The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
"ROUSTERS' w%ON'TREF0RM
THEY DON'T WANT THE Law IN
THEIR BEHALF ENFORCED.

THEIR BEHALF ENFORCED.
wenld Rather sleep hy the Beiiers Than In ped
and Have No Uso for ~ Cable Feet or Air
In Their Bedrooms-No Tables Needed Tor
the pIesa Halls they Dsn't Have.
~PrrTsBURo, Pa. Dec. ia conference has
Just boon held at Cincinnati between Janet A.
Dupont. Supervising Inspector-Gcnerd OF Steam
Vessels, and representatives Of the companies
which W and operate passenger and freight
packets on the Mississippi River and its IT'D
utaries on the subject Of the river "roustabout
THE sun recently told how particular the tow
boat deckhnnd 10 as 10 the food and
tion provided for him when employed to make n
trip down the river with q tow OF coal. The
roustabout is altogether n different kind OF bo-
ing. Tho deckhand enforces the respect in
which he is held; the roustabout is SO well sat
ished with his condition that q law was deemed
necessary for his rehabilitation. and 1t was that
law that was discussed at the Cincinnati con-
ference.
Section Q, Senate bill 1877, introduced by Sem
ator Knute Nelson Of Minnesota and passed at
the last session Of Congress-, provides that on
and after June 80. 1898. every seagoing vessel
OF the United States shall furnish a sleeping
place for the crew Of not less than az cubic feet
per man and regulating the amount OF floor
space Tor each seaman or apprentice. The law
i . hisO mhue upDllCaDie 10 VcSbelS Oh thO Dlo-
sissippi River and its tributaries. This law
does not seem unreasonable. but the trouble
is tho roustabouts themselves don't want 1t.
On the largest packets running out Of Pittsburg
from twenty-five to thirty roustabouts are en-
ployed, oil negroes from the South. To sec them
load a steamboat down at the wharf brings back
visions of the slavery. In which their fathers
were held. The steamer is tied up alongside the
wharfboat, and the mate of the vessel, with a
club in his hand, stations himself Mt the gang
plank. The roustabouts pounce upon the freight
and begin 10 carry 1t aboard the boat. First the
mate swings his club viciously.
Hurry up there, ~niggers! Get q move on,
you damned scoundrels! Take hold OF that bar
rel, damn you! What, you won't hustle =
Whack comes the club down on q ~dallying
roustabout's back. The negro bowls with pain,
while his companions roar with delight, dodg-
ing the blows. not always meant to hurt, that
the mate aims at them. Every box carried in
10 accompanied by an objurgation from The
mate, every barrel evokes a shower Of profanity.
and every specially heavy package means a
few prods or blows from the ever
ready club. Strange to say. the most
violent mates arc the most popular with tho
negroes. The blacks work harder than they
would under a milder-mannered man. but they
strikes tho hardest blows, and is usually less
soliGitous for their physical welfare.
1uOn Y ike 10 curse Inem, SAID q mate who
was experimenting the loading Of a vessel to
THESUN correspondent. =" but they like it them
s sccoss n, 1t is What At t {oq might cali the musieal
They are a Woodworking lot Of fellows. and from
now on until they arrive at Cincinnati they will
be on the jump day and night"
He went on to tell Of the good qualities OF his
looked at him in wonder, and their steps grew
slower. Suddenly the mate looked up.
What!' he shouted, "lazyin' again. are you,
you black niRgersl"
Oats NOAH like it. boss!'' yelled a negro, as
NE MnS dod Ms6 Vt 5h Sos club D,s How yo' spec us to
That's the best niger / have" explained the
mate, but you see he expects a cursinE. or he
Investigation showed that this particular mate
10 in reality kind.hearted. He is always careful
are hurt: as frequently happens. he himself
So the packet owners. in conference with MIR.
Dupont, tried to show that the new law is un-
d de9t's OF the ea 6inc Hmmti and an; f PintsbuTg p pe e
Line. told this story Of the last attempt his COM
bouts: '0uS'A'
them a mess room, he said, "A comfortable
on a bench, instead of squirting. wter:
Well, under compulslon. the fellows ate at
the, tables, but soon there ,was u scarcity
the side Of the boat at night. and finally
the darkics tore down the partitions. We gave
1t up. We provided hunks and furnished bed
ding. The roustabouts stole the bedding and
slept. near the boilers, on deck. on piles OF
freight; anywhere but in bed. The law Itself is
a good law. There is only one argument against
II, and that is, the rouster doesn't want its pro-
visions"
The men do not want beds. because they are
obliged to be awake at every landing the boat
makes, and they lind it too much trouble 10
crawl in and out OF Il bunk a dozen times a night.
They are filthy in their habits; washbasins and
soap they throw into the river; when they ar
rive at Cincinnati they change their clothes
without washing, saturate themselves with
cheap cologne bought at the nearest drug store,
and then break for "Bucktown," where they
spend their hard.earned wages in riotous living.
An experiment has been tried with white
roustabouts on the smaller packets, Knnawha
and Lorena. These vessels carry deck crews
composed of stout young West NirRinian farm
ers from the Big kanawha Valley. They do
their work well, and they brook no cursing
mate. The loading and unloading 90 on as
smooth as a Sunday school. 1t is related that
when the experiment was first tried a mate
swung his club with a
Hurry up there. damn you'll"
The farmer lads looked hard at him.
Don't talk that way again. one OF them
said; :" were not niggcrs."
Il dont like 70 curse myself, gentlemen the
mate responded. as he threw his club away.