The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-03-10

4 more interesting in the far east than
the coaling Of ships ct Nagasaki, Japan.
All ships outgoing and incoming stop
here to fill their coal bunkers, and it Is
not unusual to see vessels OF dozen
natjonalities ct anchor in the pictur-
esque harbor, says the Washington
Star.
Nagasaki is Q coal country famous
throughout the east, and the supply
seems to be inexhaustible. The city is
not pretentious by any means, being
built on the seacoast at the foot Of q
chain Of hills. While it IL one Of the
largest cities In Japan it never came
into prominence until the early part
Of the sixteenth cetury, when the
! Portuguese and Spaniards settled
there for the purpose Of carrying on
trade with visiting vessels. The har-
Dor Is not only picturesque, but per-
fectly safe IN the hardest kind Of
weather, and in the early days was
favorite refuge for ships that had en-
countered bad weather. The approach
| TO Nagasah is through number Of
beautiful and quantity shaped islands,
many Of which boast lighthouses, and
through channel perhaps quarter Of
mile wide and an inlet which extends
| for three miles The hills surrounding
| the harbor are mass OF woodland, and
the intense green reflected in the water
forms picture the traveller never for
gets. The homes OF the most promi-
nent and wealthy merchants Of Naga-
sah are IN these hills for here there Is
always pleasant weather with constant
ocean breezes.
But Nagasali received its greatest
notoriety commercially during the
Spanish-American war; for here all
transports stopped for coal and war
ships Of other navies found It conven-
tent to make this place a coaling sta
tion. Before Admiral Dewey sailed into
Manila bay Russian warships were the
most frequent visitors. and to-day the
visitor IS confronted throughout the
settlement with signs printed in Hhe
Russian language.
The coal business is IN the hands Of
syndicate. and an immense trade y
done there each day The quality Of
coal Is good for steaming purposes, and
the captain OF our ship made the aston.
ishing statement that the ship could be-
coaIed at NagasalSi by hand cheaper
and quicker than II could in San Fran
cisco with all the modern machinery.
did not marvel at this afterI had seen
the people 60 to work.
Before the ship came to anchor it
was surrounded by sanpans (the native
boat, each one loaded with human be-
ings ranging in age from 65 years to
the babe Of as many days. These boats
seemed 10 spring from the very ocean
itself so mysteriously did they appear,
In a few minutes great long boats filed
with coal were "sculledr alongside. In
an incredibly short space Of time every
portfolio was manned by platform,
and men, women and children swarmed
over the ship like swarm Of ants.
Stationing themselves In long rows ex-
tending from the coal barges to the
bunkers OF the ship, they started an
endless chain Of small straw baskets,
each, containing about 20 pounds OF
coal. On several occasions l timed the
baskets as they came over the side of
the ship and counted 6s in one minute
Everyone Of the coolies was immacu-
late in Spotless clothes when he started
to work. and each wore about the head
q handkerchief to protect the hair
from coal dust There were thousands
Of baskets. shaped like bowl. and as
fast as they wereemptied into the hold
of the ship they were returned to the
coal barges TO be refilled. The work Of
returning the baskets was the part as
signed the children, the eldest not over
ten years of age. For this work they
received three cents per day. The men
and women, and the latter outnum-
bered the former, two to one (and they
proved the better workmen). received
ten cents per day and little Chow"
as the food is called, at certain inter
walls. The passing of the baskets seemed
simple process. and they did not APP
pear to be firing. They were always
cheerful in their work, and smiled and
cracked jokes among themselves con-
tinually. At intervals the men who
filled the baskets in the coal barges
were relieved, for this is the hardest Of
the work. undno one seemed disposed |
to take an unfair advantage.
In the evening it became necessary
to increase the force, and the passen-
gers were put ashore, while every avail |
able inch of space was utilized by the |
coal passers. OF course they made a
great deal of dirt and the promenade
deck was knee deep in coal at many |
places. The passers accompanied their
work with a weird chant, and as night |
came on they looked like zpecters from |
the "nether gloom" fitting noiselessly |
about with their black faces and be- |
grime5 clothes. After the work was
over they repaired to sheir boats, and /
there 1s{ore the entire ship proceeded /
10 sake osthe dirt, each one in turn
We shinr over the side Of the boat and /
putting on clean clothing.