The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-15
A SHANGHAI FARM.
Not a Place for Breeding Poultry,
as It's Name Might Imply.
A Retreat IN California Where Men Are
Abducted and Shipped Sailors
While Under the Ianuence
of Drink.

A few people hero will no doubt be
greatly interested in knowing that
there is q shanghai farm" within a
few hundred miles of them. says the
| Oakland Cali Times. Very few people
have any idea of the manner in which
n man is abducted and put on board
vessel in the stream, and fewer still
have any idea that a great deal of such
work is done from the Oakland side, be-
cause there Is no water front patrol
here.
The manner Of shanghaing is very
simple. When a captain requires
crew the law demands that he shall
sign them before a proper officer. This
Is done. and each man is asked if he is
satisfied with the manner in which his
account has been settled by the board
ing master. The answer is invariably
IN the Affirmative. and the captain
leaves the shipping Office. He knows
that If tie hos signed twelve men twelve
men viii be put on board his ship when
he is on the eve of sailing. but he also
knows by experience that if he gets
one-half of the actual men he engaged
he viii get more than the average. The
other half are partners Of the board
ing master, who have probably been
before the same shipping master twice
in the one week. It is these dummies
who are substituted by men who are
shanghaied, the latter being in many
instances, so unlike sailors that it is
considered advisable to keep them out
of sight. 1t is quite a common occur
renee for three or four of the crew,
after they recover from their stupor, to
have to go to the mate and find out the
name under which they are sailing.
Additional light has been thrown on
the matter by the publication of story
in Santa Rosa journal of the exist
ence Of a shanghai farm" located near
that town. There is one industry" it
says, located near Santa Rosa of
which most people have no knowledge.
1t is shanghai farm A clever NOR
tai ST San francisco, who has various
interests in waterfront boarding
houses and is under contract to furnish
sailors to shipmasters, is the proprietor
Of this industry.
The retreat is located in the hills
over in Rincon valley, about five miles
from town. There is plenty OF whisky
kept on tap, and all who enter therein
are invited to drink to their hearts con-
tent. In most every town between
here and San Francisco the shanghai
farm is in collision with some beer
joint proprietor. This is the way the
scheme is conducted: The victim has
been at work. and on Saturday night
comes to town with his earnings. He
is in for good time, and joins convivial
crowds wherever he finds them. He
finally gets into the SPIDERS web His
money is all gone, but still he is given
drink. He is told of the joys and com
forts of a mountain home near by,
owned by philanthropic friend of the
barkeepcr, where the weary may rest
from their labors and drink good
whisky. He is fascinated. He is kept in
a nasty rocking drunk all night. Next
morning he wants to sober up on
whisky. He is half dazed. He is in
vitcd to take ride in buclzbo by
friend who appears Oh the scene, and
gratefully accepts the offer. They
drive to the shanghai retreat. A big
barrel of whisky stands sparkling in
the cellar. A half dozen vagabonds
are lying around The victim gets
thoroughly drunk, and SO remains until
new vessel arrives at the San Fran
cisco port, when the proprietor comes up
and escorts the bevy and places them
aboard the vessel When the victim
realizes his whereabouts he is sailing
over the bounding main