The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17
COMPLAINT OF A SAILOR
jolly Tar Finds Fault With Holt
day Rations.
Christmas Time on Beard the L. =.
=. Observation-Disclosures Unknown to
the Average Landsmnn--A Riot at
the Mess Table of the War Vessel.
'Ali's Well That Ends Well"

The following letter. containing a sail
or's diary OF his bill of fare during the
last Christmas holidays. on the United
States ship Buffalo will, perhaps. be
something of a revelation to most people
concerning the manner in which men are
treated in the American navy. The letter
bears the postmark Gibraltar. and was ev-
identity delayed in transmission. 1t is
worded in a somewhat homely manner.
and its writer, who signs himself by the
nom de plume Jolly Jack, Jr'' would seem
to possess, with all his sense OF iIl-usage,
no inconsiierable amount of native humor
The missive is directed to the Editor of
The Times and puts the case thus:
Kind Sir: VIII you please make little
column OF this in your daily paper so that
the people of Washington can see how the
crew. or the men, on the U. s S Buffalo
spent some of their Christmas holidays on
board. There were between nine and ten
hundred OF them, mostly landsmen still
In training. 1 will start from the night of
the 22d of December, when we were in the
Roads below Norfolk, Va The following
bill of fare is correct, and all of those
who took notice of it as ] did will say the
same
For breakfast on the morning of the
23d of December We got bareback, one
half plate Of beans there an illustration
is appended showing the size of the beanl.
The coffee is something fierce. not as
good as the second boiling of the cheap
est-grade coffee. being fully two-thirds
Willie" stew (formery known as Ayers
beeD. and drink of boot-top coffee
The last name We can give it because
1t tastes like leather. At supper we got
little rice and very few raisins in it
the Chinaman called it chopped suey,
and half cup OF commissary ale, or i'm
itation tea
December o4.-Breakfast. bergrue. sup
posed to be oatmeal; two slices of stale
bread and drink of boot-top coffee. Din
ner-This dinner was pretty fair roast
feef, boot-top, and stale bread. Supper
Stew, combination of beef, canned Will
lie. and salt water. This being the eyn-
ing before Christmas, and we leaving for
Trinidad, we look for great dinner to-
morrow, but you can judge for yourself
December 25-(At seal Mackerel that
was packed in salt water, and boot-top
Dinner christmas Day., two small slices
OF roast beef, two slices of stale bread
and half-cup of boot-top. At supper we
got few prunes-they were counted out
to us-stale bread and commissary ale.
December 26. Northumberland
hoot-top coffee. and stale bread. Dinner
combination stew (all earned goods. bet
ter known as Sappho." and boot-top.
Supper - Maccarori leach stick swelled
about three-quarters of an inch), and
stew that was left over from dinner. and |
commissary ale.
December 81. Breakfast-Hash. which |
contained bareback. canned Willie, and
salt water. and boot-top to wash 1t down
with Dinner-Sait horse, that was packed
for the navy during the civil war. and
something new that appeared and which |
they called butter, but ii would take about |
1t0 pounds steam pressure to hold down |
q two pound can of it to prevent it from |
jumping out of the port. For supper we |
got combination sauce with a mixture of |
urled apples, prunes, peaches, and april |
cots TOR this mixture We had no nameD |
ale. After supper the band |
played, and we gave three cheers for the
Red, White and Blue.
December 2S.-For breakfast this
morning We had bergrue and no sugar in
the boot-top; canned Willie stew for din
ner- Some of the boys tried TO tell what
was mixed with it. but gave it up for
bad job. For supper we had some rice |
such as the Chinaman called chop suey.
hut the Japs could not name it for us. SO
we passed it by.
December 49, For breakfast they gave
us what they called salt Goldfish hash; the |
salt was there all right, but the FISH must
have Jumped overheard, and the boot-top
had little sugar in it. but not enough |
10 take half Of the bitter taste from it.
The bean soup We got for dinner was all
right. One of the boys found a bean in |
his plate and asked the cook if the strain
er was broken, for they served the beans
after the soup was made, and baked them
afterward. Boot-top on deck again. For
supper We had a hot old time with salt
horse. couple OF slices of stale bread |
and a couple OF swallows OF commissary's
ale to wash It down with When the
saw that feed they raised open
objection. and when the eommissary came
down TO see what was the matter someone
heaved chunk OF salt horse at him and
that started the rest. very exciting
time ensued. and after a time the captain
had quarters sounded. The men were then
told that If it happened again, the lead
ers OF the riot would be punished They
thought they could blum us that way, but