The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-30
TRIP ACROSS OCEAN
A Selma Boy Tells of the
Trip in CattIeship.
Hard Work to Feed and Water 357
CattIe.--A Storm at Sea...DaYs
of Sea Sickness.


be expressed, marched to the British
Consul to sign the sailing contract
those fellows were Edward ArmbruS-
ter, of Columbus, Ohio; William r..
Cunningham, OF jefferson City Tenn;
Glenn Wrenn, of Mount Airy, N. c.,
William Richardson and Robert +.
Noble, of Selma. n. G.
The Consul called us back to his
desk and removing his glasses SAID in
a pleasant but forceful tone: Young
gentlemen, you are to sail for Eng
land, you are entitled to good food,
good ped, good treatment ana a tree
passage back. You in turn are to iced
and water the cattle aboard the ship.
We signed the book and set out tor
our room. This was on Monday morn
ing and we were to sail at daylight
Tuesday on the steamship "kanawha,"
an ocean liner, 1872 feet long, 4Y52 feet
wide. So we are soon fixing box to
take along as we had heard that the
food on board a ship for cattle men
was not the best to be had
The afternoon found us packing our
suit cases, not to be opened till we
reached Liverpool. We had an early
supper and putting on our oVerallS
set out for the ship as we were advised
to go aboard before dark. 1t was i
drizzly disagreeable evening and more
than once aid we turn to take last
look at the city which we were soon to
leave. We reached the ship on time
and asked to be shown to the cattle
mems quarters.
One can imagine our looks and
feelings when we stood within a dimly
lit close, dirty forecastle containing
fourteen berths with dirty straw mat
tresSes and no covering at all. We
were up against it, but we were all de-
termined to make the trip and being
strong, healthy fellows, did not shrink
back. Ambruster suggested that we
stay in the warehouse all night which
we did, sleeping on large pile or
sacked oats. The head cattleman HAD
taken charge of the suit cases and the
provisions. Soon we were al asleep
only to be Weakened at four the fol-
lowing morning and told to go aboard.
The cattle were being loaded, all
hands were busy, preparing to raise
anchor.
There were three hundred and fifty
seven (35O cattle loaded and exact
ly at seven O'Clock the engine made its
first stroke and we were off. The cat
tie were to betied, so we were ordered
below right away and by eleven
O'Clock all were fixed. At eight O'Clock
we had breakfast, but none of u3
could eat much; partly from excite
ment but especially on account of the
food. Coffee, loaf brad and scouse.
Scouse is a dish prepared on all boats
for the common seamen and the cat
tlemen-Irish potatoes, beef and pork
stewed together with plenty of water.
Those who have not seem or eaten
scouse can not imagine it. The coffee
was bad, the cook told me it was made
from burned bread ground up. None
of us could drink This same meal fol-
lowed each day and was much relish
ed by the regular cattle men. Had 1t
not been for our box we would have
Jared hard, but with it we got along
often ask us why we did not eat the
scouse but they did not seem to care
as they always got our share.
BY twelve o'clock we had passed
Cape Henry and were out of sight OF
land. With longing eyes did we sit ca
the aft deck and gaze back where only
a few hours before was the beautiful
Chamberlin Hotel at Old Point, the
great Fortress Monroe and Virginia
Beach. We were off for twelve day s
voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and
there we sat.
None of us had been on the ocean
before and by four o'clock we began
to get sick. Cunningham and Richard
son were the first to go down and
great was the fall thereof. Soon
Wrenn did likewise, and Armbruster
and l were alone to comfort them.
But this state of affairs was soon
who had gone before with a great
outburst
Thus we Law down on the straw to
sleep after giving the cattle a light
feed Never before did / have to work
when l was sick How the cattle were
fed | do not remember, but without
any supper we went to sleep only 10
be awakened at four o'clock to water
the cattle. Imagine three sick boys
trying to water 17S steers, each steer
drinking from three to large buck
cts of water. Wrenn,, Richardson ana
I were on the port side and Armbrus-
ter. Cunningham and an lriShman
named Conley had the starboard SIDE.
Two experienced cattlemen, one on
either side had charge of us and help
ed us a great deal.
On our side was John Bernard,
German. we'll educated and strong. He
would make a star football tackle on
any of the big teams. On the other
was an Irishman, Patty Shellock,
small but hustling fellow. He, too, was
we'll educated, but had gone to the
bad. We all call him Patty and had
lots of fun with him. COnley was also
a funny fellow and twas great to hear
Patty and Happy" (for We had
named Conley Happy after the IA
nous Happy Hooligan of the New
York American for whom he must
have been the model get to taking
Patty was a picture for Puck when ne
would crawl into his bunk and smoke
his little clay pipe which came from
Liverpool and cost half-penny
On Wednesday we were SICK Tor
sure, all save Armbruster who mad
pulled through without being a1ected'
but the cattle had to be fed ana We
were as we'll in the eyes of the cattle
foreman. Jack, as we called BerhaIu'
was very good to us and o1ten ala
most of the work when we Would give
up. I was we'll when l woke Ihurs-
day morning and enjoyed the remain
der of the trip fine SO far as sea SICK
ness went. Beef and Bill, as l Shall
hereafter call Wrenn and RlchardSon'
were sick till Saturday, but from then
on we were in fine shape and worked
we'll
Our regular days work was not SO
hard and much of the time was spent
on deck. At four o'clock in the morn
ing we watered, and got up forty bales
of hay and twenty sacks of corn from
49, h I'd II q A