Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-24
LIFE IN THE CABIN.
An Americans Experience on the
Voyage TO and From Europe.
How First-Class Passengers Eat, Sleep and
Amuse Themselves-english Walters
and their PecuIiarities
Briton Runs Bar
SCENES ON DECK AND BELOW,
Nc1c York Sun


Probably ninety per cent. of the mill
lion daily readers of the Sun never trod
the deck of a European steamship.
The ninety per cent. may have read
columns concerning life before the mast
and in the Storage, and very little con-
corning life in the cabin. was pas
senger on the return trip of the City OF
Rome. 1t was my first experience on
British steamer. A state-roOm is as
signed you when you engage your pas
sage. The number is entered on your
ticket. If you fee a waiter on boarding
you will be quickly shown to your
room. If you request it, and your trunk
is not too large, it will be placed in your
state-room; otherwise it goes to the
bold. You can get at it, however, on
application to the purser. On the City
of Rome the most of the state-rooms
-are on a level with the dining saloon,
two flights of stairs below the upper
deck. They are reached by arteries on
each side of the vessel several hundred
feet long. A brass railing steadies those
walking these corridors in storm.
There a few state-rooms on the upper
deck. Each room contains an upper
and a lower berth, a carpet, small
sofa, mirror and q marble sink, where
water is turned on by faucet. Drink
ing water is kept in glass decanter fast
ened in a bracket above the sink. The
spring berths are so constructed that
with any precaution their occupants
cannot be thrown out by the lurching
and rolling of the vessel. The rooms
are carpeted and are lighted with kero-
sene, although electricity is to be used.
Automatic bells would have summoned
waters to each room, but the bells were
out of order. The dining saloon and
ladies' cabin were lighted by electricity.
Twice, however, through some defect,
the current was shut of, and the pas
sengers were left n darkness until can
dies were lighted.
When the vessel is headed for the
broad Atlantic the purser overhauls the
list of passengers aud assigns seats ut the
dining-tables to each one by card.
When the gong sounds for dinner the
passengers roam among the tables, look
ing at the cards near the plates until
each finds his place. The captains
table is considered the post of honor.
The especially favored are seated on
his right and left. He has the eXclu-
sive attention of bright-eyed cabin
boy, who stands at his right. Each
waiter has charge of squad of seven
or eight passengers. In trying to please
all, he frequently pleases none. The
dignity of an English waiter is proven
bal. He rarely smiles. He uses the
word "Sir" as glibly rs Kentucky
gentleman. He receives the chatting
of reckless Americans in grandiloquent
silence, and ignores everything that
does not directly concern him. He will
lower his dignity for money, but even
then he only half sinks it. While on
the City of Rome Uncle Rufus Hatch
wagered ten dollars that he could bring
a smile to the face of the waiter ut his
table before the steamer sighted the
Irish coast. He lost. Between Queens
town and Liverpool he offered the same
waiter two sOvereigns if he would shave
off his chin whiskers. There was no
indication that the man gave the offer
the slightest consideration; yet when
the next meal was served he appeared
with gray mutton chop whiskers la
Uncle Rufus, and pocketed his two SOW
ereigns, saying. "Thank you, sir" with
a face as grave as an owl.
L
one of these dignified gentlemen adj
dressed him as "Waiter." made the
blunder in the smoking-room. The
gentleman stared at me a. though he
could not believe his ears. Satisfied
that he was not mistaken, he nom
chantly busted the lapel of his jacket,
and, with whitening scorn, said, "pll
call a steward for you, sir"
All Englishmen call the walters stew
ards. Each steward expects gratuities
from those he serves. They are usual
~ given at the end of thevOyage. Those
fees aggregate far more than the salar-
les of the stewards. They average from
four shillings to sovereign. Some
passengers inform their stewards that
the beginning of the voyage that good
service will be literally rewarded.
Others take things uncomplainingly,
and part with their coin at the last
hour with a sign of regret. The stew
ards agree in crediting American
travellers with the most generosity.
] was told that the most parsimOniOus
are the English nobility. "Pd rather
serve California stage driver than the
duke of Manchester" said a steward on
the Alaska. "a nObleman gives three
pence to u porter where an American
gives shilling" Commodore James
Gorden Bennett is a special favorite
with the stewards. They say that he
never crosses the water without disturb
buting twenty or thirty pounds among
them. After all, the stewards seem to
show very little favOrtesm. 1fthe poor
or penurious traveller is polite and I'M
complaining he will pull through the
VOYAGE in almost as good shape rs the
rich. An effort to attract the attention
of the waiter by pounding on the table
or climbing your tumbler with a spoon
will Only result in your own mOrtitica-
ton. Each English passenger will
stare at you as through Mortified at
your lack of etiquette, and the steward
will assuredly avenge the insult on the
first opportunity. You must wait in
patience until the steward gets ready to
serve you.
Four meals were serve d daily on the
Alaska and the City Of Rome. Break
fast was ready at $50, lunch at l. dim
ner at 9, and tea at 10. The gong was
sounded twice before breakfast and
twice before dinner. One call served
for lunch, and the passengers struggled
in to tea by the clock. The meals COM
pared favorably with those at first-class
hotels. Soup was served at both lunch
and dinner. At supper tea and coffee
beef soup, golden buck, Welsh rarebit
and grilled bones were laid before you.
At dinner the courses were brought on
and removed at the tap of the bell. In
stormy weather racks two or three
inches high are screwed upon the table
to prevent the dishes from sliding of:
But no rack has been invented that will
keep your soup from overlooking when
the vessel is tilted at an angle of 40 de-
grees. Despite the rack, roast ducks
and chicken and mince and lemon pies
are occasionally pitched into the laps
of the passengers. A swinging rack
above the table looks like a bank of
crystal. 1t glitters with glassware and
decanters. A glance at it while eating
dinner will give you the exact tilt of
the vessel. The chairs turn on a pivot,
and are usually set back too far from
the table. Once ensconced in them,
YOU are forced to lean forward when
the vessel lurchers your way until you