Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-31
MATE AND RIOTS
HOW FREIGHT IS HANDLED AT ST,
LOUIS WHARVES.

=
Roustabout-Punehing tho Slow and
Lazy.
Statistics for last years commerce in St
Louis shows the arrival OF 2 361 boats and ,272
bargs at, and the departure Of 2. 1928 boats
from, this port, and tbs receipt Of SGT ,045
tons and tho shipment Of 657 060 tons Of
freight, all exclusive Of the immense tonnage
transferred BY ferry, and yet the river has
lost interest, and by many is entirely for
gotten. All this is very undeserved Life
On the river and in the harbor has al Of its
attractions still
The time has been when the river front
was lined with steamers, nose to the wharf,
while now they can crowd in 50 as to load
from the side: but the scene now is none the
less active The wonder is just as great now
where the great piles Of freight are slowed
away, and there is Just as much commocion
in loading and unloading. People with tender
corns are Just as safe in remaining away
from steamer just in or preparing to leave
port as they ever were. They are just as apt
to have barrel rolled on these same corns,
or to feel the weight Of rous:abouts No IL
shoe.
large steamers crew is composed Of
captain, two mates, two engineers, two
strikers six fremen, Waterman, three
CLERKS, a steward and ten to twenty assist
ants and deck force OF twenty to forty OF
these the mate alone has TO push and ham
mer when time is valuable, except on extra
ordinary occasions and except in the quiet
Of his own precincts where only the boards
Of the boat and those people for whom his
words are intended viii hear them The first
mate has charge Of the loading and unload
ing, and in the absence Of the captain takes
command Of the boat. A steamer like the
City of New Orleans, for instance will carry
500 tons Of freight very comfortably The
mate must load and unload this in a very
short time, as occasion often requires. but,
regardless of the time in which the work
must be done, he must look after any weak
points il the boat and follow all rules laid
down for the even distribution of cargo. II
a steamer has any weak points, they must b
loaded first. Otherwise, the mate begins
back aft and loads forward in the center.
following this rule in the hold and on deck.
and being careful to keep the weight in the
center. Then he runs out into the wings and
along the sides, always keeping the weight
so evenly distributed that the steamer will
settle down into the water as nicely IS il
under the pressure Of single piece of ma
chinery at ell points. At the same time the
freight is loaded with due regard to points
Of unloading, so that there viii not only no.
be any rehandling, but no strain caused by
removing freight from one point and not
from another.
The mate must have clear, cool head, and
be man Of some executive ability Even
in an outburst Of passion, be must keep his
o1< L. l.
advantage in not always having the same
force to do his work, and thus in not know
ing his mems capacities for even day labor
ers have such things as capacities. One man
may lift 500 pounds and another stall at $50
but the latter may be so much more active
that he viii move more gross weight in half
an hour than the former. This is an object,
and in handling men it is of importance to
consider i. The mate, however, soon esti-
mates his men At local landings be has
only his regular crew, but in all large ports
he has what is known as shore or hour labor
These do all the loading and unloading The
deck crew attends only to keeping things in
trim If the steamer is just in, they are tired
out, and that is enough for them to do.
The roustabout generally seems to have a
happy life, and he possibly has There is no
reason to doubt appearanc except the idea
one not accustomed 50 it would have in an
ticipating it. In port and off duty he is a
painter, generally-that is, he does a great
deal toward making things in his vicinity
lurid, By making Rome how'll When hs
sleeps, II he sleeps at all, is often q conun-
drum, though be must sleep some place. It
is, however, often with load on,n and he
is fortunate if he turns up for duty with a
hide free of scratches and bruises. 1t is not
infrequent that he turns up at the hospital or
the morgus. There are. however good
roustabouts, just as there are had church
men The life is not one calculated TO make
them good, but that never seems TO troubls
them while on duty, and they never seem to
realize that they haven't had good time
and get on shore to warm up and see their
friends In the average steamboat, no pro-
vision is made for the rousters' sleeping. /
They art expected TO curl up ON deck or
among the freight, and make the best Of it.
They are also expected, on night runs, to
turn out as promptly as soldiers on duty
when . landing Is made Still they laugh
and sing the time away, and guy" each
other in manner that should be profitable
to shore people.
A wealthy passenger looking over the ran
and seeing the coiorsd deck hand leaning on
the capstan, smoking 8 pipe, naturally won- 4
Cers what pleasures the world has for him. :
The deckhand turns and looks up, and the
passenger u surprised that his face bears as
coagsnted smile IS his own, and probably I
more So The shore labcrer is, Il anything, /
more % curiosity. 1t is question if be d 1
any tougher, because, having nure opportu- !
mites for doing things up brown the act .
of doing it is not 50 nach Of a novelty. BE
viii sleep aly Lace. however, just as the
dsckhand does. and IS as free TO laugh and
Joke when be has 3oO-pourd box on his
shoulder as when he has nothing but few
surplus drinks The mate, though looks ont (
for this, and II he jokes or the laughter in
terferes with or DELAYS the work, or if, to get I
in good one on another laborer, one OF them !
stops in his work, he interfereS Ee gen
orally carries stick. mere Ike club, and l
sometimes like bull prod, and the man who !
works slow or soldiers Is very certain 70
get punch il the r1bs. or il some other part .
Of the body This is river life IN the haroor
and through to New Demo
crat.
Practice of City Dog SeeAIerA.
II has long been the practice Of the dog
seealers to snip the valuable dogs they steal
here to other cities. and bring dogs stolen
elsev here here for sale Il is also practice.