The Washington times., 1903-04-12
Fewer Desertions from the 11avv
since Sack nas Seen Setter Teo

The ships company is no longer ,di-
vided into number Of separate messes
of twenty persons each. with independ-
ent arrangements. They are still
grouped IN bodies of about twenty. but
the ships company constitutes one gen
eraI or consolidated mess. and all are
fed alike.
The Change Forty Years Ago.
Forty years ago the Government made
the last substantial change IN the ration
OF the enlisted force of the navy. AM
from that day TO last year. with The
single exception of the acts Of 1872 AMI
18S0-the first providing an additional
ration of tea or coffee and sugar to
each seaman on first turning out in the
small hours of the morning. and the SEE
ond providing or permitting the substi-
tuition OF 'desiccated tomatoes" for dried
potatoes-Jackie has been fed substan-
tally upon diet years behind the
times. 1t is true the regulations showed
certain variations of the prescribed ra-
ton set by the act of July Is. 1861; but
there IS a long difference between n bill
OF fare and the served dish. as we have
all learned Uneven the best of restaurants
at times. and Jackie's cook seldom II
ever processes to qualifications a bit in
advance OF those demanded BY the very
cheapest Of boarding houses. There was
a deplOTable loss due TO wastelul
methods or lack Of method in pTepara-
ton, and there was a much saddle, loss
caused by the Uninviting way o. serving.
The names that Jackie has 81 zen to 50
many OF his sea dishes told more than
anything else the color Of the mental
glasses through which he viewed them.
and the skill in their preparing ii the
term apply at all-had renal ned pretty
much the same hit and miss IA 81 on for
the last three quarters OF a century,
with some modest exceptions.
The Daily Ration in 1894.
The term ration means the one daily
issue OF food for the individual. an al
lowance. since 1870. having a commuta-
tive value Of 80 cents, and intended to
supply the call for three weeks. In
March of 1894 Congress provi1eI that
the ration per diem and FOR each day Of
the week should he as follows.
sunday-One pound OF bread. one AMI
oue-half pounds of beef ana one-balf
pint OF rice.
Monday-Oae pound OF breal. one
pound of pork. half pint Of peas and
beans and four ounces OF cheese.
Tuesday-One pound Of bread. one and
one-half pounds OF beef. one pound of po-
tatoes or turnips and pudding.
Weduesday-One pound of bread. two
ounces Of butter or six ounces of mo-
lasses. four ounces OF cheese and half
pint of rice.
Thursday One pound of bread. one
pound of salt fish, two ounces of butter
or one gill OF oil. and one pound Of po-
tatoes.
Saturday-One pound OF bread, one
pound of pork. half pint of peas OF beans
and four ounces of cheese
And there are also allowed half a pint
OF distilled spirits a day, or, In lieu
thereof, one quart OF beer to each ra-
ton.
First Cut in Spirit Allowance
In, 1901, upon the reduction of the
navy. -four. guet and vinegar made their
appearance in the ration. and it was
forty years before another change was
made. BY that act. however. tea, eof-
/ fee. cocoa. sugar. pickles. and cranber-
/ ries were allowed. while the spirit "a
/ ton was cut down TO one gill, and sub
/ stitution Of fresh vegetables and fresh
| meat was authorized, and raisins, which
made plum duff possible. came into the
I bill of fare.
/ At this time the communicative value of
/ the entire ration-that is, the three meals
/ per diem-was 20 cents Viewed in the
! light of modern conditions and realizing
| the stress and toll incident 10 the navy
OF the 4O's, It IS hard to understand
| how the men were kept fit for work In
! fact. the records of the service show
| that they frequently were not equal TO
their tasks and the stories of the sailors
/ dread, scurvy, are frequent, especially
| during the hardships of blockading the
| Mexican ports during the war with that
+! country.