Chicago eagle., 1894-12-29
HOW SAILORS ARE FED.
EATING ARRANGEMENTS ON
UNCLE SANS WARshiPs,
The Captain Takes His Meals Alone.
Officers Mess Together. Sub.
stantiai Fare for the Men,

most hotels which are called frs
class. There are five messes or
board ship. four OF which are officers
messes. aud the other is called tn,
ships company mess
captain has II private table il
his cabin. and ;ae Government allow.
him four servants. lie must no,
have any one to dine with him reru
larly. but he may invite any OF hi,
officers II he feels so inclined IL |,
not a general thing, however. for the
captain to have table mate more
than once or twice week.
The mess of the officers between
the grade Of junior lieutenant and
heutenant-commandef IL called the
ward room mess. The First Lieu.
tenant sits at the bead of the table
and the officers arc ranged along ia
the right and left of him accordin.
To rank and length sf service. 4
wari room dinner is by no means q
formal affair, though It is not the
thing for an officer, unless he be
gong on watch. TO sit before the
nt.Comnanler is seated.
1he .Conmander. ES.
ecutive Officer, or, as he Is most
generally termed the first lufr.'
is the head OF the mess and is gen.
orally responsible for the preserva.
tion OF order ut the table. Should
hcated arguments arise 10 Is he who
settles them when he thinks the
limit OF argument has been reached.
Arguments. however, are very rare,
Tor when men live togethec as naval
officers must, each one is careful that
ne says nothing to offend any of his
shipmates. There are certain sub.
jects that are tabooed ut mess table.
and among them are religion. politics
and women.
The officers meals on shipboard
are arranged after the French style.
That Is, coffee and toast on rising.
breakfast at noon and dinner at Z
O'Clock. Then there is generally
an informal luncheon later in the
evening. The Government does not
furnish the table service and linen,
and so each officer on joining a ship
must pay his share for the table set,
and they must also supply their own
napkins and other table linen.
The financial part Of the mess Is
run on the cooperative principle.
and the funds are in the hands OF a
caterer. Should an officer, after
paying his share toward the table
service, be detached from the ship,
he can draw from the caterer the
amount that he invested, and the
officer relieving him must buy up
the share that he held.
Every month the officers must pay
certain amount OF money. generally
about $50 per man, to the caterer
for the mess running expenses. for
the Government only allows 30 n
month ration money to each man,
be he Captain or cook. Ifthe entire
amount Of money put in Is not spent,
why the money goes into the slush
fund and becomes n part Of the mess
property, each member having an
equal share In it. This money Is
allowed to accumulate, and Is used
In purchasing new tableware and
other things to be used in common.
Though, on the other hand. should
the mess money prove insufficient for
the months expenses the officers
must be assessed to make up the de.
hciency. The selection Of u caterer,
therefore, isa very important matter,
for n good caterer can keep good
table on little money, while bud
one can run the mess heels over
head in debt and then not feed them
well. An officer generally an old
sea dog, Is elected caterer, and his
term OF office lasts as long as he
gives satisfaction. 1t Is he who
engages the mess attendants, gives
orders to the steward and pays the
bills.
The junior officers or steerage mess
Is conducted on about the same plan
- the ward room mess, only here
the amount subscribed monthly Is
generally only about $25.
At Jacks mess, up on the gun or
berth deck, things are run somewhat
differently from the officers style.
Table linen is unknown, and each
man has his own bowl, plate, knife,
fork and spoon. Uncle Sam gives
20 head for the feeding OF the boys
In blue, and the boys themselves
subscribe about 80 O month, and
make the amount $l2 n man.
There are twenty men ut each OF
the crews messes, and each OF these
messes elects its own caterer. The
caterer is generally u sailor with
some financial ability and he must
also be total abstainer from intox-
icating drink. Under these circum-
stances it is not strange that the
men are averse to taking the job OF
caterer, but when one does take the
job his trouble begins, because the
favorite amusement at a sailors
mess is to abuse the caterer.
IL n caterer OF ships company
mess succeeds in keeping out OF debt,
he Is looked upon as wonder and
his reputation on shipboard as
man OF brain Is thereafter beyond
question, But the general rule is
for caterer to spread good table |
for month and then run the mess
so hopelessly in debt that fresh
meat cannot be brought more than
once week.
There Is man detailed as cook
for each mess. and he has burden
which would prove too heavy for any
but the most hardened sailor. !
Should the steak be too rare the |
Dank Ia hIaas.I 4. M.