Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-09

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other members of that eating club oc-
cupv places at the table in the order
OF their rank. Line officers sit on the
Starboard side and staff officers on the
port side. But the caterer pro tenn
sits at the foot Of the table. Though
In ordinary matters informal, strc [
etiquette governs all essentials in the
mess. The executive officer has au-
thority, to put stop to any dispute
or offensive conversation.
4 description of the management Of
the wardroom mess will serve, with
few notifications, for the officers
messes. The caterer buys the provi-
sions. He gets them on shore when
the ship is in port. Except when
compelled to do so. he does not pur-
chase from the vessels stores. hut
draws the rations from the mess in
cash. However, he does usually OBJ
tain from the paymaster what he
needs in the way of cooking butter,
cooking sugar, rice, beans, pork and
canned meats, paying for them in
money. because these articles, as dis
pensed by Uncle Sam, are just as good
of their kind as can be got and are
furnished at about cost. Members of
the mess pay their bills monthly TO
the caterer. The cost of board to each
officer in the wardroom is usually
about $50 month. 1t is somewha
less on the Asiatic station, the markets
in that part of the world being cheaper.
There is balance left over in the ca
terer's hands, which goes to make IN
the mess fund. This fund in the
wardroOm will sometimes amount to
as much as $1,000. 1t provides for
the replacement of crockery, for en-
tertaining by the mess while in port
and for all sorts of unusual expenses.
Every man in the navy, from the
admiral down to the jack O. dust, must
supply his own bed clothes and mess
furniture, such as crOckery, etc. To
each officer mattress and pillow are
allowed, and to each sailor a ham
mock. Until recently the Govern.
ment has furnished nothing in the
way OF table ware, except for the cap
tain, who is provided with enough |
things OF the kind to set up a good
sized household, including dozen of
everything. Within the last two
months. however, all silver-plated /!
ware required for the wardroom has
been allowed by the Bureau of Equip
ment. To start wardroom mess re-
quires an investment of $50 to SIS for
each officer. At the end of IA cruise all |
OF the china, linen, etc. is sold for
what it will bring-usualE about ten
per cent. of the original cost. The
proceeds are divided among the officers
who owned the property.
The kitchen of II ship of war is un-
der the direction OF the ships cook !
whose functions are like those of a
chief i'll a great hotel. He is an im-
portant man in his way, and his re-
sponsibilities are great. The culinary
department is on considerable scale. |
In addition to the ordinary ships |
kitchen or galley, the New York has
three ranges-one for the admiral,
another for the captain, and a third !
for the wardroom mess. In the gal
ley all the cooking is done for the
other officers and for the men. The |
various mess cooks serve merely as |
assistants. They prepare the meats,
soups, breads, ETC., for the fire, and the
ships cook does the rest.
All waste grease, empty barrels and
boxes from the paymaster's store
room, and such refuse, are sold by the
executive officer, the proceeds going
to make up what is called the "slush
fund" This money provides reading
matter for the crew, extra music for
the band, etc. The slush or grease
used formerly to be perquisite of the
ships cook, and the sale of it added |
largely to his pay; but improved |
methods of cookery allow compare
lively little waste in this shape. Just
as smoke is said to be symptom of
imperfect combustion, so slush is a
symptom of imperfect cooking.