Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-21
OUR, BOYS
OUR COUn1RY'S SERVICE

the following iettcE ~ AHoh "Aue
field G. Small Of HallowelI. formerly
of Palermo
L. S. S. Chester. Oct. 10th, 1918.
Dear Friend:
Your most wecome letter arrived.
and after being without mail for over
a month you can well believe we are
some tickled boys when the coxswain
sings out, 10y aft to bring mail
aboard.
Glad Chester is over here and doing
fine: Pinkham sure did pull Off good
trick.
By the way they are pushing things
now it looks as if we'll see the States
before long.
Oct. 2Sth. Guess you'll think
have been on furlough but that's
not the case.
The day started to write. had to
take a part Of a pump ashore; the
next day being Sunday and half hol-
iday, / must so on liberty" the day
following we coaled ship, and il you
have seen much coal you'll know that
Tits no time to write, then the next
day we got underway.
We expect to get in tonight. Have
had the best trip since we have been
over here. The weather has been
ideal, and the sea nearly calm. In
fact this is the first trip we haven't
had to eat off deck at all. When it
gets to rolling and pitching the tables
and benches fall over and slip around
in spite of the rubber caps on their
legs.
You were asking how we got our
meals and what they consist OF so
I'll try and explain about it, but
wish you could see it yourself.
They say the navy elbow" has
more attractions for fellow shipping
over than anything else.
We eat at tables that seat ten men
, and we sit on benches. five on each
side. There are fellows taken from
the new men who act as mess cooks"
and hold the job three months or long
er if they care to; each one takes
| care Of two tables, twenty men.
They have two soup tureens and two
! platters made Of aluminium; also sill
yer knives, forks and spoons. salt
! and pepper shakers along with vine-
gar bottles; those things they must
! keep bright and clean. They wear
the white uniform and are inspected
often The plates. bowls and cups
are washed and kept in the scullery:
! this is a job for two men and hot
Z! job it is, for they all get put in boil
! ing water. The galley aboard ship Is
! the kitchen on the outside; there
! spotIess cooks prepare and cook in
| big copper kettles and on the two big
! ranges with fire boxes at each end Of
them: the mess cooks then line up
! here and take the chow to the tables.
after it's put on our plates the Mas
ter-at- arms pipes us down; then the
mess cooks get US more of anything
we may want. For an example Of
what We eat. I'll tell YOU what we
. had for dinner: soup. roast beef, pota-
toes. turnip. gravy. bread and coffee.
Sundays we have been getting roast
pork: that's G great luxury here. It
seems. ut any rate we did not see
any for months when wc first came
over. Once in q while we have a
chicken dinner and not long ego had
turkey. Beef Ia the principal thing in
the meat limo and we &C. It often. We
had rabbit for Sunday dinner at one
time: that is considered something
! extra. bu5 We did not fall for 1t worry
strong. Beans arc served every Sum
day and Wednesday mornings.
Onions arc fne hero end we 60. them
/ ,,, in1 nj,
are on the bill OF fnrc nnaT;y every
meal. at times when they are not.
rice or macaroni take their place but
that's seldom. We got butter morn
inE and night. and ct noon sundays.
It's very good and often think we
eat butter and bread like the small
boy. There have been times when
the stores from the States were slow
in coming. and jam was used instead;
that suited US fine. We all seem to
have a sweet tooth. for all We get
cake once or twice a week; the cam
teen sells more candy than anything
I; else. Canned peaches, pears ana APP
ricots serve as sauce; then we have
prunes and evaporated apples and
peaches, too. Pudding made of rice
with raisins and tapioca and choco-
late are often served at supper time:
usually we are given rolled oats at
breakfast Tea. coffee and cocoa are
t the drinks. don't think we should
tire of any one thing with this variety
do you?
When underway as we are now. the
engine forces are divided into sec
lions. There are usually three.
sometimes four. We stand watches
Of four hours then have eight off;
have the four to eight this trip.
There are three frerooms; in each
flreroom there is a water tender, four
iirenen and four coal passers: that
Is when we are underway and each
fircroom stcaming; in port each sec
ton has its own fireroom to take care
Of and part Of the men from each one
work ir the engine room or about the
decks.
It is almost time TO get ready to 60
below and change clothes for my
watch; will eat an early supper, then
when we come off at eight Wen get
coffee and sandwiches as all the
night watches do.
We are making twenty knots now
end burn quite bit OF coal. 80 my
man will want to be relieved on time.
Write when you can.
AS ever.
WINFIELD.
w, G.. Small.