The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-19
SOME QUEER TOURISTS.
They Go Abroad as Cattle Tenders and
Return as SwelIs.

Return as Swells.
While hosts of people look over the pas
senger lists OF the lucky ones 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 whic h
would hardly excite envy, excepting by
reason of their peculiar privileges. This
GLASS is humorously called "cattle cham
bermaids" because of the fact that those
who belong to 1t give their attention to
the live cattle that are exported from this
country to Europe. The men who do this
are the ritfraff of the world, and when
here find it difficult to earn more than
enough to keep body and soul together.
But when they are lucky enough to get
one of these "chambermaid' jobs they
feel like millionaircs, for they get more
money day for the trip than they could
get on shore in week.
There are a number of Chicago stock
yards men who do large business export
ing cattle, and they always have a gang of
fellows around waiting for the first chance
to go out with a cargo. The average time
of these trips from Chicago to London Is
about IA days, and the price paid the at
tendants is $50 in gold. The chambernlaid
is at no expense whatever. He is fed, but
oh, such feed! 1t is worse than that of the
animals he looks after. There is always a
gang boss, and he 1t is who dispenses the
grub" Ordinarily this is boiled fat pork
and bread, with only water to drink. The
pork comes from the kitchen in great
pot or tub. The boss stabs chunk of SOL
id fat with the long handled fork, almost
u pitchfork, in fact, and hurls it at one of
the "maids," with some choice specimens
of billingsgate. 1t is caught much as dog
catches IA 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 hunk of stale bread,
and drink of water finishes the repast.
But what care these fellows for the fare
and the labor going overY They know there
will be joy and pleasure when their desti-
nation is reached Once landed in Liver
pool or Southampton they are given their
$50 in English gold and return ticket
good for 80 days from date.
Then at once begins season of riotous
living. The first thing is flashy suit of
clothes and walking stick, and then off
for London. The old hands know better
than to elbow in" their money on expen-
sive eating. They have become familiar
with the 'coffee places" to be found all
over London, where they get an imperial
quart of coffee for a penny and bun,
equal in size to an average loaf of bread,
and thus fer twopence they buy all they
can possibly eat On certain days, when
they feel like luxuriating, they may per-
haps spend thrcapence on some dainty ike
adozcn shrimp, but even with that extraya-
gance inGul9 ed in every two or three days
the $50 will lasta long time and give plen-
ty of time to soak themselves with alf
and 'alf.
These chaps always stay until their
money is ahnu5 gone, and then back they
come to Chicago, where the glory of their
London clothes soon becomes dimmed as
they loaf aGc,nId the cattle pens at tho
stockyards while waiting for another
chance To act ms chumbermaids to drove
u cattle.-Chicago Chronicle.