New-York tribune., 1912-07-14
T he u USS.Constltution .as7Sbe, is Io-day.

mustered his crew before sailing from
Washington in June 1912, the purser, as the
paymaster or the commssary officer was
then called in the navy, issued 10 each new
man his outfit Just what the blueJackets
equipment then cost is hard 10 tell, but.
based upon the scale CT living at that time,
IL probably did not represent an outlay of
more than half Of the sum spent on his
brother of to-day. The value Of the enlisted
mans outfit which he receives now upon
first entering the service, reaches total or
! ss0-whoesale price-and this Is equivalent
to the years pay Of a sailor OF 1912.
CHANCE FOR GRAFT IN 1912.
The purser in those days was a combina-
ton Of commissary and commission mer-
chant and all OF his dealings with the crew
were with an eye single TO lining his own
pockets so far as the navy regulations per-
ritted. and his profits were anywhere from
/ 3 10 25 per cent. To-day the bluejacket
gets his stores after they have been pur-
chased in immense quantities and from the
lowest reliable bidders-the articles being
subjected 10 critical inspection before they
are accepted for the service. Therefore, the
| foregoing comparisons do no more than
! hint at the advantages which our sailors
| enjoy to-day. The articles which JACKIE
buys now from the ships stores are sold 10
| him at cost and the citizen would bA I'M
mensey delighted II he could purchase from
| the same stock. 1t is because OF This that
the enlisted man aaoat lives so we'll upon q
| total daily outlay Of approximately 80 cents
century back the law prescribed the
kind and the quantity Of food which should
be issued in the way of rations each day.
| There was precious little fexibility about
the dietary, and II was in this manner that
the government rigidly provided for its
officers and its sailors alike:
Sunday one pound Of bread, one pound
and a half OF beef and half pint OF rice.
Monday. one pound of bread, one pound or
pork, half pint of peas or beans and four
ounces OF cheese. Tuesday one pound OF
bread, one pound and half Of beef ana
one pound of potatoes or turnips, and puc
ding. Wednesday. one pound OF bread,
two ounces OF butter, or in lieu thereon
six ounces Of Ino!asses four ounces OF
cheese and half a pint of rice. THURSDAY.
one pound Of bread, one pound Of pork ana
half a pint of peas or beans Friday, ons
pound OF bread, one pound of salt FISH, two
/ ounces Of butter or one gill of oil and one
pound Of potatoes Saturday. one pound
of bread one pound OF pork. half a pint or
peas or beans and four ounces Of cheese.
And there shall also be allowed one-ha!f
pint of distilled spirits per day or in lieu
thereof one quart Of beer per day to each
alton"
MISSION Or JACK k-o'-THE- DUST"
These stores were issued by the purser
or his yeopsn. the latter commonly known
V,,ly - he. .1ssct hna /, 10
mission was TO give as much cracker dust
Al possible with each pound of hardtaeK'
which paraded officially under the desig-
nation bread" The beef and the pork
were not fresh meats-they were picked
and packed in barrels for the purpose OK
lasting for long periods. Not infrequenuy
when the barrels were broken open they
gave every evidence of age TO both the eye
and the sense OF smell and as for the but
ter-well. the most boisterous sea never
ran higher
The bill of fare Of the general mess OK
one of our seagoing ships to-day would
make Hull and his fighting contemporaries
turn green with enby. Just a haphazafd
choice OF a single days meals on one Oh
our Dreadnoughts will tell its own story
of the difference, and. strange as II may
seem, this food costs the government oniy
Ave cents more man. despite the hisn
cost of living, than Jackie's provender d'o
In 1872:
BREAKFAST.
Dreaded pork chops.
Boiled potatoes.
Tomato sauce.
Fresh fruit.
Bread Butter Cofee
DINNER
Roast leg Of veal sage dressing.
Mashed potatoes.
Mashed turnips.
Brown gravy
Bread Butter. Gomez,
SUPPER.
Cold roast beef.
Fried potatoes.
Red beets.
Tapioca pudding. +
Bread Butter. Tea at4
There Is no comparison between the mss'
centiausd on sevsuah pss~