The sun., 1909-06-27
GRAIN FEVER.
A Relative Of Hay Fever That Attack
Longsforemeu on tho Lakes

| ~ IBCAadN0 my AheS "sescAs
Longshoremen on the Lakes,
When the freighters ON the Great
Lakes tie up at Chicago to unload theil
carsoes Of merchandise from the East
and load With grain there 10 hard work
ahead for the longshoremen and also
good pay. The men who stow the grain
form class by themselves. Most oi
them do no other work and remain Idle
II there ls no boat lying at the elevator
docks.
These periods Of idleness are followed
by labor OF the hardest kind. Stripped
70 tho waist the grain stowe-s sssad :.
the hold with the hood Of yellow grain
pouring down through the elevator
chute and shovel for dear life.
1t is not an infrequent occurrence
to hear q cry for help followed by shout
ing OF orders to out on the grain. This
means that a slower has been caught
and half buried In the grain and that
his fellows have dropped everything
to dig him out. The stowr's plight
would be serious were 1t not for the
frequently he is carried out Of the hold
| unconscious.
To be caught In the grain, although
| q serious matter at the time, becomes
the subject OF many q Joke afterward.
According to the code OF his fellows he
should have been able to take care Of
The showers are fine specimens phys
ically. Most OF them are over six feet
tall. and the heavy work with the grain
has given them the backs and shoulders
OF Hercules. Their pay ls very. high for
men whose labor cannot be classed as
Most OF them are iuveterate gamblers.
and at dinner hour when they climb
out Of the hold to eat their lunch In the
tween decks the cards are pretty sure
TO follow the meal and quarrel often
follows the cards. No one interferes
90 long as the men make fists their weap-
ons, but when, as sometimes happens.
one Of them grabs up q shovel or pulls
arm him and bundle him ashore.
Hardy as the men are. there is one enemy
they fear. This Is grain fever, kind OF
aggravated hay fever. that attacks those
who work In the dust filed atmosphere
| of q grain boats hold. To protect them
selves from the fever the men wear large
bunches Of oakum over their mouths and
the dust filed hold It seems a. il whole
family OF Father Neptunes were at work
With shovels In plaoe Of tridents.
The grain fever frequently attacks
members Of the boats crew who 60 about
their work unprotected. Light attacks
result In nothing worse than dizziness and
q slight headache. but severe cases end In
entire Inconsistencies which may last
for twelve hours. There b apparently
| no bad after effect from the grain fever,
for the sufferer awakes after his long sleep
with clear head and no feeling Of lassi-
tude.
When the grain carrier reaches her home
port. sometimes on the lower Lakes and
sometimes a. far away a. ORdensburg on
the st. Lawrenoe River, the grain 10 cleared
from the hold BY great pneumatic shovels
tended by gangs Of hand shovelers who
keep the grain tn the path OF the great
scoop.
After the hold 10 empty the deck hands
are sent down to sweep out and prepare
for new cargo. This h another dusty Job
and usually most Of the men who escaped
the fever during the loading fall victims
now. II is Q strange thing about the
fever that man who has had Il during the
loading is immune for some time and
seldom has trouble when sweeping out
the hold