Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-18
LIFE ON AN OYSTER BOAT.
Story of Suffering and Hardship Told .
| "Star" Correspondent.


| Story of Suffering and Hardship Told q
"Star" Correspondent.
Correspondence of The Evening Star
UPPER MARLBORO, ND, Nov. Is, 1892.
! dispatch in yesterdays STAR, dated Gin
cinnati, November IA, under the head lines.
Fit for Investigation, Life on an Oyster Boat,
| DC, is similar to a case related to The Stars
representative yesterday afternoon by colored
man about twenty-one years Of age and a
Marylander by birth. although yirginian at
present, who gives his name as John Smith.
He had just arrived here from some point on
the Chesapeake bay, in Calvert county, near
Governors Rum When in Baltimore some
years ago he shipped on an oyster boat, the
name of which he could not remember. 1t was
a bugeye and a very swift boat and carried sew
eral hundred bushels Of oysters. When he
shipped the captain told him that they were
going only a short distance from the city and
would return soon and that his work would be
easy; that he would give him 80 q month and
feed him WELL and that when they returned to
the city that he could go ashore and have a
good time until they were ready to 60 on an
: other trip. All this, he said, was painted to
him in such a smooth-tongued way that he
could see no reason why it was not true, and go
he allowed himself to enter into . contract
with the captain.
When once aboard the boat they set sail and
left the city. They sailed, he said, for q day
and n night before they dropped anchor.
He was then at some point that he knew moth
ing Of and they remained in that vicinity for
three weeks. never being allowed to go ashore
and being treated badly the entire time. He
was never allowed to call for the captain or
mate and did not know their names. They gave
him. he said. some fictitious names which he
could not remember. They beat him unmerci-
fully with clubs at times and threatened to kill
him for the most trivial things which could not
be termed offenses. He was green in the
dredging business. but soon caught on and
could do his work well any man on the
boat. He showed The STAR correspondent
bruises on his body which could only have been
made with a club. He exhibited several cuts
on the arms and hands which he said were re-
ceived on the boat from the hands Of the cap
tain. He never received a cent of his wages for
the three weeks. and the only thing he had to
show for his labor was pair of S1.25 shoes
ard pair of overalls which he said the cap
tain bought for him at a little country store
near the place where they were working. He
said when they wanted water they used to go
to some wharf and have it brought to them, not
even allowing the men TO 80 ashore for 1t for
fear they would escape. He told the captain
or one occasion that he was going to run away
the frs: chance ne got and the captain replied
IF you try to escape from this boat we will
shoot you and throw your body in the bay, and
your parents will never see you again. So you
had better STAY here"
The captain produced a revolver at the same
time and the man was thus induced to remain
on board. He said be got almost nothing to
cat. some fat back bean soup, cara bread, and
this sometimes only once a day. They called
him up in the morning at 4 o'clock and put him
10 work Tie often made to work all night
culiing oysters or cleaning up. He spent a
horrible life during the three weeks. He was
watched closely.
At one time while telling his story he broke
down and wept. Saving he was hungry. sleepy
and tired. He said his fee: and legs were very
sore aud stiff from his long walk from Gov
ernors Run, which is forty-tive miles from this
station.
ors Run. The captain went up to store for
some things for the boat. As soon as he left
Smith arose to leave the boat. The mate. who
had been left in charge. ordered him down,
whereuron Smith made jump for the wharf.
He was struck a heavy blow with one of the
oars by the mate. but this did not check his
progress and he escaped. The mate chased
him and ~ they passed the store the captain
joined in the race, too. but Smith was too feet
ioT them and they gave up the chase.
Smith came directly here. inquIring Of many
along the way for the nearest railroad station
He said he felt like one liberated from prison.
he said he was on his way home TO his parents
In Virginia. and inquired the nearest way to
Washington. He was given something to eat
at the store and started on his way.
/ his is not the first case of this kind that has
come under the personal observation of THE
STARS representative. Last spring three white
men dressed very rudely and seeming 20 be
half starved passed up the railroad one day
and when asked about their troubles said: ave
shipped III Baltimore some three or four weeks
ago on an oyster boat, and have been COM
PEELED TO work like dogs ever since, and yester-
1r-T - he. hoo
and the mate in a yawl boat ashore for some
fire wood. We were ordered 10 go up
in the pines and get it. and when
We returned the mate had gone back
to the dredge boat. and We were left without
penny anything to eat, and now we are on
our way home
This happened at Pope's creek on the Poto-
mac river. 1t will be seen from these two cases,
which are only few Of hundreds, that q hand
on a dredge boat lives dogs lie.
TIE STAR 5 representative has been in posi-
tons for the past four or five years which have
enabled him TO gain great deal of informa-
ton on the dredging business. and has had
occasion to listen to such heartrending stories
NJ various times. and il is a well-establshed fact
that dredger are treated worse than any set Of
laborinG men in the world. receive less pay and
get the least TO eat and wear.
MANY MAD DOGS.
There seems to be a large number Of mad
dog in this county at this season, and in some
places the matter his assumed quite a serious
appearance On last Saturday night about mid
night terrible noise awoke Mr.. Solomon
Sweeny. who lives in the edge of town, and
upon investigation it was found that some
strange dog lad ccme to the house and had
nearly killed little puppy Of Mr.. Sweeny's. Two
shots were fired at it. both missing the mark,
and il Was then seen by Mr.. Sweeny that the
dog was mad. IL had a fit in the yard and as
soon as tha, was over ran under the house and
had another. at which time it was killed BY
well-lirected shot.
News reached here this morning that a dog
belonging to Theodore Middleton. sheriff Of
Prince Georges county, went mad yesterday
and bit another dog belonging to a man named
Al en-. and that Aliens dog bit one of his
children, but as to how serious the wounds are
and the child's condition is not learned
Two more dogs that were bitten by a mad
dog near Menwood have been killed. They
were two very fine dogs and quite a heavy loss
10 the owner.
While there is not much interest here over
the postmastership, which as a matter of course