Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-04
OVER THE SEAS.
Kennebec Teacher Makes Trip
on Freight Steamer.
Interesting Experiences Of a Halo
we'll Young Man.
The First Of Series Of Letters to the
Journal,


cross the ocean on a first class
inner is simple matter if one has the
means and desire to do so. 1t re-
CURES hardly more preparation than
70 go a few miles by train and the life
aboard resembles that at any first
class hotel, and probably few pas
| sehgers on those steamers know that
hundreds of people cross the water
eacn year at the expense of almost
nothlng. Ordinary freight steamers
sall weekly from Boston, New York,
ana other American ports to Liverpool,
Antwerp, and other European ports
carrying livestock and requiring
several men to tend these. These men
are given a free passage across.
This summer my friend and decided
Tor several reasons to go to Europe in
TINS way. 1t was all new to us but
after looking about a little we found Il
boat sailing from New York to
Antwerp, large new steel fast freight.
saturday noon we took our baggage to
the freight house and waited for the
time of embarkation. Several others
| with baggage were collected conVers-
| ing in tongues unfamiliar to us. After
| d long waiting we We're brought before
an inspector who asked several ques-
| lions concerning our ages, nationality,
etc. We registered as old cattle men
with long string of steamers on
which we had crossed and all went
smoothly. Then We took our baggage
up Il long narrow stairway to the deck
of the steamer accompanied by our
jocund companions. The lines were
thrown off, the steamer slowly backed
out and we were afloat for two
weeks voyage to that famous eastern
land of enchantment.
AS the steamer left the harbor we
stood on the upper deck watching the
changing landscape. No passenger on
a first class liner could have enjoyed
this more than we. We had no work
that day and roamed about at leisure,
except that we were obliged to keep
watch of our baggage which we were
told by our boss" might be cut open
in minute and the contents stolen
should we leave it where the sailors
might get at it. This we provided for
by taking our grips to the steward who
kindly consented to look after them
and all our valuables to the captain
who took charge of them. This left us
only trunk with little of value in it
and we took no more care to look after
that but slowed it in the forecastle.
The place assigned to the cattle men
was in the fore part of the ship. To
get to this we descended steep stair
way to the second deck where on
either side We're the rooms for the
sailors, then down another stairway to
the third deck. There We found q
rather dismal looking place about
thirty feet in lenght, flatiron shaped
with iron hunks three tiers high on
either side. Each man had a straw
mattress, a blanket and a straw pillow.
When the weather was fine it was not
very inviting place but when the
waves rolled in striking the bow of the
boat with q noise like thunder making
the boat jar with the force as if struck
with an immense sledge hammer. and
when with each wave the forward part
of the boat rose and fell twenty feet.
and especially in the evening with no
light but Il lantern suspended from the
deck above it was not as pleasant as
some places we knew of at home.
After looking about a little my friend
always sharp at driving a trade made
ARRANGEMENTS with the boatswain's
mate so that we could occupy two
hunks which he did not use in his
room, thus we We're not obliged to
spend a night in the forecastle and
after the second night we found
still better plan to sleep.
We with a young fellow from New
York, a native of Belgium whom we
n-c-itr cd
to the care of about seventy cattle
belonging to the Swift Beef Co Our
boss was young fellow from Boston
who thought he knew Il great deal
more about tending cattle than we.
but who we decided did not know half
as much about cattle as he thought
he did and we made it our way to do
the work when we thought ii should
be done which did not always coincide
with the time when he thought it
should be done. The work was only Il
matter of a couple hours each day and
was hardly more than a good exercise
| for u.s. The man Dutchy who worked
with us could not speak English and
the boss could not make him UNDER
stand anything. My friend who has a
peculiar faculty for grasping any kind
of language could make him under
stand a little in German so he was our
servant during the voyage and many
| long periods the boss spent in swear
ing at him without his understanding
| a word that was being said.
| 1t was at supper time the first day
| that we all assembled below and we
had an opportunity to see what kind
| of companions we had for the voyage.
There were fourteen of US and only
one of these besides my friend and
myself could speak English. This was
a native of Belgium who had been to
the Klondike region and was going to
Ostend to see his friends whom he had
not heard from nor written to for
several years. According to his story
he had considerable money made
partly by gambling. From his ability
to speak French we called him the
Frenchman." He was particularly
neat and clean. being the only one of
our company besides ourselves who
washed his hands before eating.
! The food was given out at the cook
house in large tin dishes which We took
! to our room below. Each man had a