Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-12-26
NAVAL HOUSEKEEPING.
Biessings OF the Ohlcers' Mess on United
States Men-0f-War.

mander, with salaries varying from one
Thousand dollars TO three thousand five
hundred dollars year, manage to
maintain a degree Of style that TO the
ordinary civilian no better off seems
absolutely mysterious. Not only must
o naval officer keep himself supplied
with the half dozen styles Of uniform
enjoined by the government but he
must be able when ashore to present
decent appearance In civilians attire;
he must stop at good hotels; he must
associate with civilians of social posi-
ton corresponding to his own, and II he
has wife and children he must maintain
them in good style. All this Is made
possible largely by means of that
species of domestic communism known
MS cooperative housekeeping. The Off
GERS mess aboard ship is nothing more
than such a species Of communism.
When mess is made up aboard ship
each man in the combination contri-
butes certain sum for the purchase OF
supplies. If he happens ut the moment
to be short Of funds he may draw two
months pay in advance. The common
fund is placed in the hands of caterer
chosen from the mess, and the supplies
are purchased in bulk and at the lowest
possible cost. Thus the mess is started.
The caterer makes careful calculations,
allowing for brealage and other losses,
adds small percentage of profit and
then retails his supplies at prices
considerably below current rates
ashore. Creme de menthe, popu-
larly known Us green mint, is
highly popular cordial among naval
officers, and in fact, is said to have been
first called to the attention OF the dis
eliminating American public by the
mess of United States man-of-war
Green mint retails in saloons, and even in
clubs, ut fifteen cents per glass; but the
mess rate aboard ship is ordinarily just
one-half that price. The mess caterer
buys his wines and cigars abroad when
ever it is possible to do so. The price
of the best champagnes in wcll-man-
aged mess is usually under two dollars
per quart. The price ashore is from
three dollars and fifty cents to three
dollars and seventy-tivc cents. The
best imported cigars are retailed to the
mess ut forty to sixty per cent. below
shore prices.
There are ordinarily two officers
messes below decks aboard O United
States ship, the ward-room mess and
the Storage mess. The latter is for
midshipmcn and other juniors The
captain messes alone in solemn state,
and if the vessel be flagship the ad-
miral may have his own separate table.
The cost of living in the ward-room
mess is ordinarily thirty-five to forty
dollars month, exclusive OF wines and
cigars. All transactions arc on the
credit system. Whenever bottle of
wine or a cigar is ordered the pur-
chaser writes n chit" of the amount
These chits are summed up at the end
of the month and payment is made
either directly by the debtor or through
the paymaster. No chit is give for
meals, and each officer is entitled to
take guests on board to breakfast or
dinner as often as he will. At the end
of the cruise the profits of the mess
are divided pro rata among the MEM
bers, and If the ship goes out of COM
mission whatever stock of stores is on
hand is either auctioned off to the Off
GERS or sold to the mess of some other
ship. Whenever an officer is detached
from ship before the end of cruise
or before the mess breaks up he settles
accounts with the mess caterer. If he
has been moderate in the use of wines
and cigars he may carry off handsome
share of profits.
The beauty and economy of the mess
system is best shown on long cruises,
At certain intervals United States ships
made the cruise through the Mediter-
rancan and Red seas, down the east
coast of Africa, around the Cape Of
Good Hope, westward to Montevidco or
Rio, and possibly thence homeward.
The voyage to Rio may occupy nine
months or year, and if there has been
no lettering in luxurious Mediterranean
ports the trip will have been highly
economical for all on board. For seven
or eight months the total cost OF living
may be under fifty dollars per month
for each officer AS pay ranges from
one hundred dollars to three hundred
dollars per month, it is easy to esti-
mate the possible saving. The
wise officer who has started such
q cruise with nothing against
him on the governments books, reaches
Montevideo or Rio with from five hun
dred to two thousand dollars to his
credit in the paymaster's hands To be
sure, there arc entertainments TO be re-
turned at ports where foreign ships or
foreign army hosts are encountered; but
mems hospitality aboard ship is vast
" cheaper thing than hospitality ashore.
RS the savings of long cruise that
enable naval officers to live well ashore,
TO maintain their families in moderate