The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-10
STARVED AND BEATEN.
A TOO FREQUENT FATE OF OYSTER
BoATEMPLOYES
Crusliies Praoticed by Dredeors-Ipterview
With an Old River Cspiain-Rcme-
dies Suggested.


held there against their VIII"
This was tue startling statement made
20 the star man by an Old river captain
who has nav.gated these waters ali his
days and as familiar with everything
connected with lfe on the lower Potomac
and the salt water reaches OF the bay.
The star man 20 whom tnc statement
was made was lu search OF Information
upon this subject. and az COan river IS
.Ihc centre OF the oyster industry or the
lower Potomac came 90 TINS pO.nt Tor H.
No better description OF the situation
could Dc obtained than 90 let that cap
tain tell the story ~ h,s own way.
Occasionally the general pubic ger
brief insight into the situation ne SaIu'
by some poor fellow fetching up ~ d
Washington or Baltimore hospital WIKI
his gangreucd wounds and frozen llH'7'
10 tell their own story. These uhIoItu-
mates represent only very SNth pIVPot
ton % the sufferers, however. OF WIN
thc public never hears. but VINO IhdudSc
TO escape and 80 10 Their homes, or thosc
VINO die and are chueked Owe 1oa4u a.
There - no harder lie losslbit' ven
furc % say, than ihai OF the chesapeake
0ystcrmau Certainly there Is none
marked with such brutality. Inc hdtd-
ships are in measure attendant upon
the character of the huH.ntss' thdl i7' IS
FAR as the cold and exposure - concerned.
The bad food and The brutality coLId be
II do no, mean to say that every oyster
captain is q bruA who beats ana SldlNtS
when they are sick. but / am sorry TO
say that such cases are only too nu-
merOus.
az Is true also that some OF the hands
themselves are tough characters, ana can
only Doe handled with Delaying PIN.
These men, of course. are perfectly aDle
TO take care OF themselves, hut the class
Of hands who deserve ~ mpdthy are tho
poor fellows who go aboard the oyster
boats ignorant Of what is before them,
driven To- the life by necessity, or perhaps
aIiurej go b. by gutteune ana false prom
Uses They realize their situation when IL
- too late Co remedy IT, lot me oyster
captain VINO has shipped a Cycw Of this
character viii not land them upon their
first demand and 20 short handed ia
place whore IL may be very difficult 10
ship another crew.
III frequently happens that men will
Dc taken aboard these oyster boats and
worked for weeks without getting cent
of pay. ~ they murmur they are likely
90 be knocked down, beaten and other
wise cruelty treated, until they are only
TOO glad 20 be put ashore and let their
wages 'ro by the board The captain
viii set them ashore in his small boat
in some lonely locality and tell them
10 shift for themselves. The condition
OF the men IS then pitiable. They ind
themselves ina remote section. distant
fro u railroads. and where the only COM
mgmcatiou with civilization IS by water.
Chances are that they are heartily rick
OF the water 10y this time, however The
people iu the nclghGOrhOOd are not likely
10 show them great deal of Considcra-
ton, for tn" cases are too common. They
VIII probably bC regarded with suspicion
by the farmers. who. from past 'Xptrl-
cnccs with similar cases, Will keep
wary eve on hen TOOgtS and hay stacks.
"The only chance for the poor devils
then 81 TO be picked mp by river steamer
and taken 10 Washington or Baltimore.
They must make for landing and wait
for tho steamer to come. The steamer
captains seldom refuse to give these
men deck passage to the city. as 10 IS |
an accommodation TO their patrons IN !
The oyster captain in the meantime has |
pat over to the other side of the bay |
looking for another crew If the men |
have any friends or can raise 20 little |
money they may take the law on the |
oyster captain, but they seldom do for |
{ Is too hard 10 find the schooner after
ward and too expensive to get their ease |
nto court They usually let the matter
irop and think they are ina big luck 10
have come away with their lives.
"lf common report be- true, IL S. not
always that they come off so easily.
every once iu q while you hear of Il imam
Missing from these oyster boats. He
has gone overheard when the rest OF the
rev We're below lost his balance OF
ioaru by sWingrE boom. Then, If a
'ody is found floating in the bay with the
read stove 10, who is 10 say that the |
nan was not accidentally drowned and
"a
IOat or contact with log As a matter
If fact little trouble is taken sometimes
o look az body found floating IN the |
BAY The steamer sighting such an
ihject D. more likely TO Keep on her !
curse without stopping TO pick up the |
eater, The captain arguing that he rant
~ the dead man any good, but VIII only
'ldy ms lrlp ana consume coal IN SLOW
! Gown; IT, very seldom mat a SAIL
- w 81 " l an ,i. uounlr 10 Hedft
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