Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-19
A CATTLE SHIP TRIP,
What 1t Means 10 Work Your
Way Across the Atlantic.
HARD LABOR AND POOR FOOD
Experience of College Student Who
Wanted to Sec tho Old World on
Little Monoy-His Troubles Abroad
and the Return Voyage.

A great many college boys and other
youths who have lot of time ana
very little money on their hands dur
Ing the summer plan TO get fine vaca-
tlon trip with little cost One of the
most popular trips is, of course. to
Europe. and. rs very few of them are
able to stand the first or second cabin
tariff and sort Of fight shy OF the steer
toward the much talked Of voyage MS
cattlcmcn. Without knowing very
much about cuttlc or the sen or hard
work young men often jump ut the OPP
this way.
About thS trip they know just this
much: First, that 1t costs So to get tho
job; second that the ca.tlcnen must
care for the cattle all the way over for
no pay, and, third, that the passage
back is free. That looks good but
that's only the bare outline. The OK
perlenccs of young collegian who
took this trip one summer may be OF
value TO those who may contemplate
the voyage and of interest to the pub
lie generally
When he got the idea that he wanted
to go TO Europe. lie had 500 in his
pocket. Five of this he paid to n
steamship agency in an Office on South
street, where he signed Il contract as a
cattleman. a few hours before the
sailing he reported on board TO the
foreman and was assigned to smelly.
greasy bunk in the forccastle. Then
the foreman, who was we'll liquored up
aud remained so all the way over OK
amined his papers. which contained n
minute description of his person. Tho
foreman said they were all right.
The men of the cattle crew were en-
tlrcly separated from the regular crew
of the vessel and seldom came in con-
tact with them during the voyage. Be
sides the foreman there were two paid
men, who also INDUCED In liquor all
the time and never worked. and four
college boys on an outing. The youths
got together rs soon as they were OH
board and discussed the possibilities
OF their job. Going down the Delaware
there was nothing doing The cattle,
210 head of them, We're quiet, and
things looked. rosy to the boys.
They got their first Jar when they
were called to dinner. This meal was
taken in the forccastlc. 1t consisted of
salt horse" "skousc," ''punl1," "oeo'
and "cAicory." Translated, the meal
consisted of meat. potatoes, bread, but.
ter and coffee Some OF the boys had
been camping and thought they could
cat anything. but they baked Mt the
quality OF the food and the careless
cooking. Then came row. The fore
man and the two paid men asked them
If they thought they were going first
cabin and threatened to throw them
overheard IL they did not eat. So they
ate
That night they retired carly ana
were pulled cut at i a. III. by the night
watch and told TO go to work The
foreman ana his two pnld men stood
around giving orders, while the boys
toilcd like galley slaves. First they
wntcrcd the cattle Each head of the
30 had to be given i've buckets of
water. which had To he carried from
the outlet tubs at the end OF the cattle
deck The boys soon began to sweat
under this unaccustomcd work and
throw of all their clothing except
their trousers. IN which costume they
worked all the way over. 1t took two
and one half hours TO water tho cattle
and then breakfast was served the
same kind Of STUFF that had been given
the evening before. By this time the
boys were so hungry that they could
eat almost anything.
At 10 O'Clock the heaviest work start
cd. The hay which was fed to the cat
tie had to be pulled up from the hold
with n block and fail. Eighteen bales
of 100 pounds each were hoistcil In this
manner rs we'll as ten bales weighing
from go 10 32J pounds and eighteen
bags of corn OF 100 pounds each Two
of the youths hooked the bales in the
hold. while the other two pulled It
did not take long for the tender skin
on their hands To become raw and in
famed, and the hauling became posi-
tive torture.
When all the hay and corn Ind been
pulled M the corn was fed to the cat
tie. and then It was time for dinner.
This was eaten hurricdly. so that the
men could get back TO work. The hay
Twas split in the narrow aislcs In front
of the cattle. and after several hours
of hard work at shaking it up the poor
beasts were fed Then the men were
fed with far worse food in comparison
than that given the cattle. BY this
time they Were tired enough to 60 to
bed. Most of them revolted Mt the
stuffy hunks and slept on the hard
deck.
This was the regular programme for