Evening star., 1909-09-12


language with 'em. just as good as he
could in his own"
There is no doubt that many a man
met his end on one of these oyster boats
in the days before law had put forth
its strong arm for the protection of ship
ped men.
Whereas in the old days men were kept
out for six months at a stretch and some
times paid off "by the main boom," at the
end of the season, they only stay out for
trip now. which is about fifteen or twenty
days, and they are paid in advance, IL
there is anything left after they have been
fitted out, which is not often. even now.
They practically work for their clothes
and supplies for the first trip. and it very
rarely occurs that they desire to put IN
second term of service. Paying off by the
main boom is explained as an old method
that is doubted by some and believed by
many Of the men who know OF the old
conditions. The before mentioned OFFICER
said that there is no doubt In his mlnd
that IL has been done. The shipped
men are directed to reef the mainsall.
and when the men get on the work the
ships course is changed suddenly. the
boom swings round with mighty force,
knocking the men into the sea-and the
debt OF the shipped men, is paid. 1t
reads like a chapter out of an old plrat-
ical romance. but it is youched for as an
actual happening not far from Washlns-
ton and Baltimore quarter of century
aso. OF course the captain reported an
accident by which he lost most OF his
men, and the matter goes at that-for,
after all, they were only shipped men.
~
Another way OF settling the obligation be-
tween the captain and the shipped men
was to abandon them in strange place.
In
some sort of errand, and in their absence
the boat would sail away, leaving them
miles from where they had friends. Some
times the men would try to evoke justice
upon reaching the point from which they
were shipped. but they had no power to
cope with the captain or the shlpper, SO
the matter ended where il began. In the
loss of a seasons wages after long, hard
months of toll, during which they lved on
rations of the coarsest and slept IN A hole.
dark and Ill ventilated and hiled win
evil odors from the cargo and the cooking.
Sometimes the master would hire negro
as mate and he had absolute contrOi over
the men, Considering the class OF men
some Of these proved to be- clerks, book
keeDers etc-men of refined SenSlDlntieS
and habits. this was most monstrous
condition of affairs, for the negro TOOK
special care that their life should be we'll
nigh unbearable. ,
1t is pleasant to know that this condi-
tion has been eliminated or if the practice
of shipping men against their VIII is
proven the captain found guilty for1elts
his vessel to the government. There IS
one captain who has not entered the Bal
timore harbor for years. because his boat
would be seized by the Maryland authorl-
ties for transgressing this law. He SOLD
his cargo in Washington until short
time ago, but now he dare not put In to
this port either, and he sells only to the
run boats and spectators. lie,
however, is an exception, for most of the
captains put in at the end of the trip, sell
their loads of bivalves and again put out.
1t is necessary to ship a new crew each
trip, because the old ones leave as soon
as they reach land.
1--WE ship hobos, fellows that are lying
around drunk said one captain, ap-
preached upon the subject. I'VE supply
'em with oilskns and gum boots and
pay 'em whatever is left over, in ad-
vance. We feed EN- better than we have
in our own homes to eat. and we see that
they do reasonable amount of work
That's what we took em aboard for, and
we see that they do it. OF course, If they
won't work, we can't make 'em, and we