Middletown transcript., 1898-07-30
"MEssEso IN THE NAVY.

1--WE had dinner on board. Il was
not dinner of hardiack aud saltmeaf, !,
like We had at the frnnt when we visited
The Army, but a meal as god as tn
variety aud as we'll prepared and as well
served as one could expect At a frs :
class restaurant. The table was laid
with fine linen the glass, silver and
cutlery were artistic n design, and we
were all surprised at the lxnry OF the
waldroom mess
This extract from letter written by
man who had been the guest OF HI
officer on b ,ard United States blttle-
ship expresses the views of the average
man who knows little or nothing about
life aboard ship, and who when he sees
that the fficers erj " certain comforts
and luxurles thinks that the Govern
ment is particularly kind to them. In-
vestigation W II show that the good ta-
BILE, the superior table appointments
and the numerous luxuries which the
men erjoy are not provided by Uncle
Sam, but are paid for by each individ-
ual member of the mess. The officers
with whom dined the man whose letter
has been quoted had caterer who
looked out for their meals and charged
every cent of expense TO the mess ac-
count, which in due time was charged
to the individuals. The caterer is an
officer, and, while he is elected for three
months by his fellows, it is often the
case that one is reelected for two or
more terms. In fact, cases may be cited
where an officer has been so satisfactory
in his household methods and household
economy that he has been induced to
serve throughout a full three years.
cruise, although the duties are not easy
or routine. His FIRST duty after collect
ing the assessments is to buy three
months stock of all articles necessary
for the table. The cooks, stewards and
boys are under his immediate orders,
and be occupies about the same posi-
tion on board ship as the chairman of
the House Committee does in his club
When be enters upon the discharge
Of his duties he usually calls on the Off
GERS of the mess for an advance of not
less than 500 each. In the navy an
officer receives only his pay, and out Of
that he must I" find himself, so that
when new offer Joins ship one of the
first things he has to do isto contribute
to the mess fund. If he has to dfa "
this amount from the Pay Department
in advan.e-as he usually does, be-
cause The average seefaring man does
not carry S100 bills around with him
he can draw no pay until the debt to
the Pay Department has been liqui-
dated.
Having his fund, the caterer makes
out bis list of supplies for his twenty
five or thirty comrades, buys at the
lowest figure, and does his best to sat-
isfy his mess. Some men have natural
talent in that direction and are success
full caterers, while Others make sorry
busine. Of it, and are roundly criticised
for their poor housekeeping.
The tabiecloths and table ornaments
belong 10 the mess, but each man owns
his own napkin, and when an officer has
guests the extra napkins are taken from
his personal store. From the money
which is collected by the caterer he ia
expected to feed the cook, stewards and
boys. These people are entitled to
'tstores,o or ratioDs but they do not
draw them, and the equivalent in
money is drawn for them and is depos-
tied in the mess fund and in some cases
becomes their extra fee, or tip, for SER
vices rendered to the mess.
When the officers mess is spoken OF
it does not mean all the officers aboard
ship, because the captain messes alone
and never honors the other officers with
Lis presence at their table, except on
festive or official occasions, He fur
nishes his own mess and, except for bis
clerk, takes his meals alone. On board
of flagship the admiral and captain
mess together. The wardroo mess
includes the officers from lieutenant
commander to junior lieutenant, inclu.
sive Of both line and staff, and the
officers Of the Marine Corps.
The steerage mess, which is arranged
on the same plan as the wardroom
mess, and subject to the same rules. in
cludes the cadets and officers Of the
rank Of ensign, This mess Is usually
Just forward Of the wardroom.
Another mess is known as the war
rant officers mess. This includes the
gunner, boatswain, slilnaker and car
penter.
The chief petty officers mess includes
the chief machinist, ships writer,
apothecary, AID sometimes the gunners
mate. The wardroom mess cost each
of its members from $50 to $40 .
month the steerage mess is run on q
less elaborate scale, and cost about SIC
to $25, and the warrant officers mesi
costs still less.
The bills are rendered monthly, and
are easily made out, because the whole
amount expended by the caterer ii
divided by the number constituting the
mess, and each man pays his share,
But this includes only the table proper
and has nothing to do with wine, cigar:
aud extra luxuries which may be pur-
chased from what is known as the
(" wine mess,n which any Of the officers
may join. Wine is charged to the in.
dividual who orders il at an advance oil
10 per cent on its original cost, and the