Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-06-29
wATeasIDE CHARACTERS,

wATERSIDE CHARACTERS.
The Work Done by Loneshoremsn and
stevedores in New York Harbor.
The jolly Jack tar of the British and
American ship is hard worker at sea- In
these days merchant vessels, as an old salt
in the United States Shipping Office re-
marked to New York Graphic man, ''carry
no more cats than can catch rats" Ships
go to sea with just enough Of crew to
enable them to manage the vessel and in
bad weather they have rough time of 1t.
When the ship is weathering Cape Stiff, as
the boys term the Horn, Jack does not spare
himself, but pulls out the weather earring
with frozen and benumbed hands, as he
glances into the vast concavity of blue and
icy water below him. He does not object to
trim cargo when it shifts, or to go aloft to
secure main top royal when the wind is
singing death rattle through the standing
rigging, when the foot-rope is running
slack through the stirrups and the reef
points are stiff as iron rods. But he most
decidedly objects to receive or discharge
cargo in port That he considers the duty
of 'longshoremen employed by the steve
dores. Longshoremen are many here in
New York. Two years ago they were very
prominent in the Knights of Labor, but
since they inaugurated strike against the
Dominion line few years ago they have
not been the objects Of much newspaper at
tention. They are fine, manly, able fellows,
and if they do hang around the saloons on
the slips" and all over South street it is
because their work is of an intermittent
nature, and not because of any desire to
idle away their time
The ,longshoremen whose business it is to
load and unload ships must be within the
reach of the stevedore from daylight to
dark, and so down on South street near the
ferry and on Burling and Coenties slips,
where boss stevedores congregate, rooms
are fitted up for the men in rough sailor
fashion, where they can sleep, drink and
play cards in their OF hours. ftt
About 5000 men, all told, handle the
freight that comes into and leaves the port
of New York, and the wages paid them
yearly is estimated at over $4,000, 900.
Every race is represented except the Chi
nese among these workers along shore
In New York harbor there are, all told,
300 stevedores, and many have amassed
great wealth. They are in effect the agents
of the consignees to whom cargoes are
brought, and like agents for the 'charter
party" the legal m aritime term for any
person or company chartering vessel to
convey a cargo of goods from one port to
another. To illustrate: A vessel has been
chartered to convey cargo from New York
to Liverpool. She is ready for her cargo
and her cargo ready for her. The 'charter
party" calls for his stevedore, as all large
shippers usually continuously employ the
same man, and contract with him to
put their cargo aboard. This does not
mean that it shall merely be put on
the vessels deck. 1t must be slowed
away in the hold and between decks in a
proper manner for an ocean voyage. These
contracts are based either on weight or
measurement, and often on both; and the
cost of loading a cargo of 1000 ton bark or
great ocean steamer will vary from 81 500
to &C, 900. While the vessel is being loaded
he is practically its master. For while a
ships captain may suggest regarding stow
age, he must after all yield to the arbitrary
ruling Of the stevedore, who thus becomes
the responsible party for the good condi-
ton of the cargo on delivery at its foreign
port.
The stevedore usually has several fore
men in his employ. These are 'longshore-
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 gangs"
among the 'longshoremen always waiting
about the approaches to the docKs' ire,
ouentlv in most picturesque groups, and
then the livellest of commotion begins. The
,longshoremen working force comprises
foreman at each vessel, who has entire
charge of the work and who keeps the
time Of the men. assistant foremen In num-
ber proportionate to the magnitude OF the
task, .'headers' and regular laborers.
"Headers'' and assistant foremen receive
five cents per hour extra.
II a vessel IS loading and the stevedore is
able to secure the cargo rapidly, alarge num-
her of gangs are worked Usually one gang
ia employed at each hatch and side-port,
but frequently, il hurried, two are USED.
Then there is the dock gang, who handle
theofreightt to the ships side and see tnat
it is started right in its ascent by the
s'whip'' to above the hatch Tor lowering,
and the gangs below who are loading tne
cargo These usually consist Of two men
and eheader'' ON either side Of the yes
sel.k The header practically represents the
steyedore in the proper slowing OF the
freight. and the ''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 injure each other are kept sep,
arate; slowing so that the cargo shall DC
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 ano
met and adjusted; for badly placed cargl
may ashift' at any moment in storu
and send vessel to the bottom. The
raising and lowering of the .'whip's" tackle
is signaIed by the shrill call OF al
assistant foreman's whistle by the hatch
where this man stands at the port side anf
receives the packages coming in or golnt
out Of the vessel and attends TO their beint
lowered properly and IN saIeIy, ior nun a;,
dreds Of longshoremen's lives have paie
the penalty Of careless handling OF ocear
freight along these very wharves.
The stevedore business Of the port 0
New York is now crowded into narrow Iin
~ doe< room sOm6 OF the Dl;