Iron County register., 1900-05-24

life. For the same reason Bart kennedy
new book. "A Man Adrift,' published by
Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago, is inter-
esting.
The author has roamed over much of
the broad world, has been engaged for short
spaces of time in almost every calling that
does not require years of preparation, and
il is of this nomadic life that he tells. The
following chapter from the book is inter-
esting and characteristic:
A FIER many days tramping, l found
~ myself in the city of Baltimore.
Here | shipped on an oyster boat to
dredge for oysters in Chesapeake bay.
The wages were S15 d month, and one had
to ship for month at least. And you
were bound by the same laws and rules
that you would be bound by if you
shipped on a deep-water vessel that
was going round the Horn-"Cape
Stiff as the sailors call it. You were
the captains machine-his slave. He
had power to strike or shoot you if he
thought it necessary.
l shipped on a small schooner, anG
sailed down the bay.
On the way down to the dredging
grounds we had nothing to do but to
sail the schooner. which was an easy
h.
aboard 1t took us two days to get
down, on account of head winds.
\ word about the dredging outfit of
our schooner. She had two crab
winches amidships, on the port and
starboard sides. for winding in the
dredges when they had filed with oy-
sters. 1t took four men to a winch. Fas-
tened to stout. 15-fathom rope, &
dredge lay on either side near the gum
vale In working time these were put
in readiness to be heaved overheard at
a word from the captain, who then
steered the boat. The gunwales were
cut away. and rollers put on level
with the planking of the deck. so as
to allow the dredges to pass easily.
The dredge was triangular in shape,
and was simply n strong iron frame
with a steel chain bag pending from
the large end. Across the mouth of
the bag was a steel bar. in which was
arrow oflong sharp teeth. These scraped
in the oysters, as the dredge dragged
over the bed. Each man was armed
with ''culling hammer" a hammer
with a long. narrow head and a long
shaft, which he used for breaking off
extra shells that were stuck to the
oysters. and for separating the oysters
from the loose shells when the con-
tents of the dredge were dumped on
deck.
One DAYS work was much the same
as another.
About an hour before dawn the cook,
who lived aft with the captain in the
cabin. wouIG come forward to the
fo'castle. where we slept. huddled to-
gether like rats. and inform us that
the time had arrived for us to sally
forth to toll. Reluctantly and un-
ioyfully, we would arise at the sound
of the cooks voice and put on our
clothes-that is. if we had been warm
enough the night before to take them
off. Blankets were scarce. The cap
tain didn't care whether we froze to
death or not. All he cared for was to
get work out of us.
After creeping shiveringly out of the
manhoIe and on to the deck. our first
Job was to haul up the anchor and
loose the sails. We anchored in any
small bay or cover that came nearest
or handiest. Getting up the anchor
was always terrible job. because of
the raw. dampy winter wind which was
usually blowing before daylight.
breakfast" the cook would shout,
and one by one we would file into the
cabin to eat.
Whilst breakfast, which usually con-
sisted of codfish-hash, bread and cof-
fee. was being doled out in detail, the
schooner would be making all speed for
4be dredging ground. Arrived there,
we would get to our places at the
winches.
"Heave." from the captain at the
wheel. and splash! would go both
dredges simultaneously, as man from
either side hesved them overheard. The