The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-25
FIGHTING FOR THE SAILORS.
THE WAYS or IIIEIR BOIRDING-
HOUSES,
Spree Is the Necessity as Soon as Jack
Lands The Filipino and japanese
sailors are More Saving Than the

sailors are More Saving Than th'
Others.
The lot of the deep-water sailor is UNI
doubtedly a hard one, but sailors
boarding house keepers say that II
many more laws are passed against
them the sailors life will be Whiskey-
bounded paradise in comparison Inc
cause of their present encouragement
is law just taking effect which pro-
hibits the clearinghouse runners from
visiting vessels before they reach the
docks. If this act is enforced the whole
boarding house system will be dlsor-
ganiZed, and the worst of it is that the
leaders have as yet found no new sys-
tenn to substitute for it.
For years and years the boarding
house runners have gone out to vessels
long before they got into the harbor
The houses which are members of the
clearinghouse keepers benevolent as
ISOLATION have erected a clubhouse on
the Staten Island shore, whence the
runners put out in small boats when a
vessel passes in. They first find out If
there are sailors on board Who nave
visited this port before. These belong
to the house that shipped them in the
past. The new sailors are secured by
| the present of bottle of Whiskey, and
| those who accept it are pledged to go to
the house which makes the present.
They may not get ashore for week,
but they belong to the house which sent
| the whiskey, and the runner will fight
for his men, Sometimes a sailor ac-
cepts more than one present, and he IS
very likely to find himself the central
point in a tug-of-war contest when he
finally gets ashore.
1t has also been the custom to take
many men ashore in the runners boats.
| The runners tell the sailors of the fine
times they can have on shore, of unlim-
tied whiskey and beer which will be
supplied them, of the pretty girls who
attend sailor dances, of the fine meals
that will be furnished them. 1t does
not take much Of this kind of talk to
convince the sailor that he would do
well to pay his captain five dollars for
an immediate release He may make
the objection that he won't have any
money for four days but the boarding
house men promise to advance all ne
cessary funds and usually carry off a
good portion of the crew. This new
law which prevents boarding vessels
in the stream will do away with this
practice, and this is another cause of
grief
If the boarding-house runners have
to wait till the sailors reach the docks
there will be war between the outside
and inside men. The insiders are those
keepers who belong to the association.
They have political pull it is said, do
larger business and have better
houses, The outside man is always
making an uphill fight, and will have a
much better chance if everybody has to
stay on shore Already there has been
one big fight between the two factions.
1t was over some British sailors who
landed at Twenty-slxth street. Brook
lyn Some blood was shed before the
outsiders got away with their sailors,
but no one dreamed of calling for the
police or asking the courts for war
rants for assault. 1t seems to be part
of the business to take things as they
come and keep as far away from the
law as possible. There are sixty-five
regular sailors boarding. houses in this
city and Brooklyn. and thirty-five 9TH
ers which pay some attention to the
business; between three and four hun
bred men are interested in the business.
There is a difference of opinion
among the officials who look after the
shipping of sailors as to whether the
new law will help them much About
the only good time the sailor has on
shore is during the few days which he
spends under the wing of his boarding
house master before he has received his |
pay. Nothing is too good for him If he |
has three or four months wages com
ing to him. He has unlimited credit at
the nearest saloon. He gets q new out
fit of store clothes and has his picture
taken at places which pay the board |
ing-house men commission A few |
dollars are advanced to him, for which !
he pays 100 per cent interest. Most of |
his money is gone by the time pay day |
arrives. The observation-disclosures keeper
turns in to help him spend what re- |
mains, for, in their opinion, the only |
good sailor is the one who is broke"
They keep him for three or four days
after his money is gone, then take him |
before the shipping commissioner and |
have him sign new articles. The sailor
is entitled to a months advance, and |
the keeper always has a bill for board !
lodging and outfit which covers the |