The mirror., 1919-04-10

fee of five dollars per man, agree
to furnish the vessels with crews.
This fee was formally deducted
from the wages of the men, but is
now, by law, paid by the captain.
Each man so hired agrees, or as it
is called, signs up'' for at least
one month.
A crew generally consists of
four dredgers and a cook, or as is
known in the Bay vernacular,
"four men and COOK On some
of the larger vessels in addition to
the captain there is sort of mate
called a ''foremast hand.'' The
men that comprise these oyster
boat crews are of the down and
OUT class; men who turn to this
means of employment when all
other means fail. The food sup.
piled on these vessels is of the
most coarse variety, consisting
chiefly of cornbread, beans and
''sowbelDy." The wages are, we'll,
whatever the captain can bargain
with the down and out for, ranging
from fifteen to thirty dollars a
month.
After having engaged his crew
the captain then proceeds to pur-
chase passage in one of the steam
ers which, on it's trip down the
Bay, will stop at a point nearest
his home port. Perhaps you may
enquire why he does not save this
expense by coming to Baltimore,
obtaining his crew and returning
on his own vessel. Well, for the
simple reason that nine times out
of ten he would get his new crew
no farther than the wharf where
his vessel was moored, then-one
look at the good ship MARY Ann"
and the men would disappear. But
the captain is also somewhat of a
diplomat and in addition to secur-
ing their passage on the steamer
aforementioned, he. in most cases,
attempts to drown each mans feel
ing of dependency with pint of
"painkiller."
After the voyage down the Bay
has been completed the crew is
then outftted; of course at their
own expense, which, besides pur-
chasing the ordinary clothing
which most people possess but in
their case is lacking. they in addi-
ton must have boots, oilskins and
other rough weather apparel. By
the time they have been outftted
they are in debt for their first
months wages and the captain is
assured of having a crew for two
months at least. The crew is
quartered in the hold of the vessel
forward of the bulkhead and which
place is called the fore-peak. The
floor plan of the fore. peak is of
triangular shape, one apex of
the triangle conforming to the
shape of the bow of the vessel,
the after portion being about eight
feet wide and about the same in
length, and approximately five feet
IN height. It is in this somewhat
spacious compartment that the
crew is quartered during its stay
on the vessel.
For those engaged in this indus
try the day begins at 4 a. o.,
when the crew is summoned on
deck and the maneuvers of getting
under way commences. Through
out the length and breadth of the
harbor can be heard the clank of
chains and the click of the windlass
as the anchors are hove short, the
squeak of the falls and tackle as
sails are hoisted, the swapping to
and fro of canvas as the wind
slaps the loose sheet, and then out
of the tumble and confusion sail
the multitude of vessels to take
their daily toll from the bottom of
the sea.
The parapherpalia used for
dredging which each vessel pos
sesses consists of the following:
Two winches or winders, which
consist of two perpendicular wire
stanchiOns supporting an iron