Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-09

and the wharf at which the ship law
hundred darkies perhaps more, were loung-
ing about waiting for the work to begin
and there is nothing in which the West India
darky comes out so strong as in waiting for
the work to begin A big torch was lighted,
and the flame of it made the platform as
light almost as day. Lanterns were hung
about inside the building, and through the
open doors could be seen great piles of ba-
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 few yellow |
streaks by the time they are landed in New
York
A dozen men went to work and dashed
wide plank to the side of the ship in such
position that it made a platform large enough
for two men to stand on, about four feet
above the wharf and the same distance below
the deck The cover was taken off the for
ward hatch and several men were sent below
to stow away the punches as they were passed
down Other mea were stationed between
the rail and the hatch to pass the punches
along. Men and women carried the punches
from the shed to the ship and handed them to
the men on the hanging platform. An in
spector was constantly on the wharf keeping
sharp eye on every bunch and rejecting all
that had any blemish or were under size A
colored man with sharp cutlass stood about
midway between the shed and the ship, and
with dexterous blow cut the long and use
less stern from each bunch as it was carried
past. Thus each bunch went through five
hands in its short journey from the storage
shed to the hold of the ship: First girl or
man picked up bunch from the great heap
In the shed, put it on her or his head, and
carried it to the men on the hanging plat
form; they passed it to the man on deck, who
in turn handed it to the men in the hatch
way, and they gave it to men still deeper in
the hold, who slowed it away where it was to
remain till it reached New York
The order to begin work instantly turned
the quiet wharf into one of the liveliest
places imaginable Twenty men and girls
made q rush for the shed and came out, one
after another, with punches of bananas on
their heads, hurrying as if their lives de-
pended upon making quick time The two
men on the platform, as they received the
punches. called off the number for the tally
| keeper, who made mark for every bunch
received. Then began a musical but monot-
onous chorus that lasted till the last banana
was on board. The men on the platform re-
ceivsd the punches alternately, first one and
then the other, each one as he handed his
bunch up to the deck calling out a number
that never went beyond four First the
right hand man cried WAN" in a voice that
might have been heard on the other side of
the island. Then the left hand man Two
And the other one again, Three" and the
left hand man again, -Four" and then
| the first one, 'Tal-lee,n the tally" coming
out every time five times louder than any of
the others. Then it began again with the
zone" two" three" and so on, till in a
short time the tally keeper had rows of
marks reaching across the broad pages of
his book. Occasionally some of the workers
started up a song and the others joined in
The whole scene was typical of life in
the tropics with the awning stretched over
the passengers deck to keep off the night
dews, the darkies at work by the light of the
big torch, the pleasant smell of the bananas,
the soft warm air and the negro songs 1t
was a tropical cargo that we had through
out, with 800 hogsheads of sugar in the hold,
a great weight Of mahogany logs and some
hides and tobacco. In a short time the whole
wharf was covered with the cut of ends of
banana stems, and these had frequently TO be
swept away. Two or three times somebody's
grip failed or his foot slipped and bunch OF
bananas came down on the wharf with a
thud and broke to pieces, only to be thrown
overheard without ceremony. 1t seemed i'm
possible for the man to keep swinging his
cutlass in the midst of that hurrying crowd
without nicking somebody's head or at least
looping off an ear or two; but he evidently
understood his business, for no such accident
happened, and the cutlass never descended
without bringing with it one of the cut off
stems. 1t would have been impossible, of
course, for such a crowd OF West Indian col
ored people to work together without some
wrangling and quarreling, and in such cases
they are not sparing of their lungs, and scold
away at such a rate that pitched battle
, seems imminent. They take it out In scold-
| ing, however, and rarely or never come to
! blowsover their work
This went on from o'clock to II, with q
racket that made sleep impossible. In those
four hours 4, 600 punches of bananas were put
in the hold, and more would have been taken
il more had been ready; but another steamer
4 had been loaded the day before, and had
| nearly emptied the storehouse. The slowing
Q away in the hold is work that requires ex
perienced hands Careless work there would
/ result in a spoiled cargo before the shiI
/ reached her destination They have to be a,
t carefully packed as lady's trunk, and so ar
8 ranged that the air will reach them as mucl
r as possible. A fruit steamer is a marvel il
t the way of pipes and ventilators and all sort
( of contrivances for keeping bananas in goot
S condition. The deck of the Alvo, as soon q
tzrab had han hoard lJor
r ness of great iron ventilating tunnels, eacl
Y as high as mans head, and each REINFORCED
d with canvas arms, spread out to catch tn
s breeze.
e On the other hand, when the ship reache
d higher ATTITUDES on her northward voyage
Q the ventilators have to be taken away an,
l. the hold heated with steam pipes. The Alta
Steamship company has a system of protect
ing its fruit that seems to be nearly perfect
The hold must be kept at just such temper
allure as nearly as possible throughout til
II voyage few degrees higher would ripe
. the fruit too rapidly and a few degrees lowe
would chill it. Above all things, no sal
II water must be allowed to touch the fruit
N not even spray, for nothing ruins the banan
quicker. The record of the homeward voJ
10 age Of a banana ship is a wonder for its con
pleteness. At certain hours every day the
80 mometers are lowered into the hold throug
openings provided for the purpose, and a n
% cord is made Of each test on blanks provide
NJ for the purpose. Even the opening or closin
" of ventilator has to be recorded; SO ths
mr. when the strictly first class passenger, IL
banana, reaches his destination his ownt
90 knows Just what treatment he has receive
throughout the trip.-William Drysdale
90 New York Times.
m A Very Great Mistake.
"Pa," said Johnny, who is a persiste
knowledge seeker, "what is q law giverf'