The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-06-21
A CATTLE SHIP TRIP,
What It Means to Work Your
Way Across the atlantic.
HARD LABOR AND POOR FOOD

Little Monay--F4is Troubles abroad
and the Return Voyage.
A great many college boys and other
youths who have a lot Of time and
very little money on their hands dur
Ing the summer plan to get fine vaca-
ton trip with little cost. One OF the
most popular trips Ii, of course. TO
Europe. and. as very few OF them are
able 20 stand the first or second cabin
tariff aud sort Of fight shy OF the steer
age. their lmaginations turn naturally
toward the much talked Of voyage as
cnttiemen. without knowing very
much about cattle or the sea or hard
work young men often jump at the op-
portunity to get to the old world IN
this way.
About this trip they know just this
much: First that II costs IS to get the
job; second, that the eattlemon must
care for the cattle all the way over for
no pay. and, third. that the passage
back h free. That looks good, but
that's only the bare outline. The ex-
periences OF a young collegian who
took this trip one summer may be OF
value 10 those who may contemplate
the voyage and OF interest to the pub
&c generally.
When he got the idea that hs wanted
20 90 TO Europe. he had $50 Ii his
pocket Five OF this be paid 70 a
steamship agency In an once on South
street. where be signed contract a. O.
cattIeman, A few hours before the
sailing be reported On board 70 the
foreman and was assigned % q smelly,
greasy bunk IN the forecastle. Then
the foreman, who was we'll Ilquored uD
and remained 70 all the way over, ex.
amined bis papers. which contained q
minute description of his person. The
foreman said they were alf right
The men Of the cattle crew were en-.
tirely separated from me regular crew
Of the vessel and seldom came III con.
tact with them during the voyage. be.
sides the foreman there were two paid
men. who also induiged IL liquor all
the time and never worked. and four
college boys on an cutting. The youths,
got together ~ soon as they were on
beard and discussed the possibilities
OF their Job. Going down the Delaware
there was nothing doing The cattle,
2i0 head % them, were quiet. and
things booked rosy u the boys.
They got their first Jar when they
were called 10 dinner. This meal was
taken IN the foreeastle II consisted o.
''salt horse" ''skouse" punk" "oleo''
and ''chicOrg." Translated. the meal
consisted Of meat, potatoes, bread. but
ter and coffee. Some 81 the boys had
been camping and thought they could
eat ANYTHING, but they baked az the
quality Of the food and the careless
cooking. Then came 3 row. The fore
man and the two Paid men asked them,
II they thought they were going frat
cabin and threatened to throw them
overheard n they did not eat So they
ate
That Eight they retired early and
were pulled out az a. m. by the night
watch and told 10 20 20 work. The
FOREMAN and hls two paid men stood
around giving orders. while tho boys
tplled llke galley slaves. First they
watered the cattle. Each head Of the
2i0 had 10 be given ave buckets OF
water, which had 20 be carried from
the outlet tubs at the end OF the cattle
deek- Tho boys soon began % sweat
under this unaccustomed work aud
thrcw OF all their clothlng except
their trousers. la which costume thay
worked all the way over. II took two
aud one half hours 10 water the cattle,
and then breakfast was served. che
same kind OF stun that had bean given
tho evening before, by this time the
boys were 80 hungry that thsy could
eat almost anything.
AZ 10 o'clock the heaviest woEk start.
cd. The hay which was fed 20 The cat.
tie hid % 10 pulled up from the bold
with block and fail Eighteen bales
OF 10 p0unda each were h0lsted I'm this
manner a. well - ten bales weighing
from go 10 40 pounds and eighteen
bags of corn u us pounds each. Two
% the youths booked the bales IN the
bold. while the other two pulled. II
did not take long for the tender. skin
on thciF hands % become raw aud b.
aamed, and the hauling became @ pod.
tive torture.
When all the hay and corr hAd been
pniied up the corn was fed n the cat.
Gle. and then Il waS time Tor dlnneF.
This was eaten hurFiedly. - that the
msa could set back 10 work, Tue hay
was split In the narrow alsies IN front
OF the cattle. and after several hours
of hard work az shaking Il up the poor
beaSis weFp fed Then the men were
fed with far worse food IN compArlnon
than that given the cattle. ny thlA
tiult they were tired enough b 50 q
ted Most Of them FeyOlted az the
siuny hunks aud slept on the hard
deck.
This was the regular pFugranms tor
each day. on tho second day out q ~.
tae rSiief came when poor. starved