tournaments, dress balls and speeches attracted thousands. The camp changed its name for each new Governor who moved the state offices from steamy Trenton to the cool breezes of Sea Girt. George Werts was governor in 1893. In mid-July Camp Werts swelled to 1,700 troops. They arrived from all over the state. They set up tents, and began to drill. The camp was a vacation of sorts for the men who had regular jobs and many had families. Most could not afford to come to Sea Girt.
Guard duty was a treat for many of the boys who could never have afforded a beach vacation (Marriott C. Morris photo, Library Company of Philadelphia
Company A-4th Regiment decided to walk all the way from their Jersey City headquarters to Camp Werts at Sea Girt. Their commander Captain Bumstead instructed them to wear wider shoes, suspenders vs. belts to reduce the weight of pants, and bring mosquito preparation. The 80 men would sleep in 20 tents and they would rise at 4:30 each morning, load several horse-drawn trucks and break camp at 6:00AM. South Amboy and Asbury Park were their stopping points. Other company commanders mocked the Jersey City boys for not taking the train. Men discussed bets on the group being late for the start of camp.
Russian Naval Officers arrived in New York with a flotilla and were invited to inspect the troops in Sea Girt. They were headed to the Chicago fair. A special ball was held for them at the Beach House, with a formal presentation to open the camp the next day.
Russian Navy Captain headed to the Chicago Worlds Fair stopped in Sea Girt
Many of the supplies for the camp were delivered from Trenton. Others had been stored for the winter at the grounds. Orders were given to have everything in the camp spic and span for parade and inspection the next afternoon. Boots were shined, beds made, belt buckles, and cups polished.
Oxalic acid has many uses, including to polish metal, but it is toxic
Jersey City’s Company A spent their last night just outside Asbury Park. James Bradley threw a feast for the soldiers. The newspapers called it a “square meal”, but it was way more than that. The local hotels contributed the food and the boys ate like they never had in their lives.
After four soups, four salads, and an aspic jelly, they were served a first course of Philadelphia Capon with Toulouse Sausage, Westphalian Ham & Cabbage, Leg of Mutton with capers, Chicago Prime Rib Beef au jus, Jersey lamb with mint, breast of veal, parsley stuffing, Southdown saddle of mutton currant jelly, ham with champagne sauce.
While the band played they had a pallet cleanser of sorbet, and then came the entrees of Chicken and sweetbreads and Filet of boeuf with toast points and roasted cling peaches. Side dishes included Spring beans, green peas, spring beets, mashed potatoes, tomatoes suets, chow chow, gherkins and olives.
Sweets included, Red currant pie coconut custard pie, cottage pudding with Madeira wine sauce, candies, orange cake sponge cake jelly roll coconut, tuti-fruiti ice cream, California apricots, oranges assorted nuts, bananas, a cheese course and demi-tasse.
Aspics, gelatin in elaborate molds with meats and vegetables were high cuisine in the 1890s
The men walked off the heavy dinner and wandered into camp late in the morning, exhausted but enthusiastic after three days on the road.
When they arrived, they found the mood anything but jovial. Almost every man in the Hackensack, Englewood and Rutherford companies was down with severe stomach cramps, some feared dying. Initially, the food or milk was suspected, but most of the officers and NCOs were not sick. The doctors finally pinned the blame on the oxalic acid used on the men’s tin water cups. Hundreds felt sick. 142 men were kept in their tents, and 20 remained hospitalized.
The well-fed and footsore Jersey City boys were the toast of the camp, and the Russian officers were impressed.