The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-31
LIFE ABOARD
UNITED States WARSHIP
Fare the Bluejacket Gets
For Thirty Cents
a Day.
A SHIPS CREW IN PORT
Eats 500 Pounds of Fish,
ESQ of Pork or a Barrel
and a Half of Beans.

How many housewives would like to
have to cater for a family for 80 cents
a head day? That's exactly the sum
it costs Uncle Sam, ana he has some
thing like 10000 bluejackets to feed at
his man-of-war table.
Even on ordinary days a sailor sits
down to a fare no civilian need snuff at
says the Home Magazine. Eggs boiled
potatoes, bread and butter and coffee
form his breakfast one morning. Per-
haps the next he has sausages and corn
bread.
Roast veal with gravy, boiled pota
toes, succotash, bread and butter, gin
gerbread and coffee is an ordinary dim
ner menu, while fried pork chops,
bread and butter, apple sauce and tea
is the bill Of fare submitted by the
steward to the paymaster for the same
days evening meal.
That the fare agrees with him is at
tested by his hospital record. Seldom
more than Ave to ten men are sick at
time from the ships crew of $50,
Not all the scamen are brought up
near the sea. Many of them are in
land boys who run away from home
for the life on the brine. The books
of the Virginia, for instance, bear this
out with a record that of the $50 sail
ors 800 have enlisted from States as far
inland as Idaho and Wisconsin.
Every minute of the day aboard ship
| is lived according to rule. At, $3.50
o'clock in the morning the sailor is
aroused by the call Of three bells. Thir-
ty minutes is allowed him for lashing
his hammock, etc. After that he is al
lowed to take 1t down only by special
permission. There Is ny sneaking ii
off for seductive little maps in the day.
His breakfast is served at $50
O'Clock, five bells. Twelve seamen
mess at one table, one Of their own
number receiving an extra stipend Of
So monthly from Uncle Sam for wait
| ing on his comrades.
This assignment is now generally
made in rotation. Jack tars have
been known to come to blows in their
zeal to secure it. Then again, when
stationed in warmer. climes. it was not
always easy to find mem willing to Of
hciate.
Uncle Sam sets seven tables, in ac-
cordance with his rules of class dis
tinction, which are as fixed, and UNI
swerving as the laws Of the Modes and
iPersians, There is, first, Admiral's
|mess, at which the presiding officer en-
Joys the same lonely distinction. Third
wardroom officers, or jollifcation mess
so called for the good times enjoyed
Eby the tabIeful of commissioned Off
GERS below the rank of captain.
Fourth, the junior officers mess
consisting of midshipmen, the young
graduates of Annapolis, who, having
been educated at Uncle Sans expense,
are now getting their nrst maritime
experience. Fifth, the chief petty Off
Icers mess, for those in rank below the
tmidshipmen. Sixth the warrant Off
lcers mess, who, by pull, special ability
Tor act of prowess, have raised them
Iselves from the enlisted ranks. Seventh
land last but not least, is the general
/
of the rank and file are assuaged.
Uncle SAINTS officers want the fat Of
the land, and supply 1t from their own
purses. BY special clubbing arrange
ments among themselves an officers
mess Is provided at a cost to each Off
Ger of $50 a month. Even colored
chef is retained.
His soufIles and his salads are true
works of art. The key of the wine
| chest he guards with jealous care. But
all this is matter of reckoning be
tween him and the officers. Uncle Sam
enters not at all.
Uncle Sans head housekeeper, the
lpaymaster, indeed, has quite enough on
his mind trying to keep nearly q
Thousand lusty men satisfied with theii
(grub and at the same time keep his
bills down to the satisfaction of the
/ Navy department auditor at Washing
ton. 1t is no light undertaking,
The paymaster, in truth, must be a
imam of rare parts, and is rightly es-
lteemed one of the ablest and most hon
Iored officers in the service. Take the
Qualities needed to make a successful
hotel man. Add to them those tc
make the popular leader. Throw ir
Intense pride and loyalty to the service
seasoned with untiring zeal for the in
terests of his men, and you get tht
kind of mixture Uncle Sam has to fine
before he appoints his paymaster.
When he is loading up for an eight
weeks cruise no wonder his brow is
knotted. Making out the next meals
order while in port is one thing. SIM
Iply confab with his steward as t.
whether it shall be 500 pounds of fish
or $50 pounds of pork and a barrel and
a half Of beans.
| BY the ships regulations every mar
is allowed daily stipend of one an(