The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-12-22
sHANGHAIING oYsTERMEN.
Dredges on Chesapeake Bay
Are Obtained

This is the time of the year when
tales of the shanghaiing of men for
the oyster dredging vessels on the
chesapeake bay reach the ears of the
Baltimore police. Formerly the shang-
hating was done with violence. Now
it is kind of confidence game, says
a recent account from Baltimore.
This is the way it is DONE" said
Police Captain League. "a runner for
aOne of the shipping firms strolls along
the water front and finally sees a man
who seems to be looking for employ
ment He approaches him in tact
full manner and inquiries if he wants to
make little money. The answer is
generally yes spoken about as quick
ly as man can get the words out of
his mouth.
Well says the shipping agents
runner, becoming confidential, L know
sof a way we can turn couple of dol
lars. I'm looking for men to ship tn
gthe oyster beds. Well get two dollars
for each man, dollar for me and "A
dollar for you, if you'll help me. All
I'VE have to do is to find a man who's
docking for work, take him down to
the Office and get him shipped aboard
the vessel. Then we go back to shore
and collect the money"
Just about this time along comes
the runners confederate, sauntering
around the wharves with the manner
<Of an idle man. The runner calls the
attention of the stranger to the second
factor and intimates that he is possibly
"A candidate for a berth on an oyster
slredger.
Together the runner and the man
me has picked up approach the confed-
serate. After little conversation the
proposition is made and the confed-
crate accepts it. The trio have several
rounds of drinks, paid for by the run
Zner, and then they go to the shipping
office.
There the prospective victim is told
that he must sign for the man he has
shipped. He does so. If he cannot
Tead or write he makes his mark on
the agreement He is told that Sec
sOnd paper must be signed aboard the
Soyster boat
Then the runner and the man who
MS really the victim, but who thinks he
has ensnared another man, are rOwed
SsOut to the oyster dredger. After they
get aboard the victim is decoyed into
-the cabin by the captain, the runner
and his confederate jump into their
boat and row ashore, and after they
ARE once away the real victim is told
that he has shipped for a certain
period
If he kicks, as he always does, he
rs shown the shipping agreement,
which he has signed or marked under
Ihe impression that he signed for an
s0ther man. When a man gets shang-
nailed in such a manner he is not en-
Titled to sympathy, and as a rule
doesn't get any more than is coming
10 him.
Frequently men are decoyed upon
oyster vessels by being told that they
are wanted for one trip down the bay,
and are promised large wages. After
they get down on the oyster beds they
are transferred from one vessel to an
sOther, and the trip, instead of lasting
ten days or two weeks, continues until
the close of the season.
The work is, of course, hard in tn,
winter time; but, then, it is not SO
snard or so dangerous as sailors life
saboard a coasting vessel at the same
season of the year. For a. man in good
zsSbysical condition, oyster dredging is
mot terrible labor.
OF course, there are brutal captains,
aunfit food and filthy sleeping quarters
ssn many boats. but there are also
rnany boats on which entirely different
conditions prevail"