The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-26

seeing what Is the best way in which
the ration money may be spent to bring
about the fullest contentment with The
food which is furnished. OF course this
means the money which is allotted TO
the men forward, for the the after quar-
ters have their very own little world,
and there the men encounter no such
worries as of what to eat. There is
the Admirars mess, with caterer and
cook, the captains mess with the same
officials, and in turn the senior and
junior officers messes with their cooks
and caterers and waiter boys, while
with the warrant officers and the petty
officers messes, the way is made clear
for the division Of the men forward
into messes whi-h have an average Of
about thirty members.
There are number of the regulation
supplies which are called sea stores,
which are taken on by every ship when
starting upon cruise. These include
-four, canned goods of all descriptions
and the usual additions to the ration,
such as dried fruits ana condiments.
On the Wisconsin these stores arc a
considerable feature, as there are above
is no man in the world who is more
insistent upon his rights as 20 his
Chow than the sailor man. So il was
that when the battleship was o.dered
to get ready for the trip to the south,
that the requisition for stores included
800 tons of these materials. This is;
three months stores for the $50 men
aboard the ship.
There was a supply of fresh meat
taken aboard too, about a ton and a
half, for the regulations provide that
on the four days when this ration Is
to be served there shall be a pound for
each man in the ship. The ship has
ample cold storage, with Ice machinery,
though there is no ice made aboard,
the machines having their work cut out
to keep the contents of the cold room
in condition But this does not mean
that the after cabins are without the
cracked ice for their daily use, for a
supply of this necessary is laid in, and
being kept in the cold room, does not
waste to any extent.
In this room too are the luxuries which
adorn the tables of the officers messes.
There are all kinds of fresh vegetables
critical of the salormen. Where the
ration can be extended, there are such
things as fresh tomatoes, grapes and or
anges. though after some days at sea
the canned products of the ranch and
vineyard are in demand.
Forward there is the most enjoyment
taken out of the questions of what will
be to eat. The messes meet by one ac-
cord before a cruise Is undertaken, in
fact as soon as the crew is taken aboard,
and choose one of each for caterer. This
is a position of responsibility, and is
sought after too. for when a short stop
| is made. as is the case in this port,
the only men who have shore leave at
all are the caterers. To these men fail
the duty of making what is possible out
of the ration. The service for a mess IS
regulated absolutely by the naval regu-
lations dealing with the ration. There
are always a number of rations served
out of tie storeroom, and then one in
! four of the rations of the mess is paid
in cash, at lne rate of thirty cents a
day. Iaking ii on an average. the cater
er for mess finds that what he can get
from the storeroom is only sufficient to
make two of the three meals which are
coming to the workman. The other must