Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-05
THEIR FOOD NO GOOD.
Why Frank Atkinson, of Allegheny,
and Two of his Companions
RAN AWAY FROM A SCHOOLSHlP.
The Cook and Cooking Of the Saratoga
Weren't Up to Their Mark.
ENOUGH OF TIE WORLD SOON SEEN

'I'll stay at home after this" was the
parting salute Of young Frank Atkinson to
a DISPATCH reporter, last night. Frank
had Just returned from an European trip in
the schoolship Saratoga. He arrived home
in Allegheny at Q P. M, Friday last, he
said.
Like good many boys of his age-Frank
has seen only 15 summers and uinters-he
was possessed of an overwhelming desire to
see the world. His friends and
relatives tried to dissuade him
were in vain. Frank had read and heard of
strange countries and of the glorious time
that the United States marines were having
in all quarters of the globe. The reports Of
the actions of the late squadron of evolution
in European and Mediterranean waters
fired his young mind, and Frank never
slept soundly since. Besides, he had a
laudable ambition to learn the science of
nautical affairs.
1t was in February last that Frank left
his home in Allegheny and went to Philadel-
phia. There he found a schoolship, the
Saratoga, which was about to sail across the
pond, and it req ulred no strong inducemenr
to have him sign the ships papers for two
years. cruise.
SOON HAD ENOUGH.
The ship heaved anchors and sailed fro m
Philadelphia with about 10 young boys on
board, and among them was Frank. He
remained a member of the ships crew about
six months, until two weeks ago. when the
ship arrived in Southampton, England.
There Frank and two other young lads from
Philadelphia, Joseph Biles and Benton
Kenderdine, concluded that life on the
United States ship Saratoga, was not what
they had understood it to be. They con-
cluded to surreptitiously leave the ship. They
did so. Frank was seen last night at the
home of his cousin, Mr.. Albert Atkinson,
327 Rebecca street, Allegheny. "We
wouldn't desert, if the food had been good"
he said. cat Philadelphia, and before we
lett Lewes, Del, it was all right; we were fed
on chickens and turkey, and the grub was
first rate. l thought we would study when
we got sea, but we never opened book the
whole voyage"
"We told him how things would be-"
said Mrs. Atkinson" but he was so carried
away with what he had read that he
wouldn't listen to US.
''The officers were all right, and all the
boys liked them," said Frank, "but the
Captain-he was crank. We went to
Fayal, in the Azore Islands, and then to
Plymouth, England, and then to South
ampton. But it was the food that made US
desert the ship. We had prunes and peaches
and apples-but don't speak of it." said
Frank, making gesture of disgust with
his hand. ''They were rotten. And the
cheese-it could walk. Then the cook was
no good. He was mobbed in Philadelphia
before we left port.
COULDN'T STAND IT.
"Baked beans FOR breakfast and bad
coffee; we couldn't drink it. Sometimes we
had oatmeal, and some of the boys liked
that, but 1 didn't. There was bean soup
and pickle for each man for dinner, and
sometime salt horse and soggy potatoes.
The plum duff was no good; you could roll
it in ball and throw it on the floor and it
would jump as high as the ceiling"
"Did you complain of the food?''
"Yes, but it did no good. Things were