Evening journal., 1901-12-27
TOUGH BILLS
OF FARR, THESE
Sailor Talks Of MeOSeS That
Are Served on Board
a MEAN Ship

Some ships are known as "mean
ships" by sailors on account Of the
food that Is served to the forecastle.
They are chiefly deep water sailing
ships and tramp steamers. OF course
what a sailor shall have to eat is pro
vided for by law. but the law some
times gets badly mixed up on blue wa
ter The strange dishes served TO sail
ors on mean ships" are no stranger
than the names the sailors give them
one Of the commonest Of "mean ship"
dishes is "by the wind soup" This
delicacy is composed of well polished
mutton bones. stale meat trimmings "A
handful of potato parings and scraps
from the captains table. The mixture
Is boiled vigorously for two hours, at
the end Of which time the result is hot
water Of a light brown color with float
ing islands of grease on its surface. A
little hardtack is added, and there you
have your "by the wind soup"
When "mean ship" gets well out to
sea, one Of the first dishes to appear is
rection pudding, made of scraps that
the cook does not dare to serve up as
they are bu; which he shreds finely or
pounds In a mortar until all semblance
OF their original state is lost The mass
Is well mixed with grease and served
hot.
Grease plays an important part In all
the "nean ship" dishes. Another stand
ard item on the bill Of fare OF these
ships Is "topgallant tea" IL Is served
to the men IN the dog watches, and the
recipe for making 1t is this: Three
times a week weak tea, made from
fresh tea leaves, Is served. The leaves
are saved and mixed with the tea
leaves from the captains table. Brown
sugar or mOlasses Is added and from
the mixture Is made a decOctiOn which
Is served four days In the week and
which the sailors coll "topgailant tea.
"COw Upper" Is a common dish on
all "mean shlps.' II Is made by boil
Ing beef bones for six or seven hour.
with all the scraps left over from for
mer meals. The broth so obtained II
we'll seasoned with salt and served out
Another dish Is jumping jenny, some
times called double belt pie" from
/ the fact that the sailor has to take II
q couple OF holes In his belt after eat
ing 1t in order to stay him until th'
next meal. 1t Is the result of n week'i
leavlngs from the cabin table mixeC
with six or eight ships biscuits anC
half an onion. 1t Is not at all nicl
dish, and Il sailor with eplcurean taste
always makes a row when the cool
serves IT,
on some OF the western ocean
tramps a dish is served known to tn
sailors as "hide stew" and the tough
est old salt that ever was drunk ol
shore or mutinous at sea is subdued b.
It to state OF lamblike docllity for
is sure 20 double him up with indiges
tiOn and make him think Of the here
after 1t is made from a collection o
the skins Of everything pigs, pota
toes, fowl from the captains table
bacon rlnd and well picked CHECKER
legs. This is boiled for six hours ant
plenty Of thick grease added.
The captain Of mean ship" al
ways says. Of course. that his men ar
well fed and that they only growi ant
grumble because they are bad, ur
grateful lot Of abandoned wretches
IN proof Of it he will tell you that h
/, gives them plum duff twice a weeh
The dun he gives them Is known TO tn
sailors as "bowline duff" 1t is mad
, from the scrapings of pudding cloth
that once held the puddlngs consume
In port-when tine captain gave his me
real duff, 50 that they might not kno'
that they had shipped on a inca
ship" and make ''pierhead jump" 70
liberty. These scrapings are mad
, bulky with biscuit paste and lavore
with cloves. "BOwline DUR Is til
; least unpopular Of all the dishes on th
; bill of fare Of the "mean ship" and II
actual cost is cents for every thre
men.-Exchange