Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-02

v
" refused TO bring wood from
l. shore to ship II an officer
accompanied them, as they
did not feel il was necessary to have
u boss over them at such simple work.
1t had. always been the custom for a
few men with an officer TO get wood.
AZ it was needed. from the pile about
geo yards away, for use aboard ship,
The officer would know from what
part of the pile he took wood last, as
he was the last one to leave and could
put a mark. so that he could tell if any
were helping themselves to our wood
After listening to what was said by
the crew and not wishing TO have any
trouble. more particularly owing to the
state of Mrs. Cooks health, l told the
men that should select one of them
to keep run of the pile and report to
me If any was being stolen.
This satisfied them, and they went
to work, but / could see the workings
of Woodland, the trouble maker and
bully, and a few of his followers.
Complaints such as this came
thicker and faster. officers complained
that the crew showed no respect to
them whatever. Orders were obeyed
carelessly or indifferently, and often
the officers were subjected to inso-
lence.
1 took due consideration for the
long, tedious time they had spent
aboard ship. also the small amount of
money they had coming to them com
pared with the time employed. and.
too, knew that they were deprived
of sufficient clothing and food
So long as there was no rebellion
or refusal to do what was actually re-
CURED to be done / took no steps to
correct these minor troubles, devoting
my time to Mrs. Cook and seeing that
the men had their part of whatever
there was to eat as we'll as getting our
part of what came in.
On March Ia, having brought in to
the five ships almost 5000 pounds of
meat IN week, we increased the al
lowance Of fresh meat to one and a
half, pounds daily to each man.
knowing that on March %, the time
Tor which my crew had signed would
expire, as precaution against any
serious trouble. l took each man sepa-
rately and asked him what could do
to make a satisfactory arrangement
for the remainder of the time he would
have to remain with the ship.
offered to pay all monthly wages,
besides a share in any whales that
might be taken. But they seemed to
feel that they had big claim against
the ship for not discharging them in
San Francisco at the beginning of the
voyage when we, returned with our
shaft broken.
Knowing full well they had no legal
claim, / tried to reason with them,
but finding they were very sure that
they were right, then told them If
could make an agreement with them
for the work they would perform until
such time as opportunity offered them
TO leave, / would insert that clause in
the agreement; that nothing in this
new agreement would in any way af-
feet any prior claim the crew might
have against. the ship, captain or
owners. Is A.As1g = gssx51a o.
could not make any Impression ON
any Of them. Some. frankly stated
that they had bound themselves to
stand together against doing anything
except what they thought they should
do after their time expired.
The men evidently by their acts
afterward never thought that, consid-
sring the condition of Mrs. Cook, /
should ever take action against them.
Daily the 22nd of March was draw