The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-29
SHARKS.
Recent Arrivals from
the Coast
Captains Friends and Seamen's
Brothers" GuiId--An Undesir-
able Industry Started Here.

According TO The statements of
captains Of deep water sailing vessels
now or lately IN port, there has re-
Gently been introduced here a coterie
of the aetested sailors boarding house
sharks One CT these men, represent
ing himself as = boarding master,
makes the acquaintance Of the master
Of every incoming sailing vessel and
while passing as his friend, in the mat
ter OF securing a crew in case of de-
serti0n, deliberately approaches the
crew OF the vessel and induces them to
desert under promise CT a new ship,
with largely increased pay and better
treatment.
Several members Of one vessel now
in the haIbOr, state that there are two
men in the business, both we'll dressed
and OF engaging manners to sailors.
These men are alleged to have tried
their game upon the crew mentioned,
but failed n their object, as the crew
promptly exported the matter to their
one OF these fellows, is to approach
seaman wherever he can be found,
either n the forecastle or ashore, pref
erably when under the influence of
liquor, and, by pointing out the ad-
vantaEes CT q. shore life, with nothing
10 do and high wages for doing it, he
induce the, simple seaman to desert,
and places him in hiding for a short
time Fze viii then tell him that the
notice a.a searching high and low for
him, and # caught he will get at least
six months en- the reef. With this
danger hanging over him, the seaman
IS like clay, but tbs friend is not yet
through, for he tells him he knows OF
a ship in want Of d man and just about
TO put TO sea; he has just returned
from the vessel and her captain will
give $50 for trip to-aay, the SOUND.
The peer fellow eagerly snaps at the
bait, boards the ship and receives MS
advance, usually about $40, which his
friend receives for his trouble and ex-
pense incurred, in addition to further
bonus from the skipper fer having Sc
cured a seaman to complete the ships
confinement, and the vessel sails away
with The sailors signature on the ar
ticles at the regular rates. Thus the
sailor loses any pay coming to him
from has old ship and besides that.
loses his advance money obtained
from ne new master. The second mate
OF one vessel was also offered $40, and
a berth as first mate for the same trip
and has certified to a statement OF the
facts
The Shippers ridicule the idea OF
paying any such wages for so short
voyage, and state they are prepared to
swear that no such money was ever
paid, however much it might have been
promised by shippers ready for sea
but short CT q crew.
One captain remarked that he had
stated IL. a letter to his owners, that
at the present rate, IN few months
they viii have to promise captains
wages &c, the men before they can be
Obtained. Of course they never will be
Paid. by.t captains are compelled to
make Treee promises or else remain IN
mort al q loss to the ship OF perhaps
800 10 $40 D day.
Another captain said that he knew
one Of the present sharks" we'll at a
certain Sound port, where his father
was engaged in the same business, and
had made q considerable sum Of money
on OF the credulity of the seamen
there. TINS captain spoke OF hve
:. ;,ors having been taken from one
vessel and one from another, and ship
ned aboard the Enrol, just before her
departure. Beth captains and seamen
declare that there is no dearth Of sea-
men in Honolulu, or at any rate TO
warrant he offer OF $50 or s55 for an
eighteen or twenty days trip. All as
criba the trouble to "these sailors
boarding house sharks who, they
claim. should Re looked after ~