The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-10
JERSEY SAILORS LUCK
Chickens and Live Stock
Found on the Bad
gers Prizes.
ENSIGN KEHBLE'S EXPERIENCE
Spanish Captives Do a Live
Business Selling Souvenirs
to the Tars.
ENSIGN KEMBLE'S EXPERIENCE

serves. Battalion Of the East. is now on
its way to Guantanamo, Santiago and
Porto Rico, with a big cargo Of supplies
for the soldiers and sailors in Cuba and
Porto Rico. 1t left here yesterday after
noon after the boys had she'd much pers-
piration in putting aboard 300 tons Of
coal.
The Badger prize crew, on board the
Spanish tug Humberto Rodriguez, which
is conveying the ships San Fernando and
Sapi, with the $50 Spanish soldiers cap
tured off Neuvitas, by the Badger, to Ha-
vana, will doubtless have an assorted
cargo of yarns to spin when they reach
New York.
Up to the time of their leaving Dry Tor
tugas and giving a last three cheers for
the Badger. as the latter steamed away
for Key West. they had had enough ex-
perienees to keep them busy writing let
tiers for a month. Letter writing is the
great failing of the Naval Reserve man
on duty off Cuba. The average amateur
tar takes up all his time off watch in
writing letters home, and his mail is
large IN proportion. All through the
bioekading feet the mail of the Naval
Reserve ship is known on sight because
it usually quadruples in bulk the mail OF
the regular ships.
The Badger is numerously supplied with
letter writer's, and in making up the crew
of the Humberto Rodriguez this cheerful
and hard working section Of the crew was
not overlooked.
When Lieutenant Peters and his crew
took charge Of the pride squadron" off
Nuevitas, the first thing they did was to
arm themselves to the teeth. and then
look around at their capitives on the
Humberto Rodriguez. The entire crew
were placed on the tugboat, the other two
prizes. the San Fernando and the Sapi, be-
ing kept in tow and no one being placed
on board. Looking around they were
first impressed with the pungent odor OF
the barnyard. On the after part of the
lower deck they found a sad eyed, meek
/ looking, emaciated Spanish COW, kept in
her pen by several boards loosely nailed
up, fence fashion. The COW was not as
meek as she looked Every time n one
approached her, her heels flew up and fire
flashed in her Spanish eyes. Ensign
Kemble found this out within half an
hour after his arrival on the craft, ana he
was careful not to pay a second visit to
that part of the vessel.
About the eowpen was a combination
hog and sheep Enclosure, containing one
| detected looking goat and two very cheer
full Spanish pigs. The goat and pigs had
been allowed ~ gEeedom Of the ship. On
the upper, or hHrricane, deck was the
Spaniards' poultry yard. There were half
a dozen crates Of lively Spanish ROSTERS
and hens on that deck, which Lieutenant
Peters and his officers viewed with some
satisfaction, especially when they con-
| sidered that the wardroom bill of fare had
been pork and beans for fully two weeks.
This tugboat itself was a beauty. Her
machinery, as Machinist McKenny said,
ran like a sewing machine. Her engines
were new and in fine order, all due,
| doubtless, to the fact that a Scotchman
had been the engineer in the Spanish en-
ploy. The engine room was only place
on the vessel that was not filthy and full
of odors.
The Spanish officers. headed by Surgeon
Maxine Martinez Morales, were found in
quite comfortable quarters in the cabin of
the tug. They had a special cook and
| special provisions. The soldiers. like all
| Spanish soldiers, had to shift for them
| selves, and were ignored; and, like Span
ish soldiers. hey had little respect for
their officers, the tie between them mere
" being that of the master and slave.
Having ascertained that there were
really nc seriously sick soldiers on the tug
Lieutenant Peters detailed Lieutenant
Blount as executive officer. and the latter
proceeded to divide the crew of twenty
| Badger men into two equal watches. The
| watches stood four hours on duty and
four Off. Sentries, with belts full OF
~ a,I roxra11rnrcs aud rfHac t0adad
were placed at every important ladder.
| The upper deck was reserved by Lieuten-
| ant Peters for himself and his men, and
the Spaniards were instructed thai they
must keep clear of the gangways and lad
| ders and stay on the lower deck. Two
! sentries stood at the towline ready to
shoot any one who might attempt to cut
it loose.
Like most amateur tars, the first thing
the prize crew did was to bargain with
the Spaniards for souvenirs. Every time
| the Badger came near enough bundles of
Spanish clothing were passed over: Two
OF. the Spanish officers disposed of their
uniforms in the excitement of the bar
gain counter scene, and 'Calamity
Smith, the Badgers gunner's mate, has
already shipped one of them to the Push
Club of Newark to be used, he says, as a
Souvenir OF the war by that organiza-
ton.
Lieutenant Peters tried to be patient
with the Spanish cow for a few days, but
on the morning of the day the squadron
appeared off Havana the COW was duly
slaughtered. That day there were steaks
for all hands. Resentment had also risen
among the Badger men against the man
ners Of the pigs. These animals had been
in the habit Of "going to mess with the
soldiers.
Tho Badger men were content as long as
the pigs dined with their former COM
panicns, but when they attempted to join
the mess Of the Badger prize crew there
was trouble. and one of them was slaugh-
tered to make an American Sunday din
ner. The other was stoppered to the bits
aft. and was served up in outlets as the
.suuadron" left Dry Tortugas. The latter
animal FASTENED his own end by breaking
loose. getting tangled up in the legs of
Marine Tucker, causing the latter TO turn
half a dozen sonersaults and getting his
finger jamned In the trigger of his rifle.
The goat went the way of all goats on
To-day, and. the prize crew over, made
a very delectable lamb stew. Some Of the
ehickens have also crossed the river. but
there were enough left, Boatswain's Mate
Hudson declared. to keep the prize crew
In fresh eggs until they reach New York.
A BADGER BOY WRITES HOME.
Oliver Bartram Tells of His Naval