The Portland daily press., 1900-12-26
On Vancouver There Vas a Fine
Dinner for All hands,
With Inpromptu Con.
cert in Afternoon.
Hundreds Of People Visited the
Ships During the Day.

Inc usual CHRISTMAS conditions pre-
vailed along the water front yesterday.
As the weather was balmy and almost
like spring day, many people took the
occasion to stroll along the wharyes--
especially In that section where the
English steamers are 10 be found. There
were four of the big liners In Portland
yesterday--the Vancouver and Roman of
the Dominion company and the Livonian
and 0rcadian of the Allan company.
The Vancouver was the chief ship of
these which was visited, as this was the
only one of the quartet which has ac-
commodarions for passengers. She was
the one boat that was decorated in
special honor of the most joyous day of
the year. As soon as she arrived Sun
day preparations were at ouce begun to
adorn the outside with many flags and
bunting and the interior with holly,
evergreen and mistletoe.
Yesterday morning the crew started
out to make preparations for the regular
English dinner of game and plum pud-
ding. This dinner was served at noon
and 1t was feast that was right heartily
enjoyed by the officers and men, with a
few of their friends. Dinner was con-
cluded by o'clock in the afternoon,
and then for the remainder of the day
the people ON the steamer passed the
time in a generally quiet manner. Dur
To- he xyscf h0nar y,
put in an appearance to look over the
ship, but it was in the afternoon that the
most of the sightseers gathered to walk
over the decks and wander through the
ship. There were not a few ladies
among these visitors, and they were
courteously shown about all parts by the
officers, who were most attentive. At 3
O'Clock in the afternoon dozen of the
crew of the stewards department as
sembled In the stern and started up a
little English music, which soon had the
effect Of bringing small crowd around
them. One of these men had a guitar,
on which he discoursed some of the
familiar tunes. He was an accom-
plished fellow and played many of the
well known songs of the day ON a range
from the ever beautiful strains of that
grand opera, "Cavellerla Rusticana,"
down to the street lines of I'D Leave
My Happy Home for You" To this
music of the guitar the comrades of the
musician Joined in with the chorus.
This music did much to relieve what
might have otherwise been rather
long and dresry day for some of the
men and young chaps of the steamship.
Three or four wharves beyond the
Vancouver was tho Roman, which had
been getting in readiness for several
days to set sail for Liverpool. By yes
terday about all of the cargo had been
loaded on this steamer, so that all that
was left was the placing of the sheep
and cattle on board. There were 700
cattle to be taken from the cars and
1859 sheep. This was quite task in
itself. and a gang of fifteen or twenty
men we're busily engaged all day in this
work. This sight OF unloading cattle
from the cars and hustling them
through the sheds and then ON the
steamer is always an interesting one. A
large number of people collected near
the cars and eagerly watched the pro-
ceedings. The men who did this work
have for the most part been in the bust
ness here in Portland for many years
and know just what to do with the cat
tie and sheep. There was no trouble at
all yesterday in this work, and late In
tho afternoon the last car had been
emptied aud the cattle and sheep tied up
and ready to be taken over to the great
markets in Liverpool. 1t had been in
tended that the Roman shonld leave
4 o'clock in the afternoon, but it was
almost an hour and a half after that
time when the planks were pulled out
and the start made. This steamer is
bound direct to Liverpool, and besides
the many cattle and sheep she had
aboard full cargo, which is valued at
about s400, 900.
The next steamer OF the Dominion
line to arrive in Portland is the Otto
man, which comes direct from Liver
pool. She left the other side several
days ago, aud wiz probably reach Port
land about the middle of next week.
as yesterday was holiday there was
not much work going on at any of the
wharves except where the Roman was
being loaded. The longshoremen, who
have been experiencing a busy time for
several weeks. were glad to have day
of respite from their labors. But some
of the offices of the different steamship
lines were kept open all day. The force
of the Dominion line were piled up in
work, as they were obliged to work to