The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-03-30
A California Shanghai Farm. {"

A few people here will no doubt be
greatly interested in knowing that there
is shanghai farm" within few
hundred miles of them, says the OAK
land (C0l.) Times. Very few people
have any idea of the manner in which a
man is abducted and put on board YES
sci in the stream, and fewer still have an
idea that great deal of such work is
done from the Oakland side, because
there is no waterfront patrol here.
The manner of shanghaing is very
simple. When captain requires a
crew the law demands that he shall
sign them before 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
he has signed twelve men, twelve men
will be put aboard 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 will
get more than the average. The other
half are the partners of the boarding
master who have probably been before
the same shipping master twice in one
week. 1t is these dummies who are
substituted by men who are shanghaied,
the latter being in many instances. so
unlike sailors that it is considered adj
visable to keep them out of sight. 1t is
quite common occurrence for three or
four Of the crew, after they have recov-
cred from their stupOr, to have to 60 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 a story in a Santa
Rosa journal of the existence of a
shanghai farm located near that town.
"There is one industry it says, "locat-
ed near Santa Rosa of which most peO-
pie have no knowledge 1t is shang-
hal farm A clever mortal of San Fran
cisco, who has various interests in wa
ter-front boarding houses and is under
contract to furnish sailors to shipmas-
ters, is the proprietor of this industry.
1.-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 collusion with some beer joint pro-
prietor. 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 a
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 comforts of a
mountain home near by, owned by a
philanthrOpic friend of the barkeeper,
where the weary may rest from their
labOrS and drink good whisky. He is
fascinated. He is kept in a nasty reek-
ing drunk all night. Next morning he
wants to sober up on whisky. He is
half-dazed. He is invited to take ride
in blackboard by friend who appears
on the scene, and greatfully accepts the
offer. They drive to the shanghai re-
treat. A big barrel of whisky stands
sparkling in the cellar. A half dozen
vagabonds are lying around. The vic
tim gets thoroughly drunk, and so re-
mains until new vessel arrives at the
San Francisco 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.