The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-06-09

dishes, which the men pass around and
help themselves from, in the same rela-
tive manner as the family table at
home is administered, and every one is
sure of getting just as much of every
thing as he wants.
The daily bill of fare is by no means
stereotypedg for it varies every day
and is never the same this week as it
was the week before.
In contrast with the present day gem
eral mess aboard ship 1t is interesting
to look back and see how a hundred
years ago our sailors lived in this re-
spect. In those days the men. did not
have tables upon which to eat, but
spread a mess cloth" upon the deck
in their respective gun rooms and
squatted on the floor around the fes-
tive cloth. The ration then, as now,
was governed by law, which specified
exactly what articles and how much
of each would be issued to the men
daily, and the following extract from
the law approved March q, 1894, is
herewith quoted to show how frugal
was the sailors menu in those days:
sunday.-One pound of bread. one and
one-half pounds of beef, half pint of rice.
Monday.-One pound of bread. one
pound of pork. half pint Of peas or beans,
four ounces of cheese.
Tuesday.-One ard one-half pounds of
beef. one pound of potatoes or turnips and
pudding.
Wednesday.-Two ounces of butter or in
lieu thereof six ounces of molasses, four
ounces of cheese and half pint of rice.
Thursday.-one pound of pork. half pint
of peas or beans.
Friday.-One pound of salt fish, two
ounces of butter one gill of oil and
one pound of potatoes.
Saturday-One pound of pork, half pint
of peas or beans and four ounces of
cheese and there shall be allowed one
half pint of distilled spirits per day or
in lieu thereof one quart of beer per day
to each ration.
The last item is interesting in the
light of present day regulations, which
strictly prohibit liquor in the navy for
drinking purposes. There were no ia
cilities for refrigeration aboard ships
in those days, and consequently fresh
provisions We're a luxury. Icemak-
ing machines were then unheard of.
and it would have taxed Aladdin's
magic lamp to the utmost to produce
fresh provisions ON board individual
ships of the fleet gives out there is
supply ship standing by with a ready
cargo of all kinds of fresh products
fresh eggs, meats, vegetables, etc.-to
replenish every ship that needs them.
So well developed is the navy's sys-
tenn of fleet supply that on the memo
rable trip of the Atlantic feet of six
teen battleships around the world in
1908 ample supplies of fresh provisions
for all hands We're always provided.
From this it will be seen that whatever
service conditions are the men are al
ways sure of getting as good fare as if
| they were at their own home tables.
There is no occasion to have recourse
to dehydrated products or food substi-
tutes of any kind in lieu of the real
thing. The navy departments attitude
on the question of subsistence for the
enlisted personnel with regard to the
acceptance of food substitutes, such as
dehydrated potatoes, oleomargarine,
etc, is best made clear by quoting an
excerpt frCm an intrabureau order
ships after she had been out to sea
: for a few days, whereas now every
battIeship is sufficient unto itself IN
that respect and turns out each day
tons of ice for refrigeration and drink
! ing purposes.
In the navy of today fresh meats and
vegetables are issued every day, and
no matter whether the ships are pa
trolling the coast of Mexico, at their
home ports or cruising in the Mediter-
ranean, a full ration of these articles Is
always served, and when the stock of
promulgated by the Paymaster General
OF the navy, in which he directed that
mo provision reQuisition will hereafter
call for any food substitute: .