The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-05-10
TOUGH BILL OF FARE
MEssEs THAT ARE SERVED ON BOARD
a "MEAN SHIP"

ouees Names the sailors Give 20 the
Inpaiatabie Food - Dog chowder,
Nv the wind SOUP, TopgaIlant Tea
and Cow Upper.
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 20 eat is pro-
yided for by law, bun 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 q well polished
mutt6H 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 light brown color with float
ing islands OF grease on'its surface.
little hardtack Is added, aud there you
have your "by the wind soup"
When a "mean ship" gets well out TO
sea. one Of the first dishes TO appear is
dog chowder." 1t is sort OF resur-
rection pudding. made Of scraps that
! the cook does not dare 70 serve up as
| they are. but which he shreds finely or
nonnds In a mortar until all semblanee
! OF their original state is lost The mass
Is well mixed with grease and served
| hot.
Grease plays an Important part IN all
the "mean ship dishes. Another standf
ard item ON the bill OF fare of these
ships is "topgallant tea" 1t Is served
IN the men in the dog watches, and the
recipe for making 1t is this. Three
fines n week weak tea, made from
fresh tea leaves, Is served. The leaves
are saved aud mixed with the tea
leaves from the captains table. Brown
sugar OF iaolasses Is added. and from
the mixture is made decoction which
Is served four days In the week aud
which the sailors coll "topgallant tea
"Cow Upper IS a common dish on
all "moan ships" II Is made by boil
ing beef bones for six or seven hours
with all the scraps left over from for
mer meals. The broth SO obtained Is
well 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 In
couple OF holes in his belt after eat
ing II I'm order 10 stay him until the
next meal II is the result of weeks
leayings from the cabin table mixed
with six or eight ships biscuits ana
half an onion. 1t is not az all n nice
dish. and Il sailor with epicurean tastes
always makes a row when the cook
serves Il.
ON some OF the western ocean
tramps dish Is served known to the
sailors as hide stew" and the tough
est old salt that ever was drunk on
shore or mutinous at sea Is subdued by
II To a state OF lambllke docilfty, for II
is sure 70 double him up with indiges-
tion and make him think OF the here
after. Ii is made from collection OF
the skins OF everything pigs, pota-
toes. fowl from the captains table,,
bacon rind and well picked chicken
legs. This is boiled for six hours and
plenty OF thick grease added.
The captain of mean ship al
ways says. OF course. that his men are
well fed and that they only growl and
grumble because they are bad, UNI
grateful lot OF abandoned wretches.
! In proof OF II he will tell you that he
gives them plum duff twice week
The duff he gives them Is known 10 the
sailors as "bowlne duff" 1t Is made
from the scrapings Of pudding cloths
that once held the puddlngs consumed
: In port--when the captain gave his men
real duff, SO that they might not know
that they had shipped on 'medn
I, ship and make ''plerhead jump FOL
liberty. These scrapings are made
bulky with biscuit paste and favored
with cloves "Bowline DUFF Is tho
least unpopular Of all the dishes on the
bill OF fare OF the "mean ship" and its
actual cost Is 2 cents for every three
. men.-Exchange