Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-01-29
DREDGING FOR OYSTERS.
Men ofthe PUNCHES, and Their
Methods OF Work.
Hardships Of Those who Bag the Tooth
some Oyster from ESs Bed

- IyobIA0 ~lS pIONAlCR MlLn- TWO
dfedges. They are iron sinstruments.
with chain netting made in the
form OF pocket. The: mouths of
these pockets are provided with teeth
for scraping up the os,sters. The
dredges have ropes ATTACKED to them
which are fastened to 1ron winders
placed amidships on both the port and
starboard sides of the vkssel. These
winders are iron and provided with
cranks. They are secusely fastened
to the decks. The drea0er loves a
stlH breeze. He cannot work to adj
vantage without it, and il it blows a
half gale he likes it the bstter. When
the boat reaches the place where it is
proposed to work the twcs dredges are
thrown overheard and aauled along
the bottom by the vessel Each
dredge will hold two and 4 half bushels
OF oysters, but they are sarely drawn
up full, except on an especially fine
bed. The speed desired lily the dredger
is two miles an hour. Ehe sails are
therefore trimmed to keep this speed.
-Four men are required aia each winder.
When the dredge is surprised to have
oysters in it four men .skize the two
iron cranks of the windlr and begin
the laborious task of winIling the rope
around the cylinder untillthe dredge is
drawn up. 1t is hard work, tell you,
and often very cold Sometimes the
crank may feel like fire and take the
skin off the hands. Every drop of
water which strikes thE decks and
clothing of the men may; be freezing,
but they have got to york all the
same. Oysters sell better in cold
weather. and that is the time to catch
them. The captain takss part with
his men. His place is ut the tiller to
steer and have general direction of the
boat. Woe to the meH a. the cranks
when the ropes slip or! the dredges
strike snag on the. bpttom. The
cranks are snatched frpms the men and
fly around with Lightning speed, often
resulting in broken arms, legs and
lacerated bodies. orce saw a crank
knock the top of mems; head off as
clean as it could have been cut with
saw. Accidents from che crank are
frequent There is net p day passes
but some poor fellow on the oyster
grounds receives a wcand from it.
The dredge boats go out from the
harDors, where they slsend the nights.
at very early hour il the morning,
and work as'long as they can see in
etheevehihg. They step for no weather
except heavy gale Or furious snow
storm. They will often work in
young hurricane under n windward
shore, when they can: only carry lit
tie piece of mainsai9 ana jib. The
men are compelled to Desop deck in all
kinds of weather and WORK like beav-
ers. They get soaked wEh rain and
have their clothes freeze on them.
They sometimes have their ears. noses,
hands and feet nearly esten off by the
frost and have to put up vaith uncom-
Portable sleeping quarters at night,
As many of them have, not got a.
change of clothing. thsy Gle down in
their frozen garments at night and
thaw out. So this process of freezing
during the day and ,thawing out at
night goes on. and it s. no wonder that
many of them die of pneumonia and
other maladies incidert toiso rough
life. 1t too often happens that when
a man gets sick he ii PCT ashore at
some point by his captain, without
money, and left to shit fog himself as
best he can. But on the Other hand,
some of these fellows Vho come to the
city with such tales are deerters from
their vessels. The only time that
dredgers have picnic is during the
prevalence of storm so yiolent that
the boats are compellea To-Day in har-
Dor. The men then lay about the cab
ms and forecastle smoking. sleeping
and drinking, if they can get the