The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-11-20

fearful. Most any stranger in Balti-
more who is in search Of work will get
the shanghai. The writer knows where
of he speaks. The oyster boatmen
seldom approach the white man nova
days. Their prey is generally the poor,
ignorant, colored man. In the fall of
the year the colored farm hand is out
of work, and he comes to the city and
looks around the wharves. He is soon
spotted by Mr.. Oysterman. Then con-
versation to the following effect will
occur:
"Good morning, George, are you look
ing for work ?"
eyes sah," says George.
"Would you like little sail down
the Bay on good fast boat?"
eyes sah."
"Can you cook, that is fry eggs or
make coffee?"
eyes sah."
swell, Pm captain of the James G..
Blaine and am looking for a second
cook; the head cook will show you all
you don't know; the pay is $50 per
month, with good board and lodging
free."
eyes sah."
"George, would you like little gin ?"
eyes sah." What colored man
doesn't like gin?
Then the captain (?) and the unfor-
tunate George 60 to saloon and after
several drinks of gin and ''seegar"
George is ready for any old thing, so
the captain has no trouble to get
Georges cross mark to a paper pur-
porting to be list of the crew of the
"James G.. Blaine" The blear-eyed
bartender will witness Georges cross
and then generously sets 'em up. The
bartender's rake off is from $1 to So
for each signature or mark he wit
nesses.
Poor George has signed an agree
ment to work for 81 a day and pay
S3O a month for board while in the
service of the "James G. Blaine" The
captain gets George drunk and puts
him in bunk on board the boat, and
when he comes to he is passing Fort
Carroll. Maybe it's October; the weather
is mild, but the nights are getting chilly.
George doesn't care, for he will be in
the kitchen where it is always warm!
Yes he will! Nit! George won't hit
that kitchen during his entire servi-
tude. George is no more cook than
rabbit. George will work on the
dredge and he will pull up oysters till
his entire body throbs with torture and
if he doesn't like it he will get thrashed
soundly and he will be starved until
he at last says, 81 likes it, boss!'
And when the boat has her full load
George has fond hopes of reaching
Baltimore in few days, for now the
James G. Blaine" is bound up the
bay. Poor George! he won't reach
terra firma until May 1. He will get
within a few miles of it and then he
transferred to schooner bound down
the bay, and George is kept busy trans
ferring till spring.
In winter the oystermen nearly die
from exposure to the intense cold r.
is colder in New York, or any other
eastern city near the coast, than Min
nesota ever saw. Not in degrees of
Fahrenheit. but in penetrating, intense
disagreeable cold. Zero in Baltimore
is very rare, 30 below, never known.
but, gentlemen, Minneapolis at even
40 below zero is more pleasant than
the east at zero. Why? Simply the
climate. The salt air is very heavily
charged with sort of disagreeable
mist that penetrates the heaviest cloth
ing. When George comes out of the
Johns Hopkins Hospital some sprino
day, minus ears, nose and toes. ask him
about it. He knows that is if he hasn't
gone "bughouse" from ill treatmant
aboard ship.
Moral, when in Baltimore fight sbv
OF Light street wharf, especially if Won
are colored man and cannot read or
write. Some time I'll tell you how
$4,000 people gain livelihood from
Mr.. Oyster. That is if / am not roasted
too severely for this "bum" tale Of WOO
But then Pm newcomer and can onlv
offer as an apology the fact, that if nv
tale is not interesting it is at laaet
true. That will be about. all.
HARLEY.