The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-03-25
THE JOLLY. JOLLY TAR.
A Talk About Sailors--Nshat They Arc
Paid, and How They Are Treated.
fNcw 0rlcans Iteu.1

human loTIn VINO carry on thelr ne{afl-
Gus trade by practising on the weak mess
and credulity of their fellow-beings,
the sailor, in his simple -mindedness,
seems legitimate prey. The sailor
sometimes spends many months at
sea, and it is natural that after having
passed so long time under rigid dis
cipline, and, in some cases, severe treat
ment, he should wish to enjoy him
self.
Accordingly, after being paid and
discharged from the vessel in which
he has just arrived in port, he betakes
himself to those places were, as he
thinks, he can enjoy himself in he best
possible manner. AS Il general thing,
he is soon found by one Of the runners
ofthe numerous sailor boardinghouses,
who conducts him to the house where
he, in all probability, will spend in Il
few hours all of what it has taken him
months Of hard labor to accumulate.
The writer has been assured upon
competent authority, that sometime
since, in this city, sailor returned
from Il long voyage and having $500 to
his credit, drew it and obtained his
discharge from the ship. The next
morning this poor fellow returned pen
niless and re-shipped on the vessel,
all his hard money. On another
occasion, Il sailor occupying the position
of mate on a vessel that had made
long voyage, drew over 5000 and start
ed out to have a good time. He had
it. The following morning he applied
to a gentleman to give him the where
withal to obtain a drink.
The manner in which sailors are i'm
posed upon is Il disgrace to the country.
When a sailor ships aboard vessel he
obtains an advance of $50 on his wages;
but to brevent him from attemp pting to
defraud the vessel of this amount, it is
given him in the shape of a due bill,
This due bill he presents to his boar
keeper, who, deducting the
sum due him for board, and whatever
he chooses to tack on for liquor or any
extras the silor has had, he gives him
the balance in cash. This is done just
before the ship sails. Three days after
ward the holder Of this due bill pre-
sents it at the Office Of the United
states Shipping Commissioner and re-
ceives the 800 in cash.
The wages which sailors receive are
very small. On vessels plying to the
West Indies they are paid $25 a
month; to Havre, Liverpool and such
European ports, $50 and to ports in
the Mediterranean and Baltic seas, SIS.
Out of this they are allowed to draw a
small amount when they arrive at their
situation that is, if they have con-
Quoted themselves in becoming man.
ner during the voyage, and if tho cap
tain feels disposed to allow them to do
SO. They are also charged a small
sum each month for hospital fees, and
they get, such as tobacco, is
charged to their account. The bal
ance of their money is paid them at
the end of the voyage.
About three months ago report
was sent to the department at Wash
ington stating that it was almost i'm
possible for vessels, lying here and
ready to depart, to obtain sailors. This
was due to the fact that sugar planters
were paying men 50 a day and S3
night and their board, to assist in get
ting in the cane to commence grind
ing. The consequence was that sailors,
Immediately upon arriving in port,
bCtOOk themselves to the plantations,
where they received large wages and
as much whisky as they could drink
and seamen are rather partial to that
delightful beverage.
At the present time there are plenty
of sailors to be had. AS some eXtenu-
alton of the careless manner in which
sailors spend their money, it may be
said as general thing they do not
stand among the ranks Of the happy(:)
benedicts, and therefore less blame can
attach to them for making SO free with
their money. 1t seems strange that
sailors going from place to place, and
seeing so many different people, would
not, after they had been robbed on sew
cral occasions, become more wary and
less trustful of ofstrangcrs.
But living as he docs, most of his
time upon the sea, when he is upon
terra firma his stay is SO short that he
does not have time to become inti-
mately acquainted with the manners
of those low wrctchCs who live by de-
spelling the unwary and crcdulous
sailor of tho money which it has taken
him SO long time to accumulate a
sailor viii treat as an old friend one
VIII 0 pushes himself on his notice and
appear to take an interest in him; thus
giving the sharper a chance to rob
him.
Admiral Wyman reports to the
Secretary of the Navy concerning the
recent visit of the North Atlantic
Squadron to New Orleans: