The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-18
A LOAD OF BANANAS.
A NIGHT SCENE On TIE COST
or JAMAICA


ycntiia;in. Tunnels.
Shortly after dark the banana loading be
gan. and nothing connected with the fruit
trade IS mere picturesque and romantic than
the loading Of banana ship. particularly
when the work is done at night There was
the loa- wooden building in which the ba-
nanas were stored. with an uncovered board
platform about twenty Zee. wide between y
aud the wharf at which tie ship lag. \
hundred cerkIes, perhaps more, wcge lc1ns-
ing about waiting for the work 20 begin
and there IS nothing in which the West India
darky comes out so strong as IN waiting for
the work 10 begin. A big torch vas lighted,
and the fame of it made the platform IS
light almost as day Lanterns were hung
about inside the building, and through the
open doors could be seen great piles Of Ia
nanas stacked up like hay; and all green, for
they are cut in the unripe state and should
not, if they are properly managed, be more
than just beginning to show a fey yellow
streaks by the time they are landed in New
York
\ dozen men went to work and lTshed a
wide plank to the side Of the ship IA such a
position that it made platform large enough
for twO men 70 stand on about four feet
above the wharf and the same distance below
the deck The cover was taken OF the for
ward batch and several men wero sent below
10 stow away the punches as they were passed
down Other mel were statio.al between
the rail and the hatch % pass the punches
along. Men and women carried the punches
f,,,, clio HI g. tto ebt, ,,,f I,..f d .l.,,, O.,
the men on the hanging platform. An in
spectcr vas constantly on the wharf keeping
a sharp eye on every bunch and rejecting al
that lad any blcmish or were under size. 4
cO,ored man with "A sharp cat.ass stood about
midway between the shed and the ship, and
with dexterous blow cut the l1ag and use
less stem from each bunch as DC was carried
past Thus each bunch went through five
hands in Is short journey from the storage
shed 70 the hold of the ship. llr,, O. girl or
man picked up bunch from tAo great heap
in the shed, put 10 on her coz bis head, and
carried II 10 tho men on the hanging plat
form. they passed 10 TO the maa ou decS, VINO
in turn handed 10 to the men in the hatch
way, and they gave 1t 10 men stall deeper in
the hold. who slowed 10 away where 10 was 20
remain I'll 10 reached New York
Tic order % begin work instantly turned
the quiet wharf into ono OF tae AveLest
places imaginable Twenty men and girls
made a rush f3r the she'd and came ONT, ogo
after Gno.Ler, with punches oi bananas o.
their Leads, Lusryiug as f tAcr lives de-
pended upon making quick time The Two
men Cd tie platform, as they received the
bunchcs. called OF the number for the tally
keeper, who made q mari. Cor every bunch
received Then began % musical but m0n0--
on0gs chorus that lasted 81. tAe !lst banana
was o. board. The men on tlo platform re-
celved the b-lcLes alternately first one and
then tie other each oao as ha handed his
bunch up % the deck calling Og, . number
that never vent beyond four First the 4
ri.Lt band man cred wan ia a voice That .
might hayo been heard on tlc ot-er side II .
tie island Then the left band man Two
And be ether one again Three, and the
LETT hand man again, -Four aud then
the first oae, "Tel-lce,n the tally coming
o., every time five times louder than any Il
tie others. Then 10 logan again With Gle
''Cle, two three" AID SD 90, tiil in
slort tme the tally keepes hai flows Of
marks reaching across tle broad pages II
bis book OCCASIONALLY some of the workers
started up q song and the others joined in.
The whole scene was typical OK lie IN
Tie tropics, with the awning stretched over
tie passengers deck ~ keep OF the night
lews. tie darslea "a work by the light o. the
big torch. she p.easan. smell of the bananas,
the so:- warm CIR and the negro songs. 10
was a tropical cargo that we had through
)ut. with 800 Logsheads of sugar in the hold,
a great weight Of mahogany logo aud some
lides aud tobacco. In q short time the whole
wharf was covered with the cut OF ends Of
lauana stems, and these lad frequently 10 be
swept away Two or three times somebody's
,rp failed or MS foot slipped and bunch Of
JalanGs came down on the wharf With
hud and broke to pieces, only % be thrown
Without ceremony. IL seemed inn
possible for the man t. keep swinging bis
.utl-ss ia The midst Of that hurryins crowd
without r.cking somebody head. or az least
opp.ng oI an car on two, but lie evidently
his business, for no such accident
lappeaed. and the cutlass never descended
without bringing with IL ono Of tn Gu, OH
tens Il would have been impossible, Of
ours, for such a crowd Of Wcst Indian col
,red people TO work together without some
granglns and quarrelinS and IN such cases
hes are not spring Of their lungs, and scsld
away at sucl rate that "a pitched battle
GEMS imminent They take it cut ina scold-
NJ however, and rarely or never come TO
blows over their work.
This went on from o'clock 10 II, with a
'aclet that made sleep impossible In those
our hours 1900 punches OF bananas were put
- the hold, and more would have been takel
I more had been ready; bu, another steamer
lad been loaded tho dag before, AID had
nearly emp.ied tue storohouse The slowing
away ia the hold is work that requires cx-
HANDS Careless wor.l there would
.e,uis ia a spoiled cargo before the ship
reached Der destination. They have 70 be Us
,areflliy packed rs a lady's trunk, aud ~ ar
-anscl that the air will reach them as much
Is possible A fruit steamer Is a marvel IN
Inc way Of pipes and yentilators and all sorts
81 concriyanceJ for keeping bananas in good
condition. The decl, OF the Alyo, as soon Is
ne had bananas on board, became a wilder
ness Of great iron yentilating tunnels, each
Is high rs mans head, and each re-enforced
With canvas arms, spread out % catch the
breeze.
On the other hand, when the ship reaches I
b CHER ATTITUDES on her northward voyage,
The veutilator-S hava 70 be taken away and /