The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-12-07
VOYAGE In THE STEERAGE.

Prentice Milford, in the San Francisco
Chronicle, gives long account of a voy-
age in the steerage. He says:
Each steerager is required to furnish
himself with a bed, blanket, plate, knife,
fork, spoon; aud a tin can for holding
water, served out daily. The total cost
of these articles in London Is not mo: Q
than three or four dollars. Then, If he
has the wisdom of an old steerager, he
will provide himself with hook "pot,"
to contain tkg tea and coffee served at
meals. The hook attaches it to the
rim of the table and prevents it from
being rolled off: If he is wiser still, he,
will take with him tea, coffee, chocolate
canned meats or fish, and few spices
or condiments for helping out the ships
Till of fare. Many of my fellow passen-
gers had SO provided themselves, and
we enjoyed many sociable pri-
vate 'steEs' on the trip. The daily bill
of fare, as nea* as can rec
ollect, was as follows! Breakfast
at 7-coffee, hot rolls and butter. The
so-called "rolls'' were in reality small
loaves. of which each passenger was en-.
titled to one at a meal. At 1890 or IL,
sotip or efuel for the children, of which
the older t,assehgers, through contriv-
ance or good will often got {. share. Din
ner at l2m.-Soup, roast beef, and tota-
toes, or Goldfish and potatoes, rice CT
bread pudding. Tea at 6-Cold bread
and butter and nhss was called tea.
Often in the afternoon at { plate of
soup or Cruel wac among the things pos.
sible. There was certainly enough to
edt-of the kind. venture to say that
one. half CT otr steeragers were never on
shore fed with SO mhch regularity. or
even variety. The beef tasted as though
the life had been taken out ct it by some
process. It was cut up before being
brought to the table. 1t was brought in
Il huge tin can. The can was taken to
the table by one of the assistant stew
ards and out Of 1t he deposited the
pieces Un cur plates with a long fork.
The potatoes came next in another huge
pan: Another steward laid the requis-
ite number sby our plates. Our soup
plates were filled in q similar fashion.
The table service. as may be Imagined.
was entirely practical in its nature. There
was NO for1nality.
The meal finished, each guest was re-
quired to wash his or her tableware
For this purpose the cook, after each
meal, placed a large basin Of hot water
/ near the galley on deck. 10 this the
passenger repaired with his own soap
and towel, plunged therein his tin plate,
knife, fork and spoon, washed; wiped
and retired. There was no change Of
hot water for the company. Of course,
at the latter end Of this lavat0ry process
T.. rS&I
it cooled this grease TOOK ON more and
required also to clean that part of the
table allotted him; to gather up all the
scraps, especially the potato peelings.
These were generally fred into the
"chute," from whence the G2haers and
coal ashes were emptied into the sea.
Wben this chute was OIL the leeward
side Of the vessel all went we'll, and the
debris slid readily into the ocean. When
tie chute was to. windward things did
not 60 overheard so readily. Then a
larger amount of the smaller sctappage
'onhe wasl pan It's rhe way trip '9S from s7"G1s, iha
steerage table with this table furniture
was on an even keel matter of one
hundred and odd feet, involving also the
climbing of the steerage stairs to the
| main deck. BY the main deck, would
inform the ultra landsman, is not meant
the upper deck, which commands the
| view Of the sea. 1t is the enclosed deck
on which are located all the Offices OF
the little floating world, such as the en-
gine-roo,n cook-room, stewards room,
! butcher-sllop, pastry cook, etc. Ours
was one deck below this. Having had
some sea training, all this dish-washing
| and other discipline was for no great
| hardship. l had done it all before in
the forecast}e. But some Of the poor fel.
lows went ertatically for many days in
this unaccustomed service. There was
often a clangor of pots and plates
and precipitations Of human forms
in all shapes on deck, and .spilling Of
weather.
The principal abuse of the modern
steerage lies in the contracted space oc-
necessity for 80 crowding twelve peo-
ple in a space not large enough for four
The steamers take, as rule, full car.
goes from America, but they are not 90
loaded coming back. Nor is there any
real necessity that the steerage passen~
ger be obliged to furnish his table-ser.
vice. Cleanliness would be far better
| .s.s',|ated were the tables Get With the
-;.p's plates. knives and cups. and
these removed, washed, and stored by
the ships attendants. As it is. fonr-
ffths of the people are entirely made
4uate to the proper cleansing of their
own table ware, even in fair weather,
and the result is the storage in their
hunks of greasy plates. which are con
tinually getting loose and clatterine
about under foot in rough weather. A
Tor the fare, wouldI in the mines o
California have been very glad to live a
we'll as did in the steerage. hav
seen worse fare on some vessels when
sailor, and even worse in some chea]
boarding houses on shore.