The San Francisco call., 1899-08-19
SAILORS ON THE
IOWA GROWL|NG
ABOUT THE FOOD
Friends Have to Send
Them Provisions.
SLUMGULLION-- CRACKER HASH
TWO DAINTIES SERVED OUT TO
UNCLE SAINTS BOYS.
Jack Tars Wanted Captain Terry to
Allow Them to Form Messes
and Buy Their Own Food,
But He Refused.
SLUMGULLI0N-CRACKER HASH
TWO DAINTIES SERVED OUT TO
UNCLE SAINTS BOYS.

There is a howl going up from 42O men
on the United States battleship Iowa over
the food being served out to them by I'm
Gle sam The sailors assert that their ra-
uons are practically the same at sea and
in port. What the strict letter OF the law
allows them they get, and any little deli
cacles or change of diet the men may
hanker after has to be smuggled aboard.
1t is nothing unusual to see half dozen
people at the landing with steaks and
chops and other articles 0f food every
time the Iowa's boat comes in from the
ship. These are sent out to the men
aboard and prove a very welcome addi-
ton TO the regular menu served 10 the
forecastle hands.
Things have come 70 such a pass" said
John A. Sherman, seaman on the battle
ship, yesterday. that we are now objects
of charity. Last Wednesday we received
a donation of a sack of potatoes, a sack
OF onions and a sack of corn from the
keeper of a notorious dive on Dupont
street. 1t makes me blush to think of my
brave comrades making a meal of stuff
purchased with blood money but l can't
right to the stuff, and as Captain Terry
will not allow US to form messes and pur-
chase our own food, what can we do?
When we wanted to club together twenty
tve or thirty men in a mess and each put
IN d dollar or so each month Captain
Terry told us we would make too much
boys have to fall back on the dive keep
ers and their friends for steaks and
chops, eggs, butter and milk.
of course, the dive keeper knows his
business and is only throwing out a sprat
10 catch mackerel. The men think him
q right good fellow and crowd his house
on pay day. Our bill OF fare since we ar
rived in San Francisco has been about as
follows: Fresh beef four times a week,
salt horse (corned beef twice q week and
canned meat once a week for dinner. For
breakfast we get beans three times a
week at least, and the rest of the time
cracker hash, slumgullion, burgo or rice.
Cracker hash and slumgullion are two de-
lectable dishes l would like to set the
person who calls this a sailors yarn
down TO. Cracker hash is made from
hardtack soaked in water, with the addi-
ton Of a little slush grease and some
canned meat--a most disgusting mess.
SlumguliOn is made by pounding some
canned meat in a bucket Of water and then
heating the whole mess in the oven. Boot
leg coffee is another dish I would like YOU
snOre people to try. 1t is as black as in
&iSO and as bitter as wormwood. Occa-
sionally We get tea, but never milk.
We get butter twice a week. but such
stuff. 1t would make any axle squeak 1t
was put on, I can tell you. There are
thirtY-three men in my mess, and three
pounds Of the stuff lasted us five days, so
you can imagine what vile trash 1t is
Why, had it been good it would not have
lasted day. We get spuds once a week
and corn and peas also. but in such guam
titles. one can Of corn or peas has to
supply ten men. Once a month the peas
or corn is cooked IN q batter made out
Of -four and water, and then 1t has TO
serve twelve men. For supper we get
canned meat, stewed apples or prunes.
and once in a while canned salmon-one
can TO six men. Such dainties as eggs.
beefsteak or spud hash are not to be
dreamed of in our. bill of fare What
can't understand is the fact that the
Government insists upon feeding us
canned meats at from Y to IS cents per
pound, while the best fresh meat can be
got for cents a pound or less.
Last night l had the best supper I
have eaten in many a day. It was a
slice Of canteloupe, peach, some canned
salmon and good butter. We had to thank
the Dupont-street dive for that. This
morning we had spud hash-agan thanks
two sacks Of spuds, and they had to go
around 420 men, but we had enough.
1T costs the Government SO 30 a month
for each mans food. There is no charge
for help, light or fuel, and no wear ana
tear I don't know how It IS. but If we
of dollars a month each to it we could
live like fighting cocks"
Captain Terry says the men get every
thing that the rules and regulations call
for; that they are allowed to bring deli
cacies aboard, but that if the ship was
lowed to buy its own stores there would
be endless confusion, and more odds and
ends brought aboard than the ships store
rooms could hold. Still the system has
warships of Uncle Sans navy.
This IS not a new grOwl on the part Of
the Iowa's crew. The men have been
complaining ever since last February but
II does not seem to have done them much
good The Iowa is the only one of the
there has been a persistent complaint
about the food.