The morning call., 1891-08-14
POOR.JACK.
How He Is Plundered and Victimszed
While in Port.

How He Is Plundered and Victimszed
While in Port.
Editor Morning Call: For several days
/ have watched your interesting articles on
"Poor Jack" and the way in which he is
treated here in San Francisco. 1 am an old
salt myself, and know. therefore, of what
am talking when | say that, although none
so kind-hearted or so generous as your
average sailor, yet at the same time there is
no class Of men so easily imposed or. This
is but natural. Away at sea for three or
four months at time he is only too glad to
be hall fellow we'll met with the first one he
meets after he steps ashore. He, OF course,
is asked to take drink, and. having been
without any intoxicating stimulants for
long time. the first glass makes him merry.
the second one puts kink in his legs. and
by the time he has swallowed another
"boatswaln's nip" he does not care which
way the wind blows. If he had only good
liquor given him this quantity might. per-
haps, not intoXicate him, but the vile COM
pound which is too often dealt out to Jack
under the name Of whisky is, l believe.
nothing more nor less than kerosene and
red pepper ana might well be called liquid
lightning. Now, | am a stranger here and
have never visited the Sailors Home or
seen lis internal arrangements, but Judging
from the outside | should not care to live
there. 1t is about as gloomy and prison.
IKE looking building as L have seen.
Might l ask If it is seIf-supporling
or assisted by the State? | would
suggest in either case that a duly accredited
agent OF the Home" board every vessel en-
tering this port. interview the crew aud
make all arrangements with them. should
ihey WISH to stay at the Home, to have their
Kills look. d after and forwarded safely.
Men, perhaps, living some distance away
could be given railway tickets aud have
their money forwarded them. This plan is
now in force at all the large seaport towns
In Great Britain, and has given great salts
1actlon. he boarding house runners,
sharks, or whatever YOU may call them, are
only allowed to see the crew for ten minutes
and are then bundled over the side. OF
course, II sailor wishes to 60 to board
lng-house or elsewhere he can do so, but l
THINK great many now go, not out of
choice, but OF necessity. Tho sharks are the
only ones who meet him GU his arrlyal-uo
one else seems to take any interest in him
and the result is that Jack accepts Fate in
the shape of runner and goes like a lamb
to the slaugter. Let the Home be really
made home" with pleasant surround
lngs, as lar away from the Front" as DOS
sible. Let there be bank established on
the premises where his hard-earned dolIars
WIZ 0e sale, pleasant readlng,rooms. bowl
lng-alley, etc. Should Jack come home
three sheets in the wind''-and he is not
the only one who 'looketh too often on the
wine when 1t is red'-he could be taken care
Of, and not stand chance of being knocked
on the head and shanghaied. OF course,
there are some men whom it would be i'm
possible to control. Such men had better be
left to their own devices; but it seems to
me strange that whereas no special atten-
ton is paid to a gentleman (?) or mechanic
rolling along drunk, everybody seems to
single out a drunken sailor as q highly
amusing and interesting spectacle. To rob
him seems huge joke, and no one cares to
give him helping hand. l could go on
with this subject for q long time, but do not
wish to encroach upon your valuable space.
AS for shanghaling men, it seems to me that
You have not half enough police in this city,
Why, have walked along the front both by
day and by night and policeman is as rare
as-well, as policeman generally is when
he IS wanted. The most severe laws ought
to be enacted against scoundres of the
shanghaing class. and carried out, too the
latter is as essential as the first. No pull
ought to save man detected of shanghaiing
a poor wretch previously drugged or sand
bagged. San Francisco, without its ship
ping, would be in it," and it is surely to
the interest OF al!-meTchaDts, masters and
seamen alike = that ships should 60 to sea
manned by able and capable men. In con-
clusion l hope some ADLER pen than mine
may 'catch on" to my rather vague and
crude ideas, expand them and keep the ball
rolling. G.B