Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-10

Der of his family or a creditor. payable at
the end of each month after the ship had
sailed. As the deep sailor. with wife,
child or parent depending upon him, is
about as scarce as the visit of an angel, it
follows that the creditor-the crimp-re-
ceived the allotment as it fell due, and the
only advantage to the sailor came from the
leSsentng of the amount which the Grimm
could secure. But against this was the
lessening of the time he could remain on
shore, for the -crimp would not keep him
after he ceased to be profitable. After a
while it became customary for owners OF
agents to pay all of the four allotments in
one sum and the difference between "allot-
ment' and advance became one Of name
only.
Now. it may be hard for the lazy mind to
understand how an advance on wages-os-
tensibly help toward providing on outfit
can work harm to an intelligent wage
Garner, able to demand his rights. But
taking into account the peculiar personality
of the deep sea merchant seaman-his ig-
norance of the world and the strangeness
of his surroundings on shore, his Suscepti-
bility to the influence of drink, arising from
months of abstemiousness at sea; an i'm
poverished vital system due to poor food
and exposure, his improvident habits and
lack of forethought, it will readily be seen
why he is an easy victim to whoever is
disposed to take advantage of his limita-
tons. This individual is found in the crimp
He keep a sailors boarding house, sells
drink and clothing to his boarders and
;.
Naturally he makes up his list from those
heaviest in debt to him. driving them to
the shipping office like cattle. with virtu-
ally nothing to say as to their destination
or fate.
The Runners mt Work.
To carry on this trade in human flesh the
New York crimp employs a corps of run
ners or solicitors. who. armed with TASKS
of whisky, board each incoming ship seek
i,,,r no.,
these runners. but no quarrels Quarreling
would be fatal to their ends, and, besides,
they are but employees of strongly organ
lied association of crimps duly incorpo-
rated under the laws of the state This
does not mean that all crmps are in this
association. that there are not "scab"
runners for "scab'' boarding houses: but
such outsiders would have small chance of
further usefulness should they dare inter-
fere with the iabors of the legitimate
thieves. The Scabs, therefore, confine them
selves to StragglerS on South street leav-
ing the freshly arrived. unshorn sheep to
the wolves of the pack. Before the ship is
locked the men are often piled with
liquor as to render them inefficient in their
duties. but the runners are not noleSted
by the captain or mates.
Such action would make it difficult for
the snip to find a crew when ready to sail;
and the men-more or less intoxicated ex-
cited by the proximity of land. anxious to
quit the Ship-surrender themselves to the
runners. and when free accompany them to
their boarding houses. Here they are given
spending money-usaully a five-dollar bill
apiece-pending the time when they are
paid off at the commissioners office three
days later. Then they are dosed with more
liquor. fed at a table where the food
though of the plainest, is beyond their crit
icism. and then, after a night of stupefac-
ton. they are informed Cor perhaps this is
deferred for a few days. that they have
borrowed and spent $40, So or SO, or any
amount which the crimp believes it safe
to name. The sailor. with aching head and
hazy faculties, cannot deny it, for he does
not know. and the crTnp can produce his
books and witnesses. When the sailor draws
his pay he is relieved of it by some one
providing he can be made drunk: If he re-
mains sober his chance for spending it as