The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-15

in the contract that the bone and the oil
should be sold to the ship at certain prices
depending on the number of whales caught.
IL there are many the prices 60 down; the
| more whales the lower the prices"
do not the men get some advance
money!"
yes; that's another swindle. The
clearinghouse keeper gets that. Usually
say S95 fur the whaler's outfit and board.
and II he is very liberal he may give the
poor devil IS spending-money the day
before the ship sails. That's about all that
we ever see in the way Of money. except the
dollar when we're paid off, in exchange for
ten months Of the hardest work you can set
a man To do"
"What about the money earned on the
voyage-the share of the proceeds?"
The slop-chest soon swallows that up.
The,eaptaln keeps the siop-chest and charges
the sailor three prices for every article he
gets out Of it-tobacco. clothing, etc.-and
the result Is that when the profits are
figured out we are found to have only a
dollar due US. A few may get So up to SIS,
but they are the exceptions"
what about the oficers?"
"They do very well. A mate may come
back from a whaling trip with $1,000 to his
credit. But the poor devils who are shipped
houses Of the Barbary Coast and down Pa
cific street are lucky IL they get back with
their lives. Most Of them are green hands
AlDOst any aDle-DOuieu man WHO is strong
enough to pull an oar will do for whaling
trip"
"They soon break him In, Ell ?''
~ should think so. The whaling feet
starts out in December and goes south
nearly or quite down to the Horn to make
the green hand is soon taught with club
| or a ropes end how to fad the royal clew
line without lantern and to pull boat.
Real able bodied seamen are seldom found
L.
| in IL and they wont ship. Then, too,
| whaier's time ashore is very short. III we
return in the middle of November We are
| off again this first week Of December, so it's
eieven-and-half months work and two
| weeks rest. And mind you a whaler's
work is all day and all night like; he don't
get much else except catnaps."
| "Tben whaler works for about Sc a
| year and his board?"
| That's about the size OF it?'
Where do the men spend their time
| when ashore"
Mostly in tine saloons and dives. Go up
| to the dance-houses around Broadway and
Kearnys and you'll find scores of them to-
night. They are having good time with
their dollas while 1t lasts. Tomorrow they
Will 60 to the boarding-master for a loan
| and TO De kept In grub and lodging till the
heet sails, Did you ever see whaler In a
clearinghouse? It's worse than negro
| osaNcty Guy tiuc. NO Obt cares con tlne0-
tai for poor Jack. There are so-calied in
situations and what not. but they don't
amount to anything for the good they do to
| US. Good-day."
..Asd the poor fellow disappear ed In the
| direction OF one Of tho many groggeriss
along the south side of the city front
1t has been fair average season." said a
| well-known agent to the reporter as the
| latter asked for an account of the catch.
About half the fleet has returned. The
San francisco fleet is composed Of forty
| seven vessels. as follows: Abraham Barker.
Alexander. Alaska, Alice Knowles, Alton,
Andrew Hicks, Baiena. Beluga. Belvedere,
Blakeley, bonanza, Bounding Billow, Cali
fornia, Cape Horn Pigeon, Charles w. Nor
gan, Emma F. Herriman. F. A. Barstow,
Grappus. Helen Mar, Hidago. Horatio,
Hunter, James Allen. Jane Gray. j. III.
Freeman, John and Winthrop. John p.
West, Josephine. Karluk. lydia, Mars, Mary
ii: Thomas. Mermaid. Northern Light, Mar
whal, Orca. Reindeer, Rosario. Sea Breeze,
Triton, Wanderer, w. Fl. Meyer and Will
liam BayIies.
These vessels start on the southwark
| trip early in December, and on returning
northward In the spring put In at HoDoIulu
10 rent, obtain provisions and report any
| oil they may have on hand. Then they run
up north far into Bering Sea. in many cases
mp to Point Barrow.
! we are well satisfied so far, and the
mates and petty officers Of the vessels so
lar arrived have quite a little sum Of money
TO their credit. Some Of the cooks and boat
stecrers even will net $500 or 5000"
w nat about the green harus?"
lhere was an expressive shrug of the