Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-19
FEEDING THE oFSTERMES.
Tho Haif-famishcd Victims of Maryland
Brutality Lodged and Fed at the Police

Brutality Lodged and Fed at the Police
| station in This City.
! Eghty-nine dredgers from the Maryland
! oyster beds arrived here Tuesday night,
| and were given shelter at the city hall.
| This was the largest number that has APP
| peared here on any single night Like the
| former arrivals the band of shvering
| humanity were nearly frozen ami half
| famlshed. Chief of Police Francis, who
was present when the army Of retreatinE
oysternen entered the police station, at
once provided a place for them to sleep,
| and scon had them slowed away for the
night.
The major portion Of them were slowed
4 away in the upper corridors of the police
! station while the. remainder were ushcred
| below to the basement. Here n large fllr-
| mace. which furnishes heat for the city
hall, was the signal for much rejoicing on
the part of the men. many of whom had
not felt the warmth of stove in many
| days. In the upper corridor the oyster
| men, also found shelter. lludded about
| the registers in the wall they reioced that
they had been saved at last from the bitter
| cold weather and could now spend one
night in peaceful slumbers.
The men stated that they were from New
York, Philadelphia Newark, n l., Tren
ton and other places and had shipped on
! oyster boats. many of them months ago.
boats could not continue dredging They
were frozen up. The men were summarilv
| discharged Most of those who came to
| this city last evening were discharged at
Nhitten Point, about forty miles from
Cambridge, Some OF them declared that
they had been paid off with but So for
four months work. Not n single OYSTER
man received money enough TO pay his
fare home. The men then started for
Cambridge. After several days march
they reached Cambridge, only to find no
place of shelter and no means Of earning
enough to keep them alive.
The oystermen found some charitable
people in Cambridge however, who gave
them food until the army increased to
| such proportions that the good people
were unable to care sor them longer. The
retreating ovstermen were about to begin
their weary march to this city through the
snow, when Mayor Mnndy, touched with
pity, had compassion for them and secured
the men passage over Cambridge and Sea
Ford and Delaware railroads. Superin-
tcEdent Holiday then opened his big
heart and furnished TRANSFORMATION for
the men to this city. They arrived here
shortly before s o'clock. They We're
landed at the Philadelphia, Wilmington
4 Baltimore railroad station, where De-
| yeCtive William 4. Jones received them
with open arms and sent word to Chief
Df Police Francis OF their arrival. The
chief of police at once telephoned
70 Detective Jones that he had no
palatial quarters for the weary ones,
but they were welcome to share whatever
| accommodations the old station house
could provide. The detective then told the
men that they could find shelter at the city
hall. The march to the station house be-
| gan, silently they passed along Front
street to Market, while people stopped ON
every corner and stood and wondered at So
| many strangers within the City's gates.
| Every citizen asked his neighbor what the
unusual sight meant and many u resident
was touched with compassion for the
| little army IF silent sndiery. Half-clad,
| half-famiShed, some of them scarcely able
TO walk the oysterrnen pushed on to the
| quarters awaiting them, It was nearly s
| O'clock when 50 able bodied oystermen
marched into the city hall in twos and
were made comfortable for the night.
The men told their stories Of hardships
10 the police officials and to the newspaper
men, who inquired as to their present CON
ditton and hunger. Ii needed but cur
sorry glance TO assure the newspaper men
that the case of the oystermGn was an
urgent one, aud steps were Immediately
taken to secure food for them. Among
those whose broad charity furnished
sumptunus meal for the Oystermcn were:
Ir. John &. kahey, Michael Newell. James
y. Green, owner of the famous pacing
stallion Saladin; Louis Sellig, John !.
bnugheriy, 4. l., Ainscow Z. L. Holt,
and others,
Ainscnvv q Comnanv ya,,ero,,sI,.
g,y,r a in,, of ,rmt.ow, ""i, eiinIt ~,
rniT,e at ITnafIv rcSt,Tc3 rstes ,,i,;In I,i',,
4 Dnnghertv nrn,rietor Cf fba i1nia,,ar6
Ijnuse s,,n,,ntt, rnnsr n Lcer anJ =, h,;tnrt,s
srIn 6ghsr cbnr;fahlc nen,,la f,,rnisiad
mnt,ev with which in Ioovns nf hreaJ ,,.,f,,
nurph',,ei .''' 49,
n, ,ner was nrenare5 nj ii 70 n,r,n,l,
wb IEa r,"r, of soeS'- " to TiGvh
aftcT ~ Serrcs,t t;",ios,.,,m NY ,u"aia
Kcrsev Sergssnt Strar, ani the r;t, dot',.l ,".'l
lives irbcy were s,imn,omed f ,,.St.i,n,t 80
tic ,,oo tIint,3 i, St,, - tla,Ii y
Env 3irI n,Lnsa co,,,,tama,,aas F,;ai,,
he,rpad Viii, IcIisht In ~ ",,iio;,t'.;,'a
III s,,cb a iooss1, NM, Snarnts,s St, 'aVioti
4 Pnvmn,,i in,,Friit. cynrass,J Ill S,,,;
fartinn ne Ire sGiliery az nt,ster,,an 80,
All ~ ,L r6Gi ,ti,,s l., 49, 49,
i, ~ ,,,,,vissfi ct,rt - ,'i''tt
r,,Ii,,g i',,i-a f,nIl Eycn,,,,.;,, Vi
LanrI renG,. tn c,s,,,,,it ,' va ~ ~
stnmn iii" ns no,,J hn.o No., ,'o,,i ~ ~ s siie
bni tia,. hnnn tr,rs,,ressras F ~,
i"w dessr,,i,,c, of nuTisI,ront 10 ,,,.s,ar ~
,rc fI,n,i H. ,,,r,, go " ~
1tin l,nsrnir,, Ea,iia f III XIX ii,1 .
fiin% IN i,,n s,a .,,i ~ "i, N'il,ts
et,,r,,d ,,,,, s,rr's bnIeIJ Mn, H. -,
tbm,,,,St ~ tlc ,ny, of ~ e,,ia ',iI
t;ahcg ipd warn IamEIv tba,,I, III \, 3. s.'.
I,,,r',tr w. ~ 'ilVil
thn ,,,tn,,iri,,nI c,,sr, .ji,,;,,,s rg,',,,@ ~
Srrn,,i,s ~ / ,r 10 IVrbe,, ti,6ga ~ a.,
5sbed Itnir rc,,a tro,, 'r .,, tl i."t M,
,,,,,,, 80 Il, ''''t - ~ .iaMe
Kent uD until all had eaten and hunger WAS
allartd. 10 see these men eg, was i sight
a. 81 I'm f1rii