The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-26
OCEAN HOSTLERS
SCUM and DREGS
OF THE EARTH
New York Police Double
Detail When Their
Boats Arrive

New York, May 26.-"Scum and
dregs Of the earth; the toughest birds
alive"
That's the description of the men on
the horse boats that ply between
American ports and Europe. Time was
when the western bad man" and the
hard boiled guy" OF the New York
tenderloin were supposed to be the
final extremities in utter and complete
wickedness. Both were mere anna
/ tours, the veriest children in iniquity
when compared to the ocean hostlers.
Whenever a horse boat puts into
New York and turns loose its several
hundred "chambermaids" the police de-
tail on South street is Immediately re-
enforced. No matter how many cops
there are along South street there il
never enough on such occasions to
handle the fifty-seven varieties of
riots, street riots, gambling and other
manifestations of disorderly conduct
that follow
The men are paid at the British
consulate's shipping office. In a line
they gather to receive the crisp bills
that are later to provide them with
things in common these scum Of the
earth haVe-an aroma that makes the
ordinary livery stable seem like a
garden of roses, dirt that Is superior
to any accumulation ever dreamed of
by a veteran hobo and eyes that fairly
burn with eagerness to get at the work
/ they love.
Men of Every Type.
Men who have roamed the seven
seas and others that aren't charted yet
are in that line; men familiar with
every earthly hades between Singapore
and Seattle. Here in front is a giant
hulk of a man. his nose. broken by
some terrific blow, almost in fat line
with his brow: his bloodshot eyes
glinting with an evil hunger. Back of
him is a toothless old hulk, his face
crisis crossed with the scars Of many
combats. A huge chew Of tobacco
rolls between his toothless gums. The
third man in line is a hunchback,
stocky and with long. powerful arms
like an ape. A burly negro, bigger
than Jack johnson. comes next, and
after him q weakened. buzzard faced
creature.
They are clad in every fashion of
unkempt and disreputable garment.
They speak an argot that no decent,
self-respecting slum would recognize.
No remark with them is complete
without a climatic and dreadful oath.
Get Money and Then.
Once the crisp bills are in their pos
session they set out upon their unholy
pleasures. These generally begin with
a fight and end with a complete and
drugIike drunk. Between these two
stages they taste of all the wickedness
New York's water front has to offer,
and this is no small stock. Generally
when the debauch is over the hostler
awakes with feeling that his head
has been the. target of a curtain fire;
his limbs ache from innumerable blows
that have landed during the encount-
ers that began with the payon and
continued internationally until his
senses departed; usually he Is lying
beneath some table in Water street
back room, his pockets empty of all
the crisp bills. Then II is back to the
fetid hostlers' quarters on board a
horse ship and long wait until an
other vacation"
Almost InsensibIe to Pain.
None but a man who is almost In
sensible to pain. who has felt every
manner Of smash and kick and cum.
can stand the hostler's life. Also the
candidate for the job must long since
have lost all sense OF morality and
honor. The work on board ship is OK
the same strenuous sort as the play
on land The crew leaves them down
in the hold with their animal charges
and allows them to live in peace or 70
fight to the last survivor; they live In
darkness between decks. with the COM
panionship OF maddened, kicking ani-
mails and still more dangerous hue
mans. Their places OF abode reeks
with all the smells that can outrage a
set Of oIfactory nerves. When horse
dies IL is dragged along narrow run
way and thrown overheard. Some re-
greet accompanies this procedure be-
cause the horse is valuable. When, b
hostler dies he Is forthwith tossed to
the sharks. There is no regret at his
passing, because he Is Of no value. and
his mates divide bis clothes and try