Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-12-01

f..- "A 0ECuBCFFS WO1- ft@ss4
Tuesday evening Lass the first Of
the dFedge boat scandals Of BE sea-
son Of l9O4-5 came 20 light when
Algernon Ray. with feet and hands
frosted and an ear split open was
brought TO Leonardtowli By Thomas
Reed, colored, mail-carrier on the
Compson.L eonardtown route. The
man was in a pitiable condition and
could hardly hobble along. Ray Is
an educated and intelligent man,
talks well and shows that he has
had refined associates. His accounts
of his experience as dredger on
the Chesapeake follows: z
''Intbe fail, left Charleston, S.
G. and went TO New York in search
Of work. Not finding any. on the
morning Of October 1lth. last. went
down TO the docks in that city totry
and secure berth on q Soathbound
steamer and work my way back
Souths but could net. q nv re-
turn up town mas metby amzn who
asked II I wanted, work. Told him
yes" and was then informed that
q captain was getting acrew togeth-
err TO 60 10 Baltimore 70 dredge and
cun oysters. Was told that the
work was not hard and the wages
were good. Went with the man 10
80 Greenwich street and there found
others who had been ga thered from
differeutTscctions Of she city waiting
forithe captain 10 come In and sign
them. Waited at the Office until
after 3, p. NJ, and was then informed
thaa We would not be shipped to
Baltimore until the following morn
ing Left for Baltimore on the after
noon OF Oct. 18th. There were So
men in our crowd. Arriving in
Baltimore we were met by three Of
Brennan & McDougall's wagons
and taken to some vacant rooms and
left there.I Part OF our party were
assigned to waiting captains and
% tof US, who were unassigned,
remained until next morning when
weswere put in charge of the cap
tain Of the schooner Mary Fisher
who put us on board his vessel and
tookius down to the Potomac river,
! think near the mouth of Britton's
Bay. After we arrived there, vari-
Gus vessels came alongside and the
men were drafted out to them in
squads of 3. a. Sand 6. An Irish
man and myself were put On board
the Daisy Captain Web. Vessels.
worked as hard as / could for two
weeks and was kicked, cuffed and
checked, though / was doingmy best.
Ones day while bending over the
dredge was struck astinging blow
on the right ear, and on looking up
saw the captain moving OF with q
shovel in his hand. My ear was cut
in two. Was told that an order had
been d given me and that i had paid
mo- attention TO il. How could I
when / did not hear IL? Sse qsfs4d
Anotheroyster vessel approaching
was ordered 10 CAT water and wash
my ear andiface or Iwould be killed.
Was transferred to the Mary Champ
iOh. Captain Walter Vessels. was
fed on nolasses and bread and forced
toswork beyond my strength. Our
Sleeping quarters were damp and
the covering insufficient became
too weak toltwork and on Monday
morning was allowed to come ashore
after signing paper stating that ]
had been wen cared for and was
satisfied with my treatment. Was
given $3-the proceeds Of 6 weeks
work. Use llfa Cdw ,aAafoa ~ ~
Ray says that he was born in
England. attended Cambridge and
is q book-keeper by occupation. He
was given q nights lodging at Leon
ardtown and on Wednesday morning
was put on the Weems' steamer to
be taken to . baltimore hospital for
treatment. He does not look like he
was ever q very strong man.