The morning call., 1894-07-25
LIVELY SCENES AT THE DOCK.
The strike is off and the strike is on.

The scene of battle has been transferred
from the railroads to the river tOats.
Potatoes were flying about promiscu-
Ously when the steamer Aurora left the
wharf at Jackson street There was no
blood spilled, but the trouble has only just
commenced.
The California Transportation Company
runs line of steamers up the Sacramento
River from Jackson-street wharf The
vessels are the Aurora, Onward, Pride Of
the River, Constance and Sonoma, employ
ing in all about $50 freight-haudlers.
1t has been the cOmpany's custom in
prior years to pay its deckhands $40 per
month during the summer season CON-
mencing with June 1. Thirty-tive dollars
monthly is the winter salary.
The 1st of June came aud went. No
raise OF salary was mentioned by the
steamer-owners, and the men became rest
less. They organized into a union, and
Yesterday morning just before the Aurora
was ready TO start for the river they
waited upOn Captain Nelson, superlnten-
dent of the company, and deHanded TO
know why ii was that they were not PAID
$40 for their services.
I'VE can get plenty Of men at S25 II
necessary" was Nelson's answer. There
upon the crews of the Onward aud Aurora
walked out.
The men stood on the wharf and tried to
persuade others from going to work IN
their places. They were very peaceable. but
police protection was deemed DecesSary
by somebody and four police officers soon
came upon the scene.
The work of securing men was not so
easily accomplished. TTamps who had
forgotten what work is and buns who
have subsisted on waterfront steam beer
nd oil n
into service. A motley array OF hobo
talent was soon marshaled on the steam
ers' decks and an order was given to
cast off.
A gentleman who resides, when athome.
10 a Spear-street lum ber-piie tried to let go
a hawSeT, but found that he was not we'll
adapted to that sort OF labor. he didn't
have quite enough strength 10 lliI the rope,
and his efforts brnugh; upon him a'shower
of gibes and few rounds of decayed fruit.
The police tried to stop the throwing OF
potatoes, pears, peaches and onions at the
'scabs," but they were not altogether sue
cessful. A tramp from Oakland shook
his fist at a striker and came near being
swamped by an OverTipe watermelon
SHE'D at him by an unseen small boy.
He dried himself with an old gunny-
sack and soon retreated TO a dark corner
of the tween deck quarters.
Twelve substitutes in all tried to man
the Aurora, but they were all great deal
greener ihRn the several hundred cases of
unripe tomatoes they tried to handle. 1t
took them several minutes after every
move of a crate 20 recover their breath
sufficiently to tackle another box.
Some man in the crowd shouted beer"
and there was almost panic. Later it
developed into a species Of mutiny, and
not a soul would do a tap until it had
been decided that the cry was a false
alarm.
One worthy citizen, who would not be at
all conspicuous if it were not for he illu-
minary qualities of his prOboscis, came
near setting can of coal oil on fire by
spontaneous combustion in his attempt to
dodge an ancient plum thrown deity at
his caput.
Still another member of the society in
sympathy with free-luneh counters came
near going overheard when told to LAY
hold Of That gangplank."
Finally the Aurora got away, and then
the Onward followed. An order was
given for the police to clear the dock,
which was obeyed.
The Apache of the opposition line pays its
men $40 all the year round. The Pacific
Coast Steamship Company pays S45 TO its
sailors, so the California transportation
COmpaBy's men expect current rates OF
wages from their employers.
The men claim that they have been very
poorly fed on the steamers, and that they
get ONLY five hours sleep out OF twenty
four. One of them explained the situation
bv saying: 1T is only just that we be paid
$40, as We have to do harder work than q o |
most deckhands and freight-handlers on |
other lines.
Ours is the hardest kind of labor. and |
we earn our wages. We gave the company |
an intimatlon of our purpose of striking |
some time ago, but they did not take The |
hint. They not only underpaid us, but |
our food was simply unfit to eat.
Look at the men on the pachei Why, !
they are fed on the best IN the land, while |
we we're made to rest content with the !
poorest quality of meat and stale veg
etables.
"a telegram has been sent TO all the |
freight-handlers up the river. and do not |
think that the company can get men to |
man its boats unless they press lot of |
Chinese fruit-pickefs into service"
At the office of the company on Jackson
street wharf the strike was looked upon |
as an incipient uprising.
1.-THE men will go back 10 work In time"
said Superintendent Nelson, land if they |
do not there are plenty who are only too |
willing to take their places.
E"Nu, sir; we will make no concessions; !
business is too dull to permit it,"
The steamers Pride of the River and |
Constance are due this morning at / |
o'clock. These men will join the strikers. |
Sergeant Giilin OF the North Harbor !
police station ordered a squad of men 10 /
remain on duty through the night, but