The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-01
ALONG SEA and SHORE.
Prospects of Speedy Movement
of The Wheat Fleet.
The Sailors o MON VIII Not Accent Reduced
Wages-Northern Commercial Rivalry.
Wrecked WhaleIs-Launch Raised.

Seamen's Union Stated yesterday, in refer
ence to the report that the union has sane
toned the &C ceptance of $50 month by
Its members: There is absolutely no
truth in the statement l ami well aware
that it has obtained general circulation on
the water front, but | am satisfied that the
rumor has been spread by the boarding
masters for the purpose Of forcing wages
down. Our rates are the same now as ever
before, namely. S45 a month to outside
ports; $40 month to inside ports; $50 a
month TO Honolulu, and $50 a month to
Mexican ports. The members of the union
have not signed in certain cases for $40 and
agreed to take $50. They could recover the
difference in any court, even if such was
the case, but the whole thing is too utterly
ridiculous. 1t is impossible for the union
men to be party TO any such arrangement.
They come right to the Office and sign here
No sailor will accept less pay than the
articles call for. 1t is not possible fer the
officers to be privy to anything of the kind.
Ii would break up the union and the whole
principle for which the union was organ
iZed, and for which it has so long been stTiv-
Ing. l want TO say also that the union made
no effort 10 interfere with the n0n-union
men " no went on the Colorado to-day for
the simple reason that the ship is going TO
British Columbia, TO port from which the
men shipped, and to which they are return
ing.
LET me say one thing more" said Mr.
Furusetb, grayely. THE wheat feet will
require 10O0 able seamen to man il. Hence
in September and October there will be a
scarcity OF men. Now, i do not in any way
hold it out as threat. but l Will say that
the coast trade takes 200 men to man 1t,
and 80 per cent Of these are members of the
Seamen's Union. If the attenip pit is made to
force wages to $50 the result can only be
one thing-a tieup all along the coast. II
sUcH a thing should happen the boarding
masters will have themselves 10 blame"
1t is evident that all The signs point to a
speedy call for sailors. ard that the demand
for blood-money viii be of a very per-
emptOry kind.
TIE WHEAT FLEET.
There are GO wheat ships In port of which
! only about half dozen are American YES
! sells, but as they viii ship crews aud en-
| piOy an immense number of lougshoremen
| to load them In the next two months, city,
! front storekeepers are taking great interest
| In anything relating TO wheat shipments
| Just now. The American wheat ships pay
the same wages as those flying foreign
| Hags. The entire feet OF SO is sure TO leave
inside OF TWO IN onths, and crews are already
| in demand.
The vessels are chiefly located at three
points, MARTINEZ, Sansalito and Benicia.
Inc Martinez feet comprises the following:
Aiceoo. Alierton, Anaurus, Argo, Bardowie.
Boutwell,, Cape Of Good Hope, Clack-
mannanshire. Dechmont, Drumrock. Ouch
ess or Albany, Dunfermline, Eiiestan,
Eskasonl, Glenealrd. Glenlui, G0wanbank.
Grassendale, 1yerDa, Lord Dufferin, Lord
Rosebery, Maiden City, Netberby. Offers
pool, SLEEVE Bawn and Shannon. At Sausa-
Ito are the Ben Avon, Eureka. Florence,
Garfield, Kingsley, Lochlinnhe Louisiana.
Melville Island, Samaria, Wanderer and W.
r. Babcock. The Garfield, which though
British ship Is named after the soldier Presi-
dent and carries his effigy for fgurehead,
has the American and English coats of arms
on her eatheads. At Benicia are the Cali
foTnia, Elmhurst Lancaster Castle, Milver-
ton and Rhoderck Dhu Several other
vessels are at Port Costa, Balfours, Oak
land and Mission Rock. The preference
for Martinez is explained by the fact that
the comparative freshness Of the water
keeps the ships bottoms from becoming
foul.
Charters ara stIll low. The bark CLAIMS,
chari~->u prior to arrival, is offered only
II l2s Cd for wheat 10 Cork. United King
! dom, Hayre, Antwerp or Dunkirk. aud the
British ship Fanduara 81 6s Sd for the
| same ports.
The work of loading the wheat ships is
| done Ly union men. members Of the Rig
| gers and Stevedcres' Union. To load n
| wheat ship will take a gang ef SIX or eight
| men, besides three or four in the hold. The
| gang of eight will handle about 1000 sacks
| an hour In working day of nine hours.
| III has been asserted that one man can han
| ole 5000 sacks day. a circumstance only
1
the ruekI0ad on Southern boats. In this
way the grain is shot into the hold so that
man can work quicker. In the methods
| adopted at Port Costa 1000 sacks an hour IS
| as much as gang can get away with. The
pay is So cents an hour.
lhere Will be no great amount of wheat
| shipped in July. as shippers are waiting for
better figures on the August crop.
THE WRECKED ALEXANDER
Eight members of the crew of the wrecked
rriU H.
steamer Walla Nalla from Victoria yester-
day. They were Captain Storey, First
Mate Taber. Second Mate Harrington.
caoin-boy Henry Lancaster, three boat
SteererS and lad. The Alexander, which
left this port on December of last year.
went first TO Honolulu, and then to the Fox
Islands, reaching st. Pauls Island on April
5. 1t was found impossible to make land
ing, and on the morning of tas 18th the ice
carried the brig on an extended reef to the
northwest OF the island, A II efforts TO get
her off failed, and on the afternoon of the
18th the crew landed on the island in boats
end were cared for by the North American
Commercial Company till the steamer
Bertha sailed. The Alexander was sold to
the natives for $50 only.
The regular crab fishermen of the bay are
beginning to note rapid dminution in the
number of crabs, aud they claim that unless
action is promptly taken the bay will be
completely depleted in a few years. The
cause lies not in the number of crabs caught.
but in the sale OF the female crab (Which
are worthless for table purposes) to Chinese
merchants. who regularly visit the settle
ments at Harbor View and elsewhere and
buy up all the uuderSZed and unstable
crabs. Every female crab sold to the Mon
gollans means hundred crabs sacrificed;
and the excuse hardly avails that profit ia
made, for the Chinese only nav IL cents
doZen for the female crabs, whereas the
adult edible male crabs are easily worth Go
cents dozen.
The final race between the Stockton
steamers J. ID. Peters and Captain Weber
OF the old and new line began at 5 o'clock
on w edneSday evening, and was an eycit-
ing affair. The Inspectors of Hurs and
Boilers were unwilling that the race should
ne run, Tor obvious reasons. but the cap
talhs started their stern wheels at the same
moment, and away went the vessels sife nv
side across the bay. The contest Terminated
at Antioch. run of 90 miles. and was won
by the Peters, which arrived six mfnntas
ahead of her rival The Weber, however,
arrived at Stockton first, having fewer
landings to make.
Company F of the First Regiment, United
States Infantry, 5S strong, arrived fp1m
Fort CASTOR, Hoopa Valley, Yesterday on
the steamer Humboldt. The officers in
charge were CAPTAIN Edmonds. Lieufenants
Wedges and Crofton. and DR., Maxwell. The
Dowell
The Harbor Commissioners have estab-
llshed new private telephone line along
the front. W hieh will be great convenience
to the wharfngers in thedocking of vessels
The revenue steamer Rush will not re-
turn from the Arcticstlll the close ofithe sea-
son.
A. p. Gignac. special officer of the Har-
Dor Commissioners, has gone TO Placerville.
Ei Dorado County, on a vacation. Assist
ant Chief Wharfnger Charles Putnam left
yesterday for Cazadero to take two weeks
rest.
MASTER MARINERS NOT IN IT.
1t viii be learned with regret by the lovers
of the old time sailing matches that there