The Portland daily press., 1883-03-17

her having some quality in the superlative
degree. She ''can lug the most sail,'' or
'can lay nearest the winds eye," or sis the
best sea boat" or "pulls the easiest" or
flows the driest,'' etc
The men who engage in this vocation are,
for the most part, old sailors who at some
period of their lives have been masters or
mates of the largest vessels, and hence are
qualified to take charge of any class of YES
sells 1t may fall to their lot to get on board
Sometimes there are as many as eight or ten
''steVees" congregated atthe place described,
and ii vessel "heaves in sight that indi-
Gates sob" as many lots wooden pegs no
two of length,) are stuck in the ground as
there are pilots, then each pulls a lot, the
last man TO draw being he who placed them.
The longest peg takes the prize and the
lucky man springs into his boat and speeds
away in direction to intercept the APP
preaching vessel.
Not always has he drawn a prize, howev
er, after imperilling his life, perhaps, to
gain the deck, for the feat must be accom-
plished with the vessel under full Roadway.
He may be informed by the captain that his
work is engaged" in stevedore parlance, he
is a customer engaged to some particular
steyedore. Or, as is often the case, he is
told that the cargo was shipped for $50 much
and discharged" therefore the consign6e
discharges the vessel This latter state
ment is generally received with volley of
swear words by the regular stevedore, as lie
ever regards such an arrangement on the
part of shipper and consignee as an attempt
to control and monopolize the legitimate
business OF the stevedores and longshore-
men. 1t does seem hoggish.
Coal from Philadelphia and Pictou; hard
pine and cotton from the Southern States i;
sugar and molasses from the West Indies
rags from Egypt, and salt from Liverpool
and Turks Island, are the principal cargoes
which require the services of a stevedore to
discharge in good order and with expedition.
These several articles of commerce in the
longshore vocabulary, all come in for new
and somewhat novel names. Coal, for ex-
ample, is called "blaek diamonds" hard
pine, Georgia mahogany" sugar and mo-
lasses come under the general head of
"sweet'ning;'' cargo of rags is called sold
cothes;' while salt is denominated as
turks Island sugar"
The English lines of ocean steamers, that
make Portland their winter port, have their
own special pilot and stevedores Other
large steamers with cargoes frequently come
here, however, and the lucky man who gets
one to pilot in usually discharges her, and is
sure of plotting her to sea again. The real
cream of the business is to capture man-of
pilotage at Government rates is a prize
much coveted; and when it is known that
one OF Uncle Sans ships is about to pay
the port visit, every pilot is on the qui 0ive
until some one secures her.
Occasionally fresh" man tries his luck
at the business. If he comes regularly ac-
credited to some well known shipping firm,
he is duly recognized as legitimate steve
dore, but his lack of experience is taken ad-
vantage of by his associates, and he is tricked
by them to the last degree of forbearance
1t is safe to say that for a long time bis
chance is not nearly so good as that of his
fellows for drawing prizes in the stevedore
and pilot lottery
some misguided wight enters the lists as a
free lance-on his own hook-then look out
for fun ahead. He is not only coolly ig-
nored socially by the professionals, but he is
also denied all the customs and courtesies of
the service. Ii he is a plucky fellow, when
he sees a drawing of lots going on from
which he has been excluded, he quickly
launches his boat, and bends to his oars
with all the strength and skill he is capable
OF. Then ensues race between him and
the man who holds the title to the approach
ing game, exciting to witness. Perhaps
they will both gain the vessels deck at the
same moment, and then, if the services of
pilot or stevedore is needed, the contest is
renewed in wordy dispute, which the cap
tain usually settles by engaging the regular,
whose true character is revealed. to him by
the discussion. Does the discounted man
return to the rendezvous? Not he! but if
the weather is propitious he grasps his oars,
turns the bow of his boat seward, and pulls
leisurely away in the track of inbound yes
sells. This maneuvre is observed by those
on shore, who through their marine glasses,
see everything TRANSPORTING One of The num-
Der is now detailed to go out and worry the
tramp who finding himself but one
against SO many, the latter taking turns in
the worrying game, soon gives up the con-
test exhausted and discouraged, and returns
home, never again to try stevedoring as a
free lance.
Practical joking is ever ripe among
seafaring men, and the subjects of this
sketch are no exceptions to the rule. Each
man carries a pail or box, containing suffi-
cient food for a two or three days absence,
and at some stage of the eating thereof, it
used to be common thing to witness a
sudden shedding of tears and gasping for
breath, owing to doughnut or turnover
having been slyly charged with red pepper
One may tantalize his fellows by frequently
exhibiting to them particularly nice cake
or pie, but when he comes to eat it, carpet
tacks are found to outnumber the plums in
it ten to one. Sometimes man is invited
to "try little of this very nice syrup,n
only to find, when too late, that he has
spoiled his dinner by too copious dose of
shellac, or copal varnish.
Perchance stevedore boards some large
steam collier or other inbound loaded vessel.
fortified with a sealed and signed special
recommend from some Influential source
setting forth the bearers competency, trust
worthiness, etc., and urging his retention
for such service as the ship may require.
The captain breaks the seal and reads TO the
astonished ''steve" a biographical sketch of
an entirely opposite tenor from what the
envelope originally contained, and the poor
victim, despite his attempt to explain, is DO
litely requested to get over the side into his
boat again. This, it must be confessed, is
carrying the joke rather too far.
The various regular lines of steamers run
ming to New York and Boston from Port
land, afford speedy, though somewhat per-
ilons means of getting an offing or of reach
ing the favorite resort. just as steamer is
about to sail, the capeward bound steyedore
takes his boat under the stern, passes his
long painter around standard, or through
a ring bolt, takes the end in his hand and
seating himself in the stern-sheets, is soon
spinning through the water at the rate of
ten or twelve miles an hour. When he has
towed far enough, he let's go the painter, and
it easily slips from it's fastening.
On one occasion certain stevedore had
hastily secured his painter in the manner
described, to the rudder chains of the steam
er John Brooks. His destination was the
resort at the end of the cape Before getting
half way there, night and dense fog was
encountered, making it necessary for him
to depend solely upon his Judgment, as to
when to cut loose from the steamer
The moment having arrived, imagine the
mans amazement TO find that the rope had
become SO tightly pinched in the links of the
chain, as to defy all his efforts to extricate
it. He bethought himself of his knife, but
to make any forward movement, and thus
change the trim of the boat, would instantly
capsize her. To make known his situation
to the officers of the steamer, and have her
stopped was not to be thought Of, except as
a last resort. Meanwhile the steamer swift
ly thundered on, her ponderous paddles
churning the waves to phosphorescent
glow oD either side of the hapless stevedore,
while the deepening darkness and damp fog
cast weird gloom around him. To add to
the unpleasantness of the situation, the
sound of the cape fog-signal now fell upon
his ears in direction indicating that he
would soou be bereft of his only guide back
to land that night
Action was the word now, and dire neces-
~ I.