The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-02-18
OYSTERlNG.
Rough Experience of an Amateur Fisher
man on Chesapeake IsuS.


The reporter who was thus addressed
looked up from his Stew and eyed the
speaker curinuSly. lie WAS 4 gnod-lonk-
ing. athletic Young fellow. Ills voice
Indicated that he was an EngliShhman.
He was sitting on The other side Of the
table. end WAS waiting for his order.
and was evidently inclined Ia be soci-
able
did YOU ever go oyStrring?"
81 should say did had five
months of it. Down the Chesapeake
bay looks well in print. doesn't it? and
sort o poetical-likr. But it's hell-or
if that amt hell. then there's no hell. j
shall never forget my five months OF
Oy>tering. Look here And the stran-
ger pulled up the right sleeve of his blue
flannel shirt and pointed 10 two circular
sears.
What are they the reporter asked.
''Ehcy re the marks of boilS caused
by eating SO much salt meat, and gem
orally living on food not tit for human
consumption. My mate had hole
eaten clear throug gh his arm from the
same cause.
This is his story:
Il and my partner Dick struck Balti-
more broke. Just about year ago II
was bitterly cold, and we applied to a
police station for shelter for the night.
We were ashamed to do it, but we could
not help ourselves. In the morning We
We're turned out. and were snollino
along street near the waters edge,
not knowing where to go nor what to
do, when two men hailed us and said
Johnny (eyerybody's johnny among
oystermen) dye want berth?' That
was just what we did want, although we
didn't know what it was. and we shout
ed back Yes! Come along them
they said. We followed them. and
learned that they We're on the lookout
Tor hands Tor an oyster schooner living
in midstream. Glad of anv kind of
work, and almost Indifferent rs to our
fate, Dick and | signed articles of
agreement. On our part we agreed to
do our duty to our captain and The COM
pany employing us. and they in turn
pledged themselves 10 pay Us our salary.
10 feed. and treat us well. Some color
ed men joined the crew | guess Dick
and were the only two who could
read. The boss got mad at me because
| insisted on reading the articles of
agreement before signing them The
common way was to sign Il cross. Ii
was nothing but form. We got into Il
yawl and were rowed out To the OYSTER
schooner. When half way over the
captain asked each of lis for 81 for
shipping morsG denounced the de-
mand rs Il robbery, and said | wouldn't
pay ii. Well, / couldn't, for | didn't
have cent. But you bet it was dockcd
out of my salary all the same. Once on
board the schooner it didn't take us
long 10 heaVe anchor and hoist sails.
Being of a curious turn of mind, and
all the surroundings being new 10 NE,
naturally turned my attention to the
conveniences mentioned in the shipping
articles and sworn to under bond, red
tape. and sealing-waX, First came the
captain : and the mates quarters in the
cabin. then the hold OF the vessels for
oysters. then our -boudOir' You laugh.
That's all right. [ can laugh now nv
self; but if you'd been with me then and
seen our 'boudOir' Your stomach would
have been very sick. In knocking about
the world had learned that ii was bad
ever to appear green, 50 | set about To
find the sleeping apartments of the
crew. But after searching all over the
ship | had to give it up. Finally went
to the most Intelligent fellow among the
crew, and who looked an old hand at
the business, and broached the subject
to him. He fairly roared with laugh-
ter, and pointed TO hole in the fore
part of the deck. | approached, and
getting down on my knees, looked be-
low. Oh, heavens, what den! have
often heard of dead languages, but the
allluvia which met my nostrils con-
vey"d more intelligence than all the liv-
mg languages on earth. After reviving
myself with fresh air. tackled it and
went below To study the mysteries of the
bed chamber. A compartment of
about eight feet in its greatest measure
ment, with a few rough boards nailed
TO the side, and very small stove in
the center, comprised sleeping apart
ments for a crew of eight. Being over
powered by the stencil and my emotion,
| gained deck again, and fell into
reverie. from which | was awakened bv
the dinner-bell. Now this is joyful
sound 10 a hungry mans ears, and be-
in" in that state my hopes We're revived,
especially when admOnished not to be
laughed in his sleeves ut such Il huge
joke, for l verify believe that not more
than two of the crew touched the horri-
BILE offal. the vilest fat bacon, that look
ed as if it had done good service years
before, and bread as hard and indigeSt-
ible as bullets. and, to wind up, such
coffee! (dish-water). made more naH-
seous by pouring in 4 lot of molasses. a
bad imitation of tar, which composed
the meal. However, we had to take
that or nothing, SO after several attempts
we managed 10 eat it. The first place
Of stopping was Annapolis. which was
reached on the 26th of October. where
the license is procured, and as oystering
is not lawful until the lst of November,
We had ample time 10 reach the grounds.
Old heads who had been there before
told the new hands that oiIr firm was
considered one of the best in the buSi-
ness. Ii that was so, God help. the
worst. In due time we were told of
IL our respective boats. and on the
morning of the lst OF November were
called Oh deck between and ) Ia hcave
anchor and get her under WAY. At
sunrise We We're on the rock (oySter-
bed). and commenced operations. The
oysters are caught by means of chain
bag, with large teeth on the bottom
(called Il dredge.) which is attached 10
a rope about ninety feet long The YES
sci in sailing over the bed dra@S the
dredge on the bottom: when full it is
wound up by means of Il crank. similar
10 q windlaSS The contents of the
dredge are emptied OH the deck and the
oysters culled or sorted from the refuse,
which is thrown overheard. This is
kept up until sundown, weather permit
ting. when all the boats 90 into harbor
and load one of their respective firm
boats, which, when loaded, is taken To
Baltimore, or some other market. 1t
was very seldom we got through work
until q. M. So we were glad enough
to crawl into our den, like So many ami
mails, and sleep rs best we could. Be
sides the fearfuIly mean diet (Which a
decent man would not offer 4 dog), we
We're often without water to drink, much
less To wash in, and never saw a piece
OF soap the whole five months. Then
TO make matters worse, some of these
human brutcS of captains would. with
out any provocation, knock the men