Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1896 — SOME QUEER TOURISTS. [ARTICLE]

SOME QUEER TOURISTS.

They Go Abroad as Cattle and He turn as Swells. While hosts of people look over the passenger lists of the lucky ones who ar,e able to go abroad and envy> them way down In tlielr hearts, there is a class of men who make frequent trips across the ocean which would hardly excite envy,, excepting by reason of their peculiar privileges.' This class is humorously called “cattle chambermaids,” .because of the fact that those who belong to it give their attention to the live cattlg-, exported from this countryto Europe. The men who do this are the riffraff of the world and when here find it difficult to earn more than enough to keep body and soul together. But when they are lucky enough to get one of these “chambermaid” jobs theylfeel like millionaires, for they get more money a day for the trip than they could get on shore in a week. There are a number of Chicago stock yards men who do a large business exporting cattle, and they afip'ays have a gang of fellows around waiting for the first chance to.go out with a cargo. The average time of these trips from Chicago to London is about fourteen days and the price paid the attendants is S3O in gold. Tjie chambermaid is at no expense whatever. lie is fed, but, oh, such feed. It is worse than that of the animals he looks after. There is always a gang boss and he it is who dispenses the “grub.” Ordinarily this is boiled fat pork and bread, with only water to drink. The pork comes from the kitchen in a great pot or tub. The boss stabs a chunk of solid fat with the long handled fork, almost a pitchfork in fact, and hurls it at one of the “maids” with some choice specimens of billingsgate. It is caught much as a dog catffhes a chunk of meat in his mouth and no attention Js pai,d to the liquid grease which flies in every direction. The fat pork is followed by a hunk of stale bread, and a drink of water finishes the repast. i But what care these fellows for the fare and the labor going over. They know there .will be joy and pleasure when their destination is reached. Once landed in Liverpool or Southampton they are given their S3O in English gold, so they will spend it in England, and a return ticket good for ninety days from date. Then at once begins a season of riotous living. The first thing is a flashy suit of clothes and a walking stick and then off for London. The old hands kno\v better than to “blow in" theii money on expensive eating. They have familiar with the “coffee palaces” to be found all over London, where they get an imperial quart of coffee for one penny and a “bun,” equal in size to an average loaf of bread, and thus for two pennies they buy .all they can possibly eat. On certain days, when they feel like luxuriating, they mqy perhaps spend threepence on some dainty like a dozen shrimp, but even with that extravagance indulged in every two or three days the S3O will not last a long time and give plenty of opportunity to soak themselves with “ ’alt and ’alf.” These chaps always stay until the money Is about gone and then back they come to Chicago, where the glory of their London clothes soon becomes dimmed as they loaf around the cattle pens at tiie stock yards while waiting for another'Chance to act as cliahibermaids to a drove of cattle.—Chicago Chronicle.