The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-07
LIFE ON A CATTLE SHIP.
CATCBILY wORDEp ADVERTISE
MENTs ENTnAP THE TNRO.

once Aboard ship He L. the Victim
of the cattle Foreman-StiTs Who
Never Land on the other Side.
They Musf Prevent and stop STAN
pede. on hoard ship, aud Perform
All the Hazardous work That EN-
prrienred CattIemen Dare Not DO.
cattle Are Good sailors. hut when
They no Berome PanIc-strickcn
the work Of QuietinE Them u
Done at Peril of Life and Limb.
stins Are Poorly Fed aud Lodged.
New York. oct. Some weeks ago
poor, haif-starved lad presented himself
az the American embassy ia London and
told a Story II extreme cruelty and in
human treatment which he claimed %
have experienced on board cattle ship
sailing between New York and London.
This story resulted In the issuing Of
warning by the embassy 20 American par
/ cnts 10 keep their boys away from cattle
ships. That there was some truth in the
bows allegations nobady who has had
any experience on a cattle ship can doubt.
-Four steamship tines out OF New York
two out OF Boston and one out OF Phil
adelphia. send an average OF 1000 head
Of cattle 70 European ports each week.
| The cattle are confined ln pens on two
decks Of these vessels. Approximately
30 head comprise each shipmegt Men
must be taken along to feed and look after
the cattle on the voyage.
Formerly the cattle shippers supplied
the extra men 20 take care OF the cattle.
paying them from $ 10 SO for the trip.
These men are called "siins." Because
OF the Incorporate habits Of the only class
of men VINO could be induced 20 ship this
detail 81 the business became such a nuis-
arce that the shippers decided to give IL
49,. In late years there has grown up
Iu rs place an arrangement with an sgen;
an the port Of shipment. who agrees 70
Furnish a quota OF "suns' for each ship
mcnt. lie e called a "stiff- cstcher" Ac-
cording 70 tnis agreement the agent re-
-eivee s. for each man secured. and for
each man shortsof the number called for
he pays tho shippers fine OF SOS Be-
sides receiving s. a man. the "sti1-catcn-
err retains the privilege 81 swindling the
unfortunates, whose circumstance make
travelling ia such q manner necessary our
Of as mucn ~ he can.
First. Catch -Four "stin"
In order TO secure his material. the
'stim catcher inserts advertisements
chiefly IN the Western papers. reading.
"Wanted-Aien 60 work the passage 10
Europe on cattle steamers. no steamship
work Unhappy is the 10; o. the man
wno is lurel hy such an advertisement 20
cross the ocean IN one Of these ships Not
| only viii he be defrauded out Of an the
! 10 10 b..
tho hardest and most dangerous kind Of
work viii De his. and Il ~ shrinks from
10, or because Of inaptitudo or unfamiliar
| ity docs IL 90. abuse and brutality. both
verbal and physical. Will D. his portion
His duties are 20 hook after the cattle
W every way. and his foreman holds him
| responsible for any harm 10 them. wheth-
er the fault h. his or not
Tho larger portion Of the men who an
swer tho 'stiff-catcher's advertisements
are the poorer class OF Europeans who de-
sire 10 return home IN an economical way
Many Of them can not Understand the
English language. These are the ones
upon whom the most abuse IS heaped and
10 whom The most dangerous work IS xiv
rn- There Is reason In this. FOR there IL
! TAR less danger of complaints being made
/ ny these men. whose spiritss have beer
! crushed by early training and whose lack
~ knowledge Of the language makes Il
almost Impossible for the abuse 20 have
any reactionary effect Occasionally Young
America selects this method OF crossing
the ocean. The latter is usually treated
better than he first named class for the
reason mentioned.
When the applicant presents hirnaels IN
answer so the advertisements the stir
catcher paints the delights OF vovaging
IN cattle ship IN roseate hues. According
10 MIN u Is merely a sort OF yachting cx-
cursion; no work 10 speak OF. good food
ma plenty OF H.. fine sleeping accommo-
cations. altogether n life Of ease and
plenty Very eonidentialy he cxplains
mat the extra men aren't really saken
along TO do any work az all hut merely 70
iulhil insurance terms which require "A
certain number OF handlers for the cattle
Next, the agent tries TO find QUE how
much money the prospective stir has
II he succeeds he demands about 75 per
cent Of the amount The cattle foreman
aboard the ship gets whatever remains n
ne doesn't its because he doesnt know
his business
a word about the foreman. From tho
moment the stin steps aboard the shin the
foreman Is the arbiter OF his destiny as
much hts master as " he were slave
Indeed. believe that the cattle foremen a.
q class are the direct descendants OF the
Simon Legrees Of slavery times. There
may be cattle foremen who have instincts
OF humanity ana decency. but I have new
er had the good fortune 20 sail under one
All che consideration I ever got from tina.
class was value received for hrfbe money
promptly and literally paid down The
nature OF the business seems 70 kin ont
all kindly qualities. The cattle foreman
gets a small salary. which he usually CON
trives TO double by Squeezing the un
fortunate stiffs: n not. so much the worse
for the stins
Getting Acquainted with the Cattle.
Up 60 the moment Of his boarding ,he
vessel the new catileman r. well trent
cd because the stiff-catcher fears re will
escape. Commonly his Introduction 10 his
duties and his foreman comes IN the form
Of torrent Of profanity and threats
from that worthy followed by a knock
down blow II he doesn't move snartly This
is mo proper and approved method OF i'm.
pressing "stin His work Is al cut
out for him. the most trying work o. any
! that he has TO 10. Ranch-bred steers are
not blessed with particularly amiable dis.
positions at hest. ana when they have
| just been loaded from lighters into the
ships pens with much prodding and fab
hing and humping, they are more than
| likely 20 be somewhat out % temper OBJ
serve. now. the half dozen "stifs." most
~ whom have probably never been within
horns length q any cattle before hud.
died IN an alarmed group. gazing dismaiiv