Copyright 2016, Avancept Publishing, All Rights Reserved.

Photographs of John Albert Neal from the Ewing Family collection.

Photographs of the USS Rhode Island and the US Navy San Francisco Detention Camp
courtesy of the US National Archives.
Photograph of locomotive 602 courtesy the Arkansas State Railway Museum.
Photograph of railway brakeman courtesy US Library of Congress.
Route map for the Cotton Belt Rail courtesy of American Rails.

Cover collage by Tom Ewing.

First Edition, December 2016.

Page -1

Contents
Page
3

I. An introduction to Bert Neal

II. Bert Neals World War I Journal
A. Frontispiece
B. Key Military Training Dates
C. French Vocabulary
D. List of Home Friends
E. Currency Exchange
F. Metric System
G. Berts Description of His Naval Training
H. Berts Battleship Recipes
1. Spring Dough for 360 Loaves
2. Yeast Starter using Potatoes and Hops
3. Plum Duff using 20 Pounds of Currents
4. Pie Dough using 70 Pounds of Flour
5. Corn Bread using 40 Pounds of Corn Meal
6. Yeast for Corn Bread using Hops
7. Ginger Cake using a Half Pound of Dried Ginger
8. Biscuits using 150 Pounds of Flour
9. Plain Cake using 30 Pounds of Sugar
10. Marble Cake using 3 Pounds of Cocoa
11. Straight Dough using 400 Pounds of Flour
12. Jelly Roll using 180 Eggs
13. Jelly Roll using 32 Pounds of Jam
14. Ginger Cake using 20 Pounds of Sugar
15. Hop Yeast using Hops and Potatoes
16. Plum Pudding using 15 Pounds of Citron
17. Ice Cream using 100 Pounds of Powdered Sugar
18. Ice Cream Instructions
19. Bread for 360 Loaves
20. Plain Cake using 4 Pounds of Baking Powder
21. Pie Dough using 35 Pounds of Lard
22. Pie Filling using 7 Cases of Fruit

11
13
19
21
26
28
30
33
40
41
42
43
43
44
44
46
46
46
46
49
49
49
52
52
55
55
58
58
58
61
61

III. Appendix
A. John Albert Neal, draft registration card
B. Bert Neal in the US 1900 Census
C. Bert Neal in the US 1910 Census
D. Bert Neal in the US 1920 Census
E. Bert Neal in the US 1930 Census
F. Bert Neal in the US 1940 Census

63
64
66
67
68
70
71

Page -2

Bert Neal, the Battleship Baker

ohn Albert Bert Neal, 1891-1965, was my great uncle.1 I have no recollection of
having met Uncle Bert, but I have been amused for years by the recipes with
their gargantuan ingredients (e.g., add 400 pounds of flour ) that he brought
home from his time serving as a baker on a battleship during World War I. These
recipes, the subject of this book, were included in the war-time journal given to Bert
by his cousin Jewell Pritchard.
The Great War, as it was known, began in August 1914. The United States stayed
out of the war until April 6, 1917 when a variety of factors combined to persuade
public opinion that the country should join the war. At age 25, Bert fell into the first
group of young men who were required to complete draft registration cards. Bert
completed his card on June 5, 1917.
Bert enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 16, 1917, the day after
Soviet Russia concluded a peace treaty with Germany. By
December 1917 most of the infamous and bloody battles of
World War I had already been fought. The Battle of Jutland
between the English Grand Fleet and the German High Seas
fleet had been fought nearly a year-and-a-half earlier.
Germany had resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in
1917, and by June 1917 the British and Americans had
developed a convoy system that dramatically reduced losses from submarine attack.
You may want to jump ahead to the recipes for 800 sailors. They can be found at
the end of the journal, beginning on page 40. However, if you want to know more
about Bert, read on, and make sure to read the footnotes in the journal.

Beginnings in Commerce, Texas

Bert was born on Sept. 12, 1891 in Commerce, Texas on the familys farm. Berts
father John Thomas Tom Neal and his mother Virginia Lee Jennie Neal had nine
children, seven girls and two boys. Tom Neal died in 1904 when Bert was 13 years old.
Berts younger brother Sidney Harvey Neal died in 1906 at age 13. We do not know
how these deaths affected Bert, but we can imagine that the impact was not trivial.

Berts young sister Fanny Catherine Ewing (1900-1980) was my grandmother.

Page -3

Commerce was established in 1872 and named Commerce due to the areas
thriving economic activity because of successful cotton fields and the ideal farm and
ranch lands between the Middle and South Sulphur rivers. In 1887, a railroad was built
through Commerce to transport merchandise to and from Fort Worth.
In 1894, William L. Mayo, a college educator, moved the East Texas Normal
College from Cooper, Texas to Commerce after the original school was destroyed in a
fire. In 1917, the State of Texas purchased and transformed the school into a state
college, and renamed it the East Texas State Normal College. Mayo died of a sudden
heart attack the same day the Texas Legislature voted to buy the college, and he
never heard the news. Berts sister Catherine studied at the school before marrying in
1921. In 1923, the college was renamed the East Texas State Teachers College to
define its purpose "more clearly". From the 1920s through the 1960s, the college grew
consistently, in terms of student enrollment, number of faculty, and size of the
physical plant. The university was renamed Texas A&M UniversityCommerce and
admitted into the Texas A&M University System in 1996.
Bert grew up in a house on Monroe Street in Commerce, just a few blocks away
from 1509 Monroe Street where Gen. Claire Chennault, the founder the famed WWII
Flying Tigers, was born in 1893. The Chennault family moved to Louisiana shortly after
Claire was born, although the Chennault and Neal families undoubtedly knew each
other.

Bert Reports for Duty

Although Bert enlisted in December 1917, he wasnt called to service until March
24, 1918. He duly recorded in his journal that the first leg of his journey involved
Cotton Belt line Engine 602 from Commerce, Texas to Dallas. Bert couldnt have
known that he would spend more than 40 years working on the Cotton Belt line as a
brakeman. According to Berts draft registration card, he was working as a clerk in a
restaurant before he joined the Navy.

Page -4

Berts train journey took him from Commerce to Dallas to El Paso and on to San
Francisco where he began his naval training. To our knowledge, this was the first time
Bert had left home. Its somewhat unclear where in San Francisco Bert received his
initial naval training. There appears to have been a training station located at the
Mare Island Naval Station, about 25 miles north of San Francisco, and another training
station located at the Yerba Buena Island Naval Station.2

San Francisco and Hampton Roads Training Centers

When Bert first arrived in San Francisco, he was sent to a detention camp. All
new recruits to the Army and Navy were required to spend some time in quarantine
before their training began. Its unclear whether the military was holding recruits in
detention camps prior to the onset of the deadly Spanish Influence Pandemic. The
Spanish Flu lasted from Jan. 1918 to Dec. 1920 and killed some 50 million people
worldwide. One of the first outbreaks of the disease occurred at Ft. Riley, Kansas
where nearly 50 soldiers died and hundreds fell ill. Below is a photo of the mess line
at the San Francisco detention camp in 1918.

After leaving detention, Bert then received one month of military training in San
Francisco before being shipped to Norfolk, Virginia for further training. The Norfolk
Naval Station is now the worlds largest naval base. However, the base was just
beginning when Bert arrived. Immediately after the US entered World War I, the
Secretary of the Navy was persuaded to buy the property for the base. The site wasnt
completely undeveloped, as the international Jamestown Exposition of 1907 had been
held on the property and many of the exposition buildings still remained. Congress set
2

Yerba Buena Island nowadays serves as the midpoint of the Bay Bridge that crosses from San Francisco
to Oakland.

Page -5

aside $1.2 million to purchase the 474 acre site with another $1.6 million for the
development of the base, including piers, aviation facilities, storehouses, facilities for
fuel and oil storage, a recruit training station, a submarine base and recreation
grounds for fleet personnel.
Construction of the training camp began on Independence Day 1917, and within
the first 30 days housing for 7,500 men had been completed. The next six months saw
the establishment of the 5th Naval District Headquarters and the Naval Operating
Base, which included the Naval Training Center, Naval Air Station, Naval Hospital and
Submarine Station. By Armistice Day 1918, there were 34,000 enlisted men at the
base.
Bert received another two weeks of training at the Norfolk Naval Station before
transferring to a warship. By the time he was put into active military duty, Bert had
received about six weeks of actual military training. Military recruits nowadays
receive a minimum of 10 weeks training before being sent to various specialty
schools. Berts journal says that he entered the baking department on June 14, 1918.
However, he arrived at Norfolk on May 14, 1918, and he doesnt mention being
transferred to a ship until later. Thus, it is possible, maybe even likely, that Bert
received his bakery training during the two weeks he was at Norfolk rather than
onboard his ship.

Bert Goes Aboard the USS Rhode Island

On June 1, 1918, Bert transferred to the USS Rhode Island (BB-17). The Rhode
Island was a pre-Dreadnaught battleship having an offensive battery of four 12-inch
guns and eight 8-inch guns, and she was capable of a top speed of 19 knots. The
Rhode Island launched in 1904 and was one of US ships that took part in Pres. Teddy
Roosevelts Great White Fleet global circumnavigation from 1907-1909. The ships
hulls were painted white, the Navy's peacetime color scheme, decorated with gilded
scrollwork with red, white, and blue banners on their bows. The purpose of the Great
White Fleet was multifaceted but mainly served notice that the US had arrived on the
world stage.

Page -6

The Rhode Island had already been in

service for 11 years before Bert came
onboard. More importantly, the Virginiaclass battleship had become obsolete two
years after its launch when the British
unveiled the HMS Dreadnaught in 1906.
The period before World War I was marked
by intense military competition. The
British concentrated on building up their
navy. Naval strategists learned from the
Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 that only the largest guns
mattered in a naval battle. The Dreadnaught, built in secret in less than a year, was
the first battleship built with only the biggest guns possible. The Dreadnaughts ten
12-inch guns could each hurl an 850-pound shell more than 14 miles. The Rhode
Islands largest guns were four 12-inch guns that could hurl an 870-pound shell less
than 11 miles. Thus, the Dreadnaught massively outgunned battleships like the Rhode
Island having a mix of large guns and smaller guns.
By the time World War I began in 1914, Great Britain had 38 dreadnoughts and
dreadnought battle cruisers and Germany had 24 dreadnoughts and dreadnought
battle cruisers. The US had 10 Dreadnaught-class ships when it entered the war and
23 pre-Dreadnaught era battleships in a fleet of some 149 ships.
During the war, much of the US fleet stayed in American waters on anti-submarine
duty. Among other things, there was a fuel oil shortage in Britain. Thus, US warships
could traverse the Atlantic but might have trouble returning. The Royal Navy had
plenty of warships, but five US dreadnaughts still joined the British Grand Fleet, and
another group of US warships were stationed in Ireland to protect against attacks on
trans-Atlantic convoys.
The Rhode Island spent most of the war patrolling US coastal waters. On May 3,
1917 the ship became the flagship of Battleship Division 3, Atlantic Fleet. The ship's
crew underwent extensive training to bring the ship up to combat readiness before
she was assigned to anti-submarine patrols off Tangier Island, Maryland. The Rhode
Island was based out of Hampton Roads into 1918.
In June 1918 while Bert was onboard the Rhode Island, she conducted torpedo
proving trials. At the end of the war in November, the ship was assigned to the
operation to transport American soldiers back from France. The first trip started on

Page -7

December 18, 1918, but by this time, Bert had left the Rhode Island. The Rhode Island
made five trips to France, ferrying back some 5,000 doughboys.
We know that Berts normal duty station was in
the ships bakery. Every seaman has a battle station
assignment. We dont know where Bert was
expected to go on the Rhode Island when the ship
was in battle. The Rhode Island doesnt seem to
have been in any battles during the war, but one
can imagine that the ships lookouts spotted something that appeared to be a German
submarine on more than one occasion.
Bert left the Rhode Island on Oct. 1, 1918. He arrived at the Boston Reserve
Service Center (RSC) on Oct. 1, 1918. Its unclear why Bert left the Rhode Island after
serving precisely four months on the ship. Its possible that he had enlisted in the
Naval Reserve and only four months of active duty were required. Its also unclear
whether Bert took a train from Virginia to Boston or whether the Rhode Island docked
in Boston. Bert attended a vaudeville performance for servicemen at B.F. Keiths
Boston Theatre five days before being transferred to the New Orleans Reserve Service
Center on Jan. 17, 1919 where he was discharged from the Navy on Feb. 1, 1919.

Berts Service as a Railroad Brakeman

After the war, Bert spent more than 40 years as a railroad brakeman. The
brakeman was originally a member of a railroad train's crew responsible for assisting
with braking a train when it needed to slow down. A brakeman's duties also included
ensuring that the couplings between cars were properly set, lining switches, and
signaling to the train operators while performing switching operations.
The brakeman was required to move around the outside of the train
as it moved along. The brakemans duties didnt change in poor
weather. We have Berts ice clamps for fastening on to his boots when
he needed to climb around the moving train when it was covered with
ice or snow.
We dont know when Bert began working for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway
better known as the Cotton Belt Rail Line, but the 1920 census identifies him as being
a railway brakeman. Given that Bert held a 40-year service pin, shown below, he
seems to have retired around 1960 at age 69.

Page -8

The brakemen rode in the caboose, the last car in the train, which was built
specially to allow a crew member to apply the brakes of the caboose quickly and
easily, which would help to slow the train. In rare cases, such as descending a long,
steep grade, brakemen might be assigned to several cars and be required to operate
the brakes from atop the train while the train was moving.
Brakemen were also required
to watch the train when it was
underway to look for signs of
overheating of axle bearings, as
well as for people trying to ride
the train for free and cargo
shifting or falling off. Bert would
have been a brakeman on Cotton
Line trains during the Great
Depression when hundreds of poor farmers tried to escape grinding poverty by
migrating to wealthier places like California. As rail transport technology improved, a
brakeman's duties have been altered to match the updated technology, and the
brakeman's job has become much safer than it was in the early days of railroading.
Bert was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He received
anniversary service pins from the Cotton Line rail and from the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen. Each of the service pins above from the union is paired with a
service pin from the railroad. The 40-year pin from the railroad included a diamond
and was inherited by another of Berts relatives.

Page -9

Bert Neals Legacy

Bert died at the age of 74 on Thursday, Nov. 4, 1965 at the Cotton Belt Hospital in
Texarkana, Texas. He had been a patient at the hospital for five weeks.
The Rev. Walter George conducted services at the W. Y. Goff Funeral Chapel, with
burial in Rosemond Cemetery. Berts parents, grandparents, siblings, and many
cousins are buried in the same cemetery. His pallbearers were John Walker, Earl
Featherstone, Jackie Hogan, Waldo Salmon, D.C. Abernathy, Jr., and Leonard
Bartlett. Friends come and go throughout our lives, and Berts pallbearers do not
include any of Berts World War I friends listed on page 22 of the journal.
Bert never married. The names of his girlfriends, if any, have been lost. He was
known as a heavy drinker, which caused his mother and sisters great distress. Berts
late nephew Thomas Neal Ewing recalled that Bert was always very nice to the nieces
and nephews that visited the house he shared with his mother, but Tom also recalled
that Bert also relaxed from his railway shifts by drinking late at night and sleeping
much later than anyone else in the home.
Bert lived in Commerce all his life. The 1920 and 1930 census has Bert living with
his mother at 540 Monroe Street in Commerce. The 1940 census has him living at 1703
Monroe Street with his mother and sister Bertha. Berts mother died in 1944. At the
time of his death, Bert lived at 1306 Park Street in Commerce, an address that now
corresponds to the Commerce post office.

Berts pocket watch, Berts signet ring, and his

cigarette lighter.

Berts brakeman ice clamps.

Page -10

ADDRESSES OF HOME FRIENDS

ARMY AND NAVY

1
DIARY
FRENCH-ENGLISH WORDS

AUTOGRAPHS OF COMRADES

Publishers Weekly announced the debut of this journal on Sept. 29, 1917.

Page -12

t:l ~ Ie

ctZ',
' r!tf'rYl.~~
.' 1~J-

-/7 "

"

J A Neal 2,3
Commerce TX
7624

Text in cursive writing is written in hand in the original.

John Albert Neal, born September 12, 1891, at Commerce, Texas died November 4, 1965 at
Texarkana, Texas, buried in Rosemound Cemetery, Commerce, Texas. Never married.
4
The meaning of 762 is unclear.
3

Page -14

Xmas 1917

From Jewell Pritchard

Tuesday, Dec. 25, 1917. The US declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, and declared war on the
Austro-Hungarian Empire on Dec. 17, 1917. The first US naval battle occurred on October 15, 1917. The
US didnt fight its first land battle on May 27, 1918. The war ended Nov. 11, 1918. The famous wartime
Christmas truces did not occur in 1917. Bert Neal was 25 years old by Christmas 1917.
6
Jessie Jewell Pritchard was Bert Neals first cousin. Her mother Nancy Catherine Roan Pritchard was
the sister of Virginia Lee Roan Neal, Berts mother. Jewell was born Aug. 2, 1898 and died Dec. 7,
1982. She married Edwin T. Hauerwas in June 1918. Mrs. L. Pritchard (Jewells mother) is listed as a
member of the Christian Church of Commerce, Texas in 1925. The Neals were also members of this
church. Pritchard is spelled Prichard in many genealogies. Jewell was 19 years old by Christmas
1917.

Page -15

ARMY AND NAVY

DIARY
INCLUDING
FRENCH-ENGLISH WORDS, ADDRESSES
OF HOME FRIENDS, AUTOGRAPHS
OF COMRADES, ALSO PAGES FOR
CARRYING POSTAGE STAMPS
AND TABLES SHOWING
VALUES OF FOREIGN
COINS, ETC.

CHICAGO

SlANlON ana VANVllET @.

PUBLISHERS

J .A. Neal

Commerce Tex

Bert Neals draft registration card from 1917 shows him working as a clerk in a restaurant. This may
explain how he ended up as a baker on a battleship.

Page -17

ARMY AND NAVY

DIARY
INCLUDING
FRENCH-ENGLISH WORDS, ADDRESSES
OF HOME FRIENDS, AUTOGRAPHS
OF COMRADES, ALSO PAGES FOR
CARRYING POSTAGE STAMPS
AND TABLES SHOWING
VALUES OF FOREIGN
COINS, ETC.
CHICAGO
STANTON and VAN VLIET CO.8
PUBLISHERS

This firm succeeded the publishing house of Charles C. Thompson Co. in 1917. John R. Stanton had
formerly been president of the Charles C. Thompson Company and C. H. Van Vliet had been president
of the Whitman Publishing Company.

Page -18

ook i'"j1
h e prop'erty of

...a... ...~ . .................... .

. 't?~. :l:'1~ . .. .

Residence .

. .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . ./.. ... V Y .
Date of

. ..' . ... .. . .

eDlist.,~t - j eL -

.~ if/

.... tZ.&.1l-.M,..,
Z . - t1C/P. ...
.v."rl..-~ ..Wtttfot.

EDlisted at
COPYJ"ight 1917 by

S TA1.'<TON & VAN VLIET CO.

J,J/.Ji

~~I\-~
.1'1 .1. ' . . .. . . ...... . .. . . i1 .. .

ved at Training Camp at.

;J:f:.
Date

.d..-:3IJ. .-:J'f. . ~~d('1f'

Left Training Oamp . .. .. . ............ . .. .

Date ...... .. ...... . .... . ... .. .... . .. . .. .

Started for France .. . . . . . . .... .... ..... . .

Arrived in France . .. ... . ........ .. . . . . .. .

Enlisted

iii ... . . ... . . . .. . .. . .. ....... . .. . .

:t,.f....""-

41 ' ... . ' ..

.~l.n<4r
.~ . ./l ..!c 1... .
.l-~~ ... .. ............ 't ... fj.'"'
"J.,.

InJ~"!}

Cld' ; ; ,!!otlfy .. . ..

This book is the property of

J.A. Neal
Residence Commerce

Texas
Date of enlistment

12-16-19179
Enlisted at
Dallas Texas
Under Walter Ball
Arrived at Training Camp at San Francisco
California10
Date 3-30-18 Saturday
Left Training Camp
Date
Started for France
Arrived in France
Enlisted in

In case of accident, notify

Mrs. Tom Neal

Commerce Texas
9

Based on Bert Neals enlistment date of Dec. 16, 1917, he had already joined the Navy by Christmas
Day 1917.
10
The U.S. Naval Training Station on the Pacific Coast was established on the north east side of Yerba
Buena Island by 1st Street and North Gate Road. Quarters One, also known as the Admiral Nimitz House
near the intersection of Whiting Way and Garden Way, was built about 1900 as the Naval Training
Station commandant's residence. Its Classic Revival style, fashionable for private residences in the Bay
Area at the time, was unusual for naval base housing. The training station closed after World War I.

Page -20

The Breakfast

Onion

16 dejeiinc r
l eh dayjeuhnai

1'ognon

ENGLISH-FRENCH VOCAllULARY_

To Eat and Drink

The Bread
]e pain
leh pang
Butter
du benrre
du beuhr
Meat
de In viande
de lah veeaund
Cheese
du fromage
du fromahj
Eggs
des oeufs
daiz cull
Bacon
du lard
du Jar
Ham
du jambon
,
du jaumbong
Roast Meat
du loti
du ratee
Beef
du bocuf
du beuM
Veal
du vean
du vo
Mutton
du mouton
du mootong

Pork
du pore
du pork
. Lamb
de )lagncau
deh 1 'a.ngs
Soup
la soupe
]a11 soop
Rice
dn riz
du ree
SaJ.t
du sel

du sel
Pepper
du poivre

du ponallvr
Vinegar
du v inaigre
du veenaigr'
The Flour
l a farine
lah fareen
Vegetables
des legumes
day lay_guym
Fowl

Ie poulet
ler poolay
Gruel
Ie gruan
ler gru-aw

1'og-n-on
Coffee

The Dinner
Ie diner
leh deenai
The Supper
Ie sonper
l eh soopai
Beans
des feves
dai faive
Peas
des pais
dai pauah
Cabbage
des chaux
dai shoo
Spinach
des epinards
daiz aipeenar
Asparagus
des epinards
daiz aspairj

Ie eafe
ler ca-fay
Cider

Ie cldre
ler ceedre
Water
de 1 'eau
deh 1 '0
Milk

du lait
du lay

Tea

Ie thO
l er tay
Tbirst
la soif
lah souaf
Hunger
)a faim

lah fah ng
Wine
du yin
du yang

Cauli.flawe:r

des chaux-fieuTs
daiz shoo-fleubr

WARDROBE.
Coat
un sur tout

ung syuretoo
The Trousers
la culotte
lah kyulot
Shirt
In chemise
lab sher-mees

H at
Ie ch apeau
loh shapo
The Cap
Ie bonnet
leh honnay
The Boots
les bottes
leh bot

The Shoes
Gloves
l es soulicrs
d es
}ai soolyai
dai
The Stocking
les bas
Watch
leh bah
une
A Pocket Handkerchief
une
un mouehoir
ung mooshouah

The Comb
Ie peigne
leh paine
Brush
l a brOBse

lah bross

The Sheets
les drapes de lit
lai drah deh lee
A Pillow
un oreiller

gants
gang

un oraylY:1.i

montre
mongtre

Pipe
la pipe
lah peep

lab l aamp

The Towel
un esauie-main
ung csswcc mang
, Soap
)e savon
ler sah-von
A Glass
un verre

Tobacco
Ie tabac
ler ta-ba
RELATI VES.

The Wife
In f emme

lah fam
The Husband

Ie maTi
leh maree"

The Mother

la menr
lah maTC
The Father
Ie pere
leh pare
The Daughter
la fill e
lah feel

Blanket ,
Ia couverture
lah kouver-tu r
The Lamp
lah lampe

The Son
Ie fils

ung vall"

A Cup

leh f eess
The Sister
In soeur

une tasse
une .tass
A Fork
lab fourchette
lab for-shett
A Knife
Ie conteau
l er cont-oh
A Spoon
une cuilIet
une eweelyair

Jah senIn

The Brother
]a frere
leh frare
The Aunt

Ia tante
lah taunte
The Uncle
I 'oncle
I 'ollele

Pail

Ie seau
l er so

Pen
la plume
lah pluym
P~ncil

) 0 crayon
ler cray-yon
Paper
Ie papier
ler par-pee-ay
An Envelope
une enveloppe
une ongvellope
The Ink
1'enere
1'onger
A Chair
l a chaise
lab shays.

AFire

Ie feu
ler fer
The Gas
Ie gaz
ler gahz
A Button
Ie bouton
l er boo-tou

ABOUT THE TOWN.

HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES.
A Trunk

un coffre
ung eofr

The Bed
Ie lit
leh lee

The Bridge
Ie pont
leh ' pong

The Street
In rue
lah ra

Addresses of Home Friends

.. . . . . . ........ . ................. . .... .. .

..... .... ... . . ................. . . . ...... .

... ......... .. .. ............. ........... .

... ..... ...... .. ..... ... ...... ......... . .
. .. ..... .......... ...... ............. . .. .
... .... ............ ..................... .
. .......

...... .... ....... ....... ..... ... .

................. - ...... . ... ... . : .... .. . .

.............. ..... ... .... .......... .... .
.. . ............... . ......... .. .. .. ...... .

.. .......... .. .. .... ..................... .

............. .. ... ... .. .... ...... ... .

.... ....... .......... ......... .... ...... .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . ." . .. .. . . . .

. ... .................... .. .. ..... . ..... . .

... . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ... . . . .. .. . .. . . . . .

.... .............. .... ......... ........ .

~

....... .. ... ..... .. ..... .... .. ....... ... .

..... .... ... .... ...... .... .............. .

Addresses of Home Friends1

George Meisner Frt Worth2

Raymond C. Orr at Summner, Nebr3
Oscar Linstead at Denison Tex.4
W.H. Mathews at Burleson, Tex5
Charles R. Low at Bois Ido6
Wade F. Lee at Byers Texas7
Jack Elrod at Poynor, Texas8
1

Some of the names listed here appear to be friends from Texas while others may be war-time friends.
It is unclear how Bert Neal met these people.
2
George Meisner, 925 Alston Ave., Ft. Worth, Texas, born March 17, 1878. The 1930 census says that
Meisner was not a veteran. He worked as a railway mail clerk and was married to Edith H. Meisner. In
the 1930 census, they lived in Tarrant, Texas. In the 1930 census, they are listed as having six children:
Leroy Meisner, age 27, a laborer at the AggraSession Co.; Ruby V. Meisner, age 23, a piano teacher;
Raymond A. Meisner, age 20, an apprentice embalmer; Harry A. Meisner, age 13; Leon S. Meisner, age
9. Mortician J. Raymond Meisner who appears to be Meisners son was one of the morticians who
helped in the aftermath of the New London School explosion which occurred on March 18, 1937, when a
natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the London School of New London, Texas, a
community in Rusk County previously known as "London". The disaster killed more than 295 students
and teachers, making it the deadliest school disaster in American history and the third deadliest
disaster in Texas history. Nothing further seems to be available about the family.
3
This is Raymond Clifford Orr, born July 15, 1895 in Virden, Illinois, but living in Dawson Co., Nebraska
at the time of the WWI draft registration. Sumner, Nebraska is located in Dawson County. His draft
registration card lists him as a farm hand. He is listed as a cooks helper in the 1940 census. The
1940 census has Raymond married to a Ruth Orr. No further seems to be known about him.
4
This is Oscar Linstaedt, born January 25, 1897 and died November 1968 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He
does not appear to have a WWI draft registration card. Linstaedts birthplace is listed in the 1910
census as Grayson Co., Texas. His brother Thomas was born, lived, and died in Denison, Texas. His
father Emil was born in Germany. The 1910 census says that Oscars mother Martha was born in
Alabama like Berts parents but other records say that she was born in Germany. He married Velma L
Linstaedt in 1934 and had one daughter Deanna.
5
This appears to be William Henry Mathews, who was born March 10, 1877, and lived in Alvarado,
Texas, according to his World War 1 draft registration card. Mathews signed his draft registration card
W.H. Mathews. Alvarado, Texas is about 10 miles from Burleson, Texas. Mathews registration record
mentions a Corra Jane Mathews. However, no further records for either of these Mathews seems to
be available. In addition, there are several of William Henry Mathews with Texas World War I draft
registration cards, as well as a William Harlan Matthews, and a William Horace Matthews.
6
Dr. Charles Reuben Lowe, born Sept. 30, 1878, was a physician who appears to have spent most of his
career working in institutions. Lowe was born in Utah and may have been a Mormon. The 1910 census
has Lowe away from Boise, Idaho training as a medical student. By April 1916, Low was working at
the Lincoln State School and Colony in Illinois. By 1937, Lowe was superintendent of the Idaho state
hospital at Blackfoot, Idaho. He was married to May Lowe and had one son, Raymond C. Lowe, born
1916. It is unclear if Dr. Lowe served in WWI. It is even more unclear how Bert Neal came to know
him, assuming this is the Charles Lowe mentioned in journal.
7
Several Wade Lees also registered for the World War I draft from Texas. But none of them are listed
as being from Byers, Texas or its county Clay County.
8
There are seven John Elrods from Texas with World War I draft registration cards. None of them are
from Poynor, Texas or Henderson County where Poynor is located.

Page -27

Superior Officers

.. .. ........ . ...... . .. . ............. . .

. . . . . . .. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . .

....... .. .... . .......... . . . .

..

..... ... .. . ... ......... .. ... ..... ... . .

.......... ... ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

... ....... .. . ... ......... ... ......... . . .
. . .. . . . .. . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .
.. ......... ...................... .... .
... ....... .. . ........ . ... .... ...........'

. ... . .. .. ... . ....... . .... ....... .. .. ... .

... ...

....... ............. .... ..... .. .

... ... .. ... .... ..... ......... ... ...... .. .

... .. .............. .... .. .. ... ....

...... .

. ....... . .. ...... . ....... .... ..... .. .. ...

. ....... ... .. ... .... .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . .... .
....... .... ... ...... .. .... ............ .. .

...... ...... ......... .. .. . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .

French Coins .

U. S. Equiv.
Cen time copper ..... . ........... ... . . $ .02
Franc silver .... . . ...... . .. . . .. ... . .193
Napoleon gold .... ..... . ............. 3 .860

Coins of Great Britain.

U. S. Value.
Crown silver ...... .... ............. $1. 220
Farthing copper . . . . .. ...... ,.. .... ,005
Florin silver . ... . . . . .... ... ........ .490
Guinea gold .... , ........ .. ........ 5,040
P enny copper"" .. , ... " ., . " .. ,' " . ,02
Pound gold ...... , ...... .. ......... 4.865
Shilling silver .... .. , ...... ', .. .. , .. ,24
Sixpence sil ver ................ . .... .12

French Coins.9
Centime copper ............................................
Franc silver
............................................
Napoleon gold
............................................
Coins of Great Britain.
Crown silver
Farthing copper
Florin silver
Guinea gold
Penny copper
Pound gold
Shilling silver
Sixpence silver

............................................
............................................
............................................
............................................
............................................
............................................
............................................
............................................

U. S. Equiv.
$ .02
.193
3.860

U. S. Value.
$1.220
.005
.490
5.040
.02
4.865
.24
.12

The era before World War I was known as the Classic Gold Standard. Each country had certain
amounts of gold in its coins and the amounts could be compared to the amounts of gold in the coins of
other countries. All European countries accepted this system, as did the US in 1879. The system began
to break down during World War I. The war caused the price of gold to fluctuate due to speculation and
import/export supply and demand. The gold standard returned after the war. In short, the accuracy of
the exchange rate table above could possibly be questioned.

Page -29

SURFACE.

THE METRIC SYSTEM.

The metric system is in general USc in all the prlncipal
nations ot Europe and America with the exception ot
Gr eat Britain, Uusaia and the United Stntes, wher e It
13 authorized but not compulsory. Its use t or scientifiC'
purposes is common throughout the wOrld.

WEIGHTS.
Milligram \.001 gram)
.0154 grain.
Centig rnm .01 gram)
_
.1548 gn\lo.
Decigram (.1 gram)
1.5432 grains.
Gram
15.432 grains .
Dec igram (10 grams)
.3527 ounce.
3.5274 ounces.
H ectogram (100 grams)
Kilogram (1,000 grams) =
2.2046 pounds.
Myrlagram (10.000 grams)=
22.046 pounds.
Qulntnl (100.000 grams) = ~20.46
l)Ounds.
Miller or tonnea.u-ton (1,000,000 grams) = 2,204.6 100.
DRY.
Mllll1lter (.001 li ter)
Centiliter (.01 liter)
Deciliter ( .1 liter)
Liter
Deciliter (10 liters)
Hectoliter (100 lite r s )
Kiloliter (1,000 liters)

.061
. 6102
6.1022
.90S
9.08
2. 838
1.208

cubic inch .
c ubic inch.
c ubic inches.
qua rt.
QUArts .
bushels.
cutVc yards.

LIQUID .
MilliUter (.001 liter)
Centiliter (.01 lite r)
Deciliter (. 1 lite r)
Liter
Deca liter (10 liters)
H ectoUter (100 lite rsl
Kilolite r (1,000 liters)

. 0388
.388
.845
1.0567
2.6418
26.417
264.18

fluid ounce.
11uid ounce.
g ill.

q uarts .
gallons.
gallons.
gallons.

LENG~ .

Millimete r (.001 meter)

Centimeter (.01 m eter)
Decimeter (.1 meter)
Me ter
1
D ecameter (10 meter s)
H ec tometer (100 meters) Kilometer (1,000 m eters)
Myriameter(10,000 meters)=

. 0394 inch.
.3937 Inch.
3.987 t nches.
89.37
Inc hes.
393.7
inches .
328
teet 1 inch.
.62137 mUe (3,280 ft.
10 inChes).
6.2131 miles.

Centnre (1 square meter) = 1.550

sq. inches.
Are (100 SQuare meter s ) =
119.6
sq. yards.
Hectare (10,OOOsq. meters)=
2.471 acres.

1
1
1
1
1

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

METRIC EQUIVALENTS.
0.06180 gram.
grAin
28.3495 g rnms .
ou nce
0.45359 kilogram.
pound
3.6967 grams.
drAIU (npot1l.)
1.2322 grams.
scruple (al)()th.)
1.1012 liters.
quart (dry)
8.8008 liters.
peck (dry)
0.35239 hectoliter.
bushel
0.94636 liter.
quart (Uq.)
3. 78543 lite r s.
gallon
25.4001 milli meters.
inc h
2.54001 centimeters.
inch
0.0254 meter.
inch
0.3048 mete r.
foot
0.9144 m eter.
yar d
1.6098 kilometers.
mile
_ 645.16
SQ. mlHimete rs.
s q. inc h
0.0929 sq. mete r.
sq. foot
0.8361 sq. meter.
sq. yard
2.f.i900 sq. kilometers.
sq. mile
0.4017 hecta re.
acre
16.381
c nbicmUlimeters
c ubic Inch
0.02882 c ubic mete r .
cubic t oot
0.7645 cubic meter.
cubic yard

THE METRIC SYSTEM.10

The metric system is in general use in all the principal nations of Europe and America with
the exception of Great Britain, Russia and the United States, where it is authorized but not
compulsory. Its use for scientific purposes is common throughout the world.

WEIGHTS.
Milligram (.001 gram)
Centigram (.01 gram)
Decigram (.1 gram)
Gram
Decigram (10 grams)
Hectogram (100 grams)
Kilogram (1,000 grams)
Milligram (10,000 grams)
Quintal (100,000 grams)
Miller or tonneau-ton (1,000,000 grams)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

Milliliter (.001 liter)

Centiliter (.01 liter)
Deciliter (.1 liter)
Liter
Deciliter (10 liters)
Hectoliter (100 liters)
Kiloliter (1,000 liters)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=

.0154 grain.
.1548 grain.
1.5432 grains.
15.432 grains.
.3527 ounce.
3.5274 ounces.
2.2046 pounds.
22.046 pounds.
220.46 pounds.
2,204.6 lbs.

DRY.
.061 cubic inch.
. 6102 cubic inch.
6.1022 cubic inches.
.908 quart.
9.08 quarts.
2.838 bushels.
1.208 cubic yards.

LIQUID.
Milliliter (.001 liter)
Centiliter (.01 liter)
Deciliter (.1 liter)
Liter
Decaliter11 (10 liters)
Hectoliter (100 liters)
Kiloliter (1,000 liters)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=

. 0388 fluid ounce.

.388 fluid ounce.
.845 gill.
1.0567 quarts.
2.6418 gallons.
26.417 gallons.
264.18 gallons.

LENGTH.
Millimeter (.001 meter)
Centimeter (.01 meter)
Decimeter (.1 meter)
Meter
Decameter (10 meters)
Hectometer (100 meters)
Kilometer (1,000 meters)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=

.0394 inch.
.3937 inch.
3.987 inches.
89.37 Inches.
393.7 inches.
328 feet 1 inch.
.62137 mile (3,280 ft., 10 inches).

10

It amusing to note that during the intervening 100 years, nearly all of the worlds countries have
adopted the metric system except for the United States.
11
The modern spelling is deciliter.

Page -31

Myriameter12 (10,000 meters)

6.2131 miles.

SURFACE.
Centare13

(1 square meter)
Are (100 square meters)
Hectare (10,000 sq. meters)

=
=
=

1,550 sq. inches.

119.6 sq. yards.
2.471 acres.

METRIC EQUIVALENTS.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

12
13

grain
ounce
pound
dram (apoth.)
scruple (apoth.)
quart (dry)
peck (dry)
bushel
quart (liq.)
gallon
inch
inch
inch
foot
yard
mile
sq. inch
sq. foot
sq. yard
sq. mile
acre
cubic Inch
cubic foot
cubic yard

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

This metric prefix was dropped in 1960.

This unit also spelled centiare.

Page -32

0.06180 gram.
28.3495 grams.
0.45359 kilogram.
3.6967 grams.
1.2322 grams.
1.1012 liters.
8.8098 liters.
0.35239 hectoliter.
0.94636 liter.
3.78543 liters.
25.4001 millimeters.
2.54001 centimeters.
0.0254 meter.
0.3048 meter.
0.9144 meter.
1.6098 kilometers.
645.16 sq. millimeters.
0.0929 sq. meter.
0.8361 sq. meter.
2.5900 sq.kilometers.
0.4017 hectare.
16.381 cu.milllimeters
0.02882 cubic meter.
0.7645 cubic meter.

;_. __ _ ___.___. __n_#_ _ _ _::::nl.1...L.g::

. .nn _ _n_nn ___ _
}
II

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_.

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r _____.. .

_.................... -.- ... _._ ................................. _.. _- ... - ...............

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------.----1---- ----__.____ . _ _ _

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k7h ._ _ _ ~_~a; _ -'- nttl)_ _ _ _ _ ___ x.:_~_~_ ._ __

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P. _~:~.
T _i':t.
~

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- ~ - - - - - -:-~-.~--7?fM

---------------------Tf~_tl-~-- .- 6t-:..LI1;_

---- -_ ......... ....

. . . . ... _......... .. -.---.-_ .. ......... _.

__..-.------

3/24-1914
Date
Left Commerce 3:30 p.m. on the Cotton Belt15 engine no. 60216 for Dallas,
Texas for shipment to the Navy.
Left Dallas
Date
3/26/18
Tuesday at 2:16 p.m. for San Francisco. Taken the T.P.17 out of Dallas to
El Paso. Left El Paso at 9:15 3/26 -18 on the S.P. R.R. Co.18 arrived at
Naval Training Station San Francisco 3/30 Saturday went in detention
camp19 3/30-18
April Monday
Date
29-1918
Left detention.20 Left San Francisco Training Station.
Wednesday 5-8-1821 for Norfolk, VA. Arrived at Norfolk Monday night
5-14-18.22

14

March 24, 1918 was a Sunday. Bert enlisted on Dec. 16th, 1918. So, he was able to wait more than 3
months before actually joining the Navy. Note: Bert has written March 24, 1919, but it must have been
1918. He was perhaps excited when he wrote this.
15
The Cotton Belt was the common name for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway owned by financier
Jay Gould. The rail line operated between St. Louis, Mo., and various points in Arkansas and Texas.
16
Engine 602 was an Atlantic-type train built in 1909 for less than $14,000 by the Baldwin Locomotive
Works.
17
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871
with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San
Diego, California.
18
The Southern Pacific Rail Road Company.
19
New recruits were confined to detention camps and not initially allowed to mingle with regular
sailors. The detention camps were used to single out diseased soldiers, such as those having the dread
Spanish Flu. Many of the soldiers and sailors in detention camps were given little to do so they had
plenty of time to write letters home.
20
Bert was kept at the detention camp for nearly a month. In March 1918, 48 doughboys died at an
Army camp in Kansas. The Spanish Influenza was beginning its rampage, eventually killing some 50
million people worldwide.
21
It appears that Bert had slightly more than a week of military training in San Francisco after
detention.
22
May 14, 1918 was actually a Monday. Bert might have arrived late at night and considered it to be
the next day.

Page -34

--......................................................Date ............_......... _

:t...l.f........
:~~Y.!~I~..h..;:.1.= !1..=.-;L/}1:.!. .L
-.-.. . . .. . . . .. . . . . ). . . . . . . . .. .. .1....... . . . . . . ..-.-

/A.4.:<:.~ .'?~r .._.. _ .~

.. _....

C/

_..............................................:........ .Date.._................_... _

_. ...,..........................._................................................ -

_.........__ ._--------.......__._---........._---- .......... _-- ..__ ... _-- .............---------- .......... _-----_.......... _---- ........._-----" .........._--......_-_._-....

. . . . . .. . . . . . .J . . . . . . . . . .... . . .

---.. ........_. -_.-...................... --_.- -- ............ _----- ....... _---- .. __._._ ..

-------.--- ........._---------......._----------- ..... _...._-----.- .....__ ._---- .......-

_....................................................................

_.---_ .. -..... _-- -------.-................ _------ .- ......... --_. --.......................

_....._............

-..................................................._. __D ate......................_.

_ ........................:.:........................ _..Date....................... _

..-......... -.......... _-_._--_._---- ... -...... _-_._--- ............. __._----- ...........

.----_ ....................................................................................

_................................... ....................................................

_......................................... ..............................................
)'.

-........................................................................................

... ................................................... ............................i. ... .. .

_..........................._..........................................................

..........................................................................................
_............................ _......................................................... -

......................................................................................................................

_._. __._._._..._---

..............................

__........._.................._._---_....-

Date

Transferred in the Baking department June 14-191823

Date

Date

Next Page
over
Date

23

Bert had precisely one month of Navy training before being sent for specialization as a baker. Note
that Bert had worked as a clerk in a restaurant before being drafted.

Page -36

------_ ... ----_ ........... _-_ ......... _--_._- ............

. _... __ .._----------_ ... _------------------------.-_ ... _-------------- .. _._------.-

- ......- .-.............................._........ _...... \:: ..........-.............

~.........

.. . . ;,;.. ;V-r:

Da ~ ..

"'7i'

_---_ ....... _--- ... __ ._-----._-_.

_........ _----_._---------_. __._----------. __ ... _--------._----_... _--- .. _... _-----._------------------------------ .. _... _-_.. _---------------_ ...... - ... _-----------_.....

_._.....:._............_................._...-Da te.......:........ _......

~ . ~-.1!.li~ f.i~ k.~ ......................................................._............................._

H.
i Iq1
- -. .. - - .- -.- . .-.. .-... -.- .- - - - -. . . . - - .- . . . ... . - - - . . . ...
J

. ... ..................... -.. . .. .. .

........... .. .........

.....

I ~_~ ......~....-/-.. .Il..J...

.. ...................
_.. ~ ...................
J:J . 1" II!

~.f:J!,......tMt .....f~\).!..L. ............

B~

z:~

/if::

---_.------------_.... _._------------.-.-----_ ..... _-----.--...--........----.--........

-................ ................................ .............................-

A . ) "')1'(1' . . . . . ....... .. ~........... .... ....................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. :.:.:.:.:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .

==.::::~.~(::7J ~ ~.~
1',. . .! .. '2t.::....._. .._L-:..l..1_!.L9..L'f.__.
~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-

Date

Left Hampton Roads June 1, 1918 for the USS Rhode Island24 ship.
Arrived on the Rhode Island Saturday June 1, 191825
Date

Left the USS Rhode Island Battleship on 10-1-1918.26 Arrived at

R.S.C.27 Boston 8th N.D.28
10-1-191829
Left R.S.C. Boston
8th N.D 1-17-1919
Date

R.S.C. New Orleans

1-17-191930
Discharged from R.S.C. New Orleans
2-1-191931

Date

24

The USS Rhode Island (BB-17) was the last of the Virginia-class battleships to be built. These were
pre-Dreadnaught battleships with four 12-inch guns and eight 8-inch guns. The Rhode Island carried a
crew of slightly more than 800. The 12-inch guns could shoot an 870 pound shell nearly 11 miles. The
Rhode Island was one of the ships of the Great White Fleet that Pres. Teddy Roosevelt went on a
round-the-world cruise from 1907 to 1909 to demonstrate growing American naval power.
25
If Berts entry really is June 1, then he transferred to the USS Rhode Island before he was transferred
to the bakers section. The order of entries in Berts album somewhat suggests that Bert wrote this
down at least somewhat after the events had occurred. June 1, 1918 was a Saturday; July 1, 1918 by
comparison was a Monday.
26
During the time that Bert served on the Rhode Island, the ship remained ready for overseas
deployment and conducted antisubmarine patrols. The Rhode Island undertook special torpedo proving
trials during June 1918 just as Bert jointed the ship. In November 1918, after Bert left the Rhode
Island, the ship was sent to France to bring back more than 2,000 US doughboys.
27
The acronym RSC is presently unclear but seems to mean something like reserve support center.
Thus, Bert was on the Rhode Island from June 1, 1918 to Oct. 1, 1918 for four months.
28 th
8 Naval district. During World War 1, the first Naval District was located in Boston, and the 8th Naval
District was located in New Orleans. Thus, Bert seems to be a little confused here about where he was
actually located.
29
The war ended Nov. 11, 1918. Thus, Bert was located in Boston when the war ended.
30
Bert appears to have traveled from Boston to New Orleans in a day.
31
Bert stayed at New Orleans for less than two weeks before being discharged.

Page -38

The next 136 pages in the journal are blank,

although some of them seem to bear the
impressions of other writings.

Page -39

The Recipes

Page -40

--_._ ... _--.- -----_._-----------_._----_._ .......-

- -----

----- ~ ----------- - - -- ----------- - ---

.. -------.- ..----.---'-

------------------ ._--_.- ----_._._------------I>ate......................_

- -------------------------_. --._-------- ---_._--- - -------------_._--- -_._-_.,

---- ----_ .. __ ._--_.......- .. _._. ....... ..-.. __ ._.------_ ..__.... __

-----.--

-....... _-------

Date

Spring Dough32
400 lbs. flour
3 lbs. salt
9 lbs. sugar
1 pound yeast
7 buckets water33
For 360 loaves bread
Date

Starter34
1 lbs. Fleischmanns Yeast35 or 3 packages of magic yeast.36 Boil spuds37
of an Hour and then mash through sift38. Boil hope39 1 hour and pour
over all and then stir
Pour two buckets of water in tub and stir then let set 12 hours before
using .

32

The proportions here are roughly equivalent to a modern bread recipe, except that no fat is listed. In
bread making fat provides flavor and lubricates the dough. This helps to retain the gases released
during baking thus ensuring a well risen loaf which will have a soft crumb and will stay fresh longer.
33
Assuming a bucket holds 5 gallons of water, then this would be 37.5 gallons of water.
34
This recipe appears to be one for making yeast starter. There are old recipes for using potatoes and
hops to make yeast cakes. Of course, this recipe could have been used for making some form of spirits,
such as beer. The US Navy had only become officially dry on July 1, 1914 under General Order No. 99.
The order was controversial, and one could suppose that some sailors might have continued to make it
surreptitiously.
35
This well-known yeast purveyor was founded in 1868. It was acquired by Standard Brands in 1929.
36
It is unclear if Magic was a brand at the time. There is still a Magic baking powder, for example.
37
Potatoes contain naturally occurring yeast and can be used as a starter. Some spirits are made this
way.
38
He likely means a sieve.
39
This would appear to be hops. As mentioned above, some old recipes for making starter call for
potatoes and hops. Here, the process seems to be accelerated by also using prepared yeast.

Page -42

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Date

Plum Duff 9
8 dozen eggs
14 cans milk
pound cloves
pound allspice
1 gallon molasses
2 pounds soda
15 pounds lard
10 pounds suet
80 pounds flour
3 buckets water10
1 pounds citron
20 pounds currents
30 pounds sugar

Date

Pie Dough11
70 pounds flour
30 pounds of lard
pounds of salt
1- buckets water12

Plum Duff was a treat for sailors going back to the USS Constitution in the late 1790s. In some recipes,
the cake is made by boiling the ingredients in cloth, which leaves the exterior gummy while the inside
texture is moist and cake-like.
10
Using a 5 gallon bucket, this is 15 gallons.
11
This recipes includes fat unlike the bread recipe.
12
Six gallons of water, assuming a five-gallon bucket.

Page -44

Date

Corn Bread
20 pounds lard
40 pounds corn meal
5 pounds baking powder
50 pounds flour
5 dozen eggs
12 cans milk
1 pound salt
Date

Yeast 13
5 pounds flour
3 pounds sugar
2 pounds salt
15 pounds spuds14
1 pound hops

13

It is unclear if this yeast recipe goes with the cornbread recipe. Some cornbread recipes include
yeast. The cornbread recipe includes baking powder but does not include baking soda.
14
This yeast recipe includes potatoes and hops but no prepared yeast.

Page -45

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Date

Ginger Cake
6 dozen eggs
12 cans milk
15 pounds lard
1 gallon molasses
20 pounds sugar
75 pounds flour
2- buckets water15
pounds ginger
pounds allspice
2 pounds soda
Biscuits
150 pounds flour
6 dozen eggs
12 cans milk
1 pound salt
20 pounds sugar
5 pounds baking powder

15

Date

11 gallons of water.

Page -47

Date

Plain Cake
30 pounds sugar
15 pounds lard
5 dozen eggs
3 oz. flavoring
60 pounds flour
4 pounds baking powder
2- buckets water16
12 cans milk
Marble Cake
30 pounds sugar
15 pounds lard
5 dozen eggs
12 cans milk
12 cans milk
3 oz. flavoring
3 pounds cocoa
65 pounds flour
5 pounds baking powder
2- buckets water

16

Date

11 gallons of water.

Page -48

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Date

Straight Dough
8 buckets water
4 pounds yeast
400 pounds flour
3 pounds salt
8 pounds sugar
Jelly Roll
65 pounds sugar
15 dozen eggs
12 cans milk
3 oz. flavoring
70 pounds flour
5 pounds of baking powder
2 buckets water
4 cans jam

Date

Page -50

Date

Jelly Roll
60 pounds flour
50 pounds sugar
4 pounds baking powder
15 pounds milk (15 cans)17
32 pounds jam (4 cans)18
10 dozen eggs
2 oz. flavoring
2 buckets water
Quantity 60 rolls

17
18

Date

This shows that the previous cans of milk were one pound cans.
This shows that the previous cans of jam were 8 pound cans.

Page -51

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Date

Ginger Cake
80 pounds flour
12 pounds milk
pound ginger
20 pounds sugar
2 pounds baking soda
pound allspice
5 dozen eggs
1 gal. syrup or 10 pounds brown sugar Date
2 pounds water
Quantity 16 pans

Page -53

Date

Hop Yeast
5 pounds flour
3 pounds sugar
2 pounds salt
1 pound hops
1 pack potatoes
8 gals. water
Set for 24 hours
This is equal to 4
Pounds yeast spring dough
Or 16 pounds yeast in
Straight dough

Date

Page -54

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Date

Plum Pudding
100 pounds flour
10 pounds suet
15 pounds lard
15 pound citron
12 pounds milk
30 pounds sugar
pound allspice
pound cloves
20 pounds raisins
2 pounds soda
1 gal. molasses
6 doz. eggs
2 pounds water
Hard Sauce for pudding
80 pounds powdered sugar
16 pounds butter
2 gills19 extract

19

Date

One gill is a quarter pint.

Page -56

Date

Ice Cream
100 pounds powdered sugar
20 doz. eggs
4 cases milk
6 pounds corn starch
1 cases fruit chopped fine
1 gallon to 20 rations20
Date

20

Based on a standard serving size of 4 ounces, a gallon of ice cream yield 32 scoops. Thus, a ration of
ice cream here seems to be about 6 ounces or a scoop and a half.

Page -57

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Date

Ice Cream
One dish pan water in a 60 gallon copper; bring to a boil
Mix 6 pounds cornstarch in dish pan of water and pour
in copper, stirring constantly. When done it should be quite thick.
Mix this in machine with powdered sugar.
Avoid lumps.
Date
Pour milk starch and sugar in copper beat in eggs and add
Fruit as you put your mixture in freezer

Page -59

Date

Bread for 360 loaves

400 pounds flour
3 pounds salt
9 pounds sugar
1 pound yeast
7 buckets water
Plain Cake
70 pounds flour
5 dozen eggs
4 pounds baking powder
12 pounds milk
2 oz. flavoring
2 buckets water
About 16 pans

Date

Page -60

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Date

Pie dough
80 pounds flour
35 pounds lard
1 pound salt
1 pound yeast
bucket water
Pie Filling
4 cases apricots - pumpkins
Peaches - pineapple
3 cases apples
1 buckets water
About 230 pies

Date

Page -62

APPENDIX

Page -63