The St. Johns herald., 1897-01-30
SOME QUEER TOURISTS.
They Go Abroad as Cattle and Feturr
 as SwelIs.


 as SwelIs.
 ! While hosts of people look over the ] DassenCer lists of tLe lucky o4es who are able to go abroad and envy them way down in their hearts, there is a class of men who make frequent trips across the ocean which would hardly excite envy, excepting by reason of their peculiar privileges This class is humorousIy called ''cattle chamber maids" because of the fact that those who belong to it give their attention to the live cattle that are exported from this country to Europe. The men who do this are the riffraff of the world and when here find it difficult to earn more than enough to keep body and soul to- gether. But when they are lucky enough to get one of these chamber maid' jobs they feel like millionaires, for they get more money day for the trip than they could get on shore in a week.
 There are number of Chicago stock yards men who do large business ex- porting cattle, and they always have gang of fellows around waiting for the first chance to go out with a cargo. The average time of these trips from Chi cago to London is about fourteen days and the price paid the attendants is $50 in gold. The chambermaid is at no ex- pense whatever He is fed, but, oh. such feed. It is worse than that Of the animals he looks after. There Is always Q gang boss and he 1t is who dlsDeuses the grub" Ordinarily thIs is vgl.al lat pork and bread, with only water to drink. The pork comes from the kitchen in a great pot or tub. The boss stabs a chunk of solid fat with the long haD- dled fork, almost a pitchfork in fact, and hurls 1t at one of the maids" with some choice specimens of billings gate. It is caught much as dog catches a chunk of meat in his mouth and no attention is paid to the liquid grease which flies in every direction. The fat pork is followed by a hunk of stale bread, and drink of water finishes the repalst
 But what care these fellows for the fare and the labor going over. They know there will be joy and pleasure when their destination is reached. Once landed in Liverpool or Southampton they are given their $3O in English gold, this so they will spend 1t in England, and a return ticket good for ninety days from date.
 Then at once begins season of riot ous living. The first thing Is a f1ashy suit of clothes and a walking stick and then off for London. The old hands know better than to "blow in' their money on expensive eating. They have become familiar with the "coffee pal aces" to be found all over London, where they get an imperial quart of coffee for one penny and 'bun," equal thus for two pennies they buy all they can possibly eat. On certain days, when they feel like luxuriating, they may perhaps spend threepence on some dainty like dozen shrimp, but even with that extravaganza indulged in every two or three days the $50 will not last long time and give plenty of op- portunity to soak themselves with 'alf and 'alf."
 These chaps always stay until the money is ahnut gone end i1-~-- -'~.,-l--l they come to Chicago, where the glory of their London clothes soon becomes dimmed as they loaf around the cattle pens at the stock yards while waiting for another chance to act as chamber maids to drove of cattle.-Chicago Chronicle.