The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-25

hunk Of salt horse when heavinE II over
the side. We ate Kaftir fashion. tearing
the stuff ss,va=ely with fingers and teeth
For supper each mess received a bucket
of tea and three or four hardtack each.
This was never varied, except when We
got dab IF rank margarine
The bareback vas adamautine. dry as
powder the tn a wonderful compound.
bitter as aIoes. The tea leaves Jeff from
the ships officers meals were the basis.
The chef added . hagdful Of peach tree
and willow leaves. poured boiling water
in and stirred the whole with a dirty
stick Coffee Tor breakfast was similar.
altogether horrible Supper arriving. the
muitteers crowd around each holding
out his cup and grabbing a bareback Il
was in this scramble for grub that the
several individUalities showed themselves.
We could be grouped into three OF four
classes We were those in whom the ami
mai instinct predominates. which showed
IN the brutal scramble for the Scanty
fare; the hungry but timid ones who ate
what the hogs left. and those who were
too disguised TO participate in the re
past
A solemn-faCed clergyman. smooth
tonSued lawyer, Al anaeuiic doctor. te-
lcCraphers. printers, cabiretmakers. car
penters, trainmen. motormc1. black
smiths. noideTs, etc, all on the lower
turn Of Fortunes wheel were among the
calliRgs represented in the Inulcteers.
April l9 we found ourselves entering
the Gulf. and ere long the muddy waters
Of the Mississippi were lost. Our crew was
Iamentabiy wicked. When one hears the
unbridled ribaIdry and vile badinage the
gross Jests and coarse blaspEemies that
the soul turns sick with horror. and we
wonder whether we, too. are destined 10
grOveI ii the mire and exc out a mis-
cradle existence among the wretches of
weak moral caiibre. never likely to rise
from the mud where sin has consigned
them
The novelty of the voyage wore off and
revealed the hard reality. Each day our
work was the same. increased as the men
became accustomed 10 the routine The
officers Of the ship were like all the Eng
fish I have known. Sleek. well wesned,
and groomed, polite and agreeable when it
was good policy to be SO, but suffering
from their national fault. an insuTeraole
and incurabie Conceit. Our ships physi-
clan. an excellent American gentleman.
the other cay retorted to the pUrser, an
iUtolerabIe C0xcomb. If I could only vac
cinate the American youth with some part
Of your conceit, ours would become a
powerful nation indeed
our sleeping quarters were second deck
aft, where rough wooden hunks were
built A mattress and pillow Of excel
Sior and a coarse blanket were provided
/ but soon discarded because of the count
less thousands Of verrnin. At night flies
and bugs t0rmented us and rats ran riot
over US To bed at Q uD at >. And We
got up too; no turning over for the be
! loved catEap-
At a m each man sought his post
having been assigned the care Of eight
cen OF twenty wild horses. There were
j,56t wild, savage beasts distributed
throughout tie four decks in narrow
stalls facing the aisIes. with 4 row OF
stalls on each side and in the centre
Huge wind shafts provided fresh air
First each man filed twenty iron pals
and watered his stock Then the buck
! cts were nfled with wet bran and oats
Many horses got two OF three buckets eZ-
ira by bluffiHE their ueiRhbors- They
would reserve their own food. slOngate
/ their necks, and eat everything within
/ reach. meeting whinnied protests with
( vicious bites These ! deemed very Brit
/ ish animals indeed
! After feeting. We breakfasted on boil
! ed potatoes, bareback. coffee, and rank
margarine Hardly were We through
when the harsh voice Of the foreman or
/ dered all hands below TO clean alsles,
( scrub buckets. hoist feed from the low
! er hold-a hercuieau and very hazardous
/ task-then odd Jobs nending stalls, doc
| toring and ClIrrying the wild beasts. and
! heaviug trash overheard. until II o'clock,
when We fed again This was tie daily
/ routine
The most dreaded by all was Tuesday,
/ when We were required to clean out the
/ stalls This fearful job tested the endUr-
ance Of the hardest of our crew. The
! very prospect was perfect awful TO those
/ unaCCuStOmcd to such labor and UIIaC-
/ quainted with wild horses Each man was
I given q wooden rake. q fork, a shovel,
/ and q small buShel basket He then re-
/ moved most Of his clothing. took down
! the bars between the first two horses, and
/ led the first TWO out With might and
I main they always resisted coming out OF
/ the stalls. and likewise resisted going IN
again They bucked. stamped snapped.
/ kicked and 'pirOuteG around the narrow
I space the n1tIleteer holding on to the hal
/ ter IaaufuIly- With the aisles wet and
slippery and the ship rolling TO an angie
Of - degrees this WAS terrifying and en-
I tireIy unnecessary work The vicious
brutes always anticipated this day and
stood awake all night dcvistng new ter
rOrs for their miserable vaiets- Into the
stalls just vacated the muieteeT enters
/ wdding knee deep IN n glUelike mass IL
/ digs ShOVelS. and hezVes until the tW q
I stalls are clean. Then he unties the next
two wild beasts. and after much COaNlng
Z beating. goading with pltchforkS dIu
! hammering with biudgeons the two fierce
creatures slide and fan into the two clean
stalls which are wet and slippery as
glass. Up go the bars and the stalls they
I vacated are cleaned. the muleteeT con
Z StdntIy WdtChful OF KICKS ana bites, Dllnd'
ed with perspiration. feet and hands bills
tered. ammonia fumes Stiting the lungs
/ a ron Of the ship a stagger toward the
| horses when. bang. an iron hGOf flies out
and the surgeon has job
Meanwhile this work goes on sfmulta'
0eousiv all over the ship, n perfect hive
Of furious industry, horses screaming
men shouting. swearing, engines racing
Fand pandernonium reigns supreme We
knock of at Il, feed the stock. then eat
I our own dinneer Ye gods. such dinner
Our eteyva rds line I'D In the galley. The
cooks ding a pan OF meat &c each. SINAI
hunk Of salt horse, and smaller hunk
OF fresh beef. intended for ten, not sum
Gent for four. and bucket of alleged Sea
( soup which looks and tastes like weak
dishwater- No salt. except rock salt
which we Durloin from the horses and
Mound up no pepper. no sauces no sea
soniug whatever the meat inVarldblS
tainted frequently fun Of shippers auo
era wiling veTTniu. and utterly nauscatlng
W. have several blacks in our crew
When we complain the captain deTtdes US
saving The niggerS complain not why
should you2 Go below Again 1t gooC
enough for bloody HaUeTicdn purTs-
( Even our invalIds hao 10 eAJ iAIs viz
/ stuff or nothing
Most Of the meat goes overheard, ana
I We. satisfy n huge sea appetite on ma
/ tack and water OF pea soup Al noon y
( receive q slab Of sour, SUggy bread, black
I baIf done full Of grit and trash, welSn
- ne having stone. Only on SUNDAY
! ie nastrv served This, an unwhoieSome
! .-yfl-Tg0kiDg and smelling mass OF mo
: Iassre and dough. In which one Snln
. times finds 1ecayed cuTrahJ OF n F.loid!
. Mum This piece de resistance Is Caile'
( IIrrr duff and is a reward for good be
. hayior At first we kicked on the qualit'
4 If the grub and the skipper laughed de
risiveIy; then on the quahuty. WneEs''t IL