Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-03
TALES OF THE OYSTER FLEETS

out of work. The shipping agent, FOR
such is the affable fellow, tells Brylnski
position for him which will last Tor
month, and that all the Pole will have
to do is to catch oysters from the bot
tom of the bay 1t will be just like
catching fish, and the agent is willing to
pay Brylinski SIS a month for just TAX
ing little fishing trip where he win get
good chuck three times a day and
good quarters. This is just the sort OF
snap the Pole is looking for, and he falls
for the offer, following the shipping agent
around the corner where he signs the
ships papers as a dredger, and is guided
to where the long black bugeye" lies
at anchor in Canton Hollow.
Back goes the agent to the saloon.
He yet needs three dredgers to COM
plete the crew of the 'bugeye." sailor
just released for long Shore-leaye is
his next victim. The sailor knows well
what hardships attend oyster dredging
And when the agent begins purSuasively
to discuss the glories of life on' the
lower Chesapeake bay the victim begins
to shy off. Have another" passes quick
ly between them, the sailor spending
freely Of the money he has gotten from
back pay and the sale of the clothes in
his .'Sop chest.
Suppose we go down and see a friend
of mine who has a 'pungy and carries
WOOu tue lOWtT Tie
fable man suggests. There's no use
spending real money when 1 know where
there's free bottle
Nothing loath. the sailor follows him to
the oyster boat. where but a. short time
before him. Brylnski has followed the
agent into the evil-smelling forepeak"
of the craft where the hard narrow
hunks are. The skipper of the boat greets
the sailor as long lost friend. A few
drinks of Jamaica rum and the young
salt begins to forget. Finally he forgets
everything until he wakes up the next
morning far down the bay, on the bug
eye, which has the dredgers' number
sewn to the sail, and the two big dredges
standing idly on deck awaiting to be put
in commission when the oyster grounds
are reached. The sailor may not remem-
Der having signed the ships papers, ut
there Is his signature.
Two more men have been obtained in
this way. They are brawny negroes.
But none of the four, although they
might suspect from the appearance OF
the "forepeak' and the unpalatable
breakfast. which is served to them,
knows what is before them. The cap
tain, too, is in no pleasant mood. the
shipping agent having been able TO get
him nothing but green men, and re-
ceiyed 81 or So a head for procuring the
men,
When they come on deck they are told
that they need sea boots and oil skins.
for the heaviest clothes are required on
the oyster beds, and the men work much
of the time in the cold and rain. None
of the four has an equipment, they
are supplied out of the ships slop chest
but always at price which makes them
owe their months wages before they have
earned them. Thus they face another
month of toll. for which they have not
signed, before they can get a penny of
their own.
On the oyster grounds the four dupes
disheartened and discouraged, even before
they have begun their back breaking
tasks, are put to face the four expert
enced dredgers who have voluntarily
signed with the crew, and the dredging
begins. From sunrise until sunset the
eight men go to the task under the in
vectives and blows of the skipper and
his mate. which precludes all soldering
on the part OF any of the dredgers.
At noon the dredgers cease their mo-
notonous winding and dredging to go be-
low, where the soggy fat meat, beans
and poor coffee are served to them. A few
moments for the meal and a smoke and
they are on deck again, to wind, wind.
wind over the creaking windlasses of the
dredges, until twilight comes. Then. tired.
with aching back and swollen hands. they
go below again for the vile meal.
1t is then their duty to ''culP' the great
heaps of oysters which are piled between
the bulwarks. "Culling' means standing
with bent backs. hammer in hand, and
knocking from the oysters empty shells
and barnacles which have attached
themselves to the bivalves. and to throw
overheard all of the oysters which are
too small to pass the state inspection.
This over and the oysters thrown into
the holds, the dred"e"s may themselves