Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-21

tDc run OF the snip mas Dc'H- III INC -
rometer goes up and the captain tells
some one about IT, the chances are that
all the passengers on deck will be discuss
Ing the rise within a half hour and won
dering what II signifies.
A game OF Switchboard on deck becomes
a contest Of magnitude.
Those who cannot get into the game
stand about and OFFER suggestions. The
storekeeper becomes. for the time being.
man OF Importance, ana the victors have
something to talk about at dinner.
On board the LucanIa the deck stewards
serve tea. cakes, and butterscotcn at
O'Clock each afternoon. This is an
important incident in the daily routine
OF those who attempt to hibernate In
rugs and wraps through a six-days' run.
They straighten up In their steamer
chairs with cups and saucers balanced
| in their laps, nibble a few gingersnaps,
sip the tea partake sparingly OF the
candy. and then fall YEARLY back for two
hours of lazy doing before the trumpet
| calls for dinner.
| Many of these passengers. with whom
a voyage is one long battle against sick
ness seem TO have an unlimited capa-
| city for rest.
The unbearable creature who is never
| sick, never misses meal, walks the deck
before breakfast. enjoys bad weather,
and sleeps more soundy when the ship
is rolling Is always moving among the
| limp victims, telling them that what they
need is exercise-exercise-ke moving
around and above all. don't think of
| seasickness.
1t is only in the second cabin that the
| informality becomes that Of a big fami-
| ly First-cabin passengers, even when
they get into old clothes and storm
coats. are under the restraint OF habit.
and they do not care TO become too JOY
Gus. They have one concert during
the voyage, but in the second cabin the
concert goes on all the time.
Any one who can play on the piano.
sing. or recite is called into service The
entertainment is not ALWAYS Of a high
order. but 1t is spiced with good-fellow-
ship. and the audience is patient and
appreciative. On the Etruria. going over.
/ and on the Lucania, coming back, never
pleasant evening passed but the first
cabin passengers invaded the second-cabin
deck and stood around the open port
holes TO hear the songs and Rotations
Life In the second-cabin. therefore. has
its compensations. The passengers are
restricted to their end OF the prone
made deck. and when the ship pitches
they get more motion than if they were
nearer amidshps. but their fellow travel
ers are ready companions, spirit Of
fellowship pervades the MUSHROOM and,
as an old traveller expressed ii. There
wouldn't be any objection to going Sc
| cond-class IL Ii were not for the knowl-
edge that YOU were being restricted as
to privileges"
One of the most interesting corners on
board the Etruria was the printing Office
II was little cubby-hoe of a place, with
varied display Of job work and pho
| tographs on the walls. There was hardly
room for two people In the place. so the
| visitor stood in the doorway.
The ships printer finds plenty of work.
In the first place. he must print the bills
/ Of fare. three a day on the first day
out he must publish the corrected list OF
saloon passengers. This list, I'm the form
of pamphlet with an Illustrated cover,
| Is placed at each plate I'm the dining-sa-
loon, and is always eagerly sought for.
Not until this list appears does It be-
come known that there are several MEM
bers of the nobility aboard. and everybody
wonders which of the foreign-looking men
who have begun to drink brandy-and-
soda and expostulate is really the count
The printer must provide the pro-
grammes for the Thursday evening con-
cert and here he does his very best, US
ing his stock cuts to illustrate the cover
and inserting the portentous paragraph
| that the concert Is given by the kind per-
mission of the captain
on the last day of the voyage the print
| er gets out an abstract OF the log, show
ing the run for each day. the latitude and
longitude at each MONDAY observation,
the directions OF the wind the total dis
lance Traversed from Sandy Hook to
Daunt's Rock. and the corrected time
| Of the passage.
one of the printed abstracts Is given
each passenger after the steamer has
started up the Mersey toward Liverpool.
The printer was justly proud Of a
Fourth of July special programme which
he had devised for the Americans on
board, but he had one explanation TO
make.
II felt dreadfully cut up when heard
it was a mistake" said he.
He had printed 1t General Abraham
| Lincoln"