Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-03-06

men who work either by the hour, week or
month, at an advance of about one-third
over the ordinary workmen. When vessels
are to be loaded or unloaded these foremen
start out on the street and select with almost
unvarying impartiality their ssgangs'
among the 'longshoremen always waiting
about the approaches to the docks, fire.
quently in most picturesque groups, and
then the livelIest of commotion begins. The
'longshoremen working force comprises a
foreman at each vessel, who has entire
charge OF the work and who keeps the
time of the men. assistant foremen In num-
Der proportionate to the magnitude of the
task ''headers. and regular laborers.
Headers and assistant foremen receive
five cents per hour extra.
If a vessel is loading and the stevedore is
able to secure the cargo rapidly, alarge num-
Der of gangs are worked. Usually one gang
is employed at each hatch and side-port,
but frequently, if hurried, two are used
Then there is the dock gang, who handle
theofreight to the ships side and see that
it is started right in its ascent by the
''whip'' to above the hatch for lowering,
and the gangs below who are loading the
cargo. These usually consist Of two men
and s'header" on either side of the YES
sell The header practically represents the
ObCfCuOAO Al tuO PIOpCE SOOhlnB "a bu6
freight, and the s'headers'' must be bright
men, for on their directions and care rests
the possible good condition of the cargo.
The spots where heavy and light materials
must be placed; arranging so that freights
likely to lnjure each other are kept sep
arate; slowing so that the cargo shall be
borne at the vessels center Of gravity, and
that she shall not roll and strain from great
dead weights in improper places; and then
that the crafts utmost carrying capacity
shall be utilized; all must be considered and
met and adjusted; for a badly placed cargo
may 'shift" at any moment in storm
and send vessel to the bottom. The
raising and lowering Of the "whip's" tackle
is signaled by the shrill call Of an
assistant foreman's whistle by the hatch,
where this man stands at the port side and
receives the packages coming in or going
out of the vessel and attends to their being
lowered properly and in safety, for hun
dreds Of 'longshoremen's lives have paid
the penalty of careless handling of ocean
freight along these very wharves.
The stevedore business of the port of
New York is now crowded into narrow linn
its. For want of dock room some of the big
steamship companies have been forced to
the Jersey side, while those on the New
York shore are crowded. Along the North
river on the east and north along the East
river shore the sailing craft of the world
mainly clusters, while the Brooklyn shore
for a little distance above the bridge is COW
cred with docks and basins extending for
miles.
The 'longshoremen differ much from sail
ors in one essential respect. They are
provident, and many of them have quite a
little pile in the savings banks. Their work
is hard, and the pay not large, but quite a
number of 'longshoremen, especially the
Irish, manage to marry and support fam
lily in moderate comfort. They are peace
able set, seldom figure in the police courts,
and not half as rough as their rough call
ing would cause one to imagine.