I
THE SUNDAY OBEGOXIAX, POKTIAKD, OOTOBKK XX, ltfUJT.
33
SHIPPING WHEAT FROM PORTLAND DOCKS
THIS PORT LEADS THE WORLD IN THE
VOLUME OF ITS EXPORT OF THIS CEREAL.
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From the time of sowing: until 1d
final consumption 'wheat has an en
chantment peculiarly Its own, and Its
witchery has formed the groundwork
for both romance and tragedy- Not
the feast of Its fascination is its ship
ment, and to see a steady stream of
the golden cereal pouring into the
hold of a vessel is ever alluring. Many
factors enter into the process of
transportation of the wheat from tho
producer to the consumer, and the
"pit," the railroads, the ocean, with all
their side lines of labor, play the
prominent part.
Portland's foreign distribution of
wheat requires a yearly average of
something like 100 vessels the num
ber sometimes going up to 150 and
the loading of these ships is the final
chapter in a story of sowing and reap
ing, buying and selling. In the trans
portation of the wheat the railroads
are first utilized, and the wheat is
brought to the docks by the train
loads. Although examined and 'grad
ed when bought, its arrival at the
dock means a repetition of such exam
ining and grading before it is loaded
into the ships.
The actual shipment of wheat for
foreign ports begins with the sale of
a cargo and the charter of a vessel.
After the vessel is chartered and ar
rives at the dock, the first work is to
"line" her, which means the sheath
ing of the hold with rough lumber,
the latter covered with burlap or
cheap cloth. This lining is done for
the purpose of protecting tho grain
cargo from dirt and dampness, and is
performed by contractors engaged In
this work, and commonly called
liners." When the ship is lined the
actual loading begins, in this work
two distinct bodies are employed the
longshoremen and the grainhandlers
and there is in addition a Government
inspector. Tho grainhandlers, -with
their trucks, .form the first link in the
cimin or loading. In a continuous
procession they receive on their
trucks 17 and 18 sacks of wheat from
the piles In the docks, take them on
the scales for weighing, pass the Gov
ernment Inspector and deliver them
either at the electric conveyor or to
the chute. As in all other things, the
labor and time-saving appliance has
entered into grain loading; A few
years ago when wheat was loaded
into a vessel, the deck of which, owing
to the stage of wafer, was lighter
than tho dock, it was handled and
lowered Into the hatch by means of
slings, a slow method at best. Now
electrical force has been brought into
uset and the electric conveyor, by
means of an endless belt, receives the
sack of grain, carries it up the In
clined plane and drops It into the hold
as easily and quickly as it is thrown
down the chute, as is done with lower
vessels. In the transferring of the
grain to tho conveyor or chute 50 and
CO men withHrucks are employed. Two
men take sacks off the truck and place
them on the conveyor or chute, at the
end of which there is a gang of '20
men to receive tho wheat and store
it in the hold of tho ship. Such a crew
can load from 600 to 700 tons of wheat
dally. When the gralnhandler re
ceives his ruckload of wheat on the
dock he first takes it to the Scales,
where it is weighed and branded with
the consignee's distinctive mark.
Passing from there, and before reach
ing the ship,., each sack comes under
tho careful scrutiny of a customs in
spector, this Inspection being held In
order- to confirm the bagmaker's claim
for rebate. The material from which
grain bags Is commonly made is prin
cipally imported from Calcutta or
some other foreign port, and under tho
customs laws when this importod ma
terial is exported in manufactured
form a drawback is allowed- on the
duty paid. Each bagmaklng firm
places a distinctive mark on Its sacks,
commonly a colored circle around the
bag, and the customs inspector's duty
a( the loading of a grain vessel ts to
keep correct account of -the various
marked sacks exported, so as to ver
ify the lator claim for rebate by the
bagmakers.
After passing tho inspector the
sacks of wheat are placed on either
the conveyor or chute and dumped
into the hatch of the ship. Below-thls
hatch there is a crew of 20 longshore
men, whose work Is to take the wheat
into the hold.'
When the last sack has been placed
In the hold the hatch Is battered down
and the transfer of the wh.eat to its
far-off market begins with the sailing
of the ship.
THREE BOYS RUN AWAY
Parents TJnablo to Find Tbcni Are
Much Distressed.
Efforts of the police to locate Harry
Jones .Willie Baird and Basil Ray, miss
ing since last Monday morning, have met
with failure to date, and much anxiety. Is
felt by the parents of the lads. They are
aged 12. 13 and 10 yars. respectfully.
Basil is the son of Mrs. S. C Ray, of
291 Second street- Harry is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Jones, SOS Third
street, and Willie lives at Second and
Clay streets. It is thought they all went,
away together. The police are of tho be-'
lief that they are on a trip through tho
country, possibly bound for Seattle, where
the mother of the Baird boy resides. Tho
officials at Seattle have not located them
yet, however, although asked to do so by
the' local police.
Harry Jones persisted in smoking ciga
rettes last Sunday, and received a whip
ping from his father. He was-ln a surly
mood afterwards, and refused to go to
school. He .arid Willie Baird were pupils
In tho Shattuck School, while Basil Ray
went to the North Central. It is thought
too other boys, being older than he,
coaxed him to accompany them on a tri;
pf adventure.
Harry Jones (s large enough to pass for
16 years of age. Both he and Willie Baird.
have blue eyes; Basil has brown eyes.
All wore knee trousers and caps.
NOW FOR GREATER OREGON
3Iayor Wilkins Says Seed Has Been
Sown for Great Harvest.
EUGENE, Or., Oct. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Upon my arrival home I found
your letter and telegram awaiting an
answer. I regret not being able to com
ply with your request to send In com
munication for the Issue of October 13.
but at this late date want to say, with
out fear of contradiction, that Oregon
is a bigger and better state for having
held the Exposition; her people think
more than ever of Its present and future
greatness, and no one who visited this
unique and boiled-down Fair will ever
regret the money put Into It.
While In Lane County, as In a other
outlying districts, we have received but
little direct benefit during the Summer,
it was perfectly natural that we
shouldn't, as the people were seeing tho
Pair, and In order to do so. strict econ
omy had to be practiced In many In
stances, consequently the retail trade has
suffered a loss of business.
But It's only temporary, and the seed
has been sown for a greater Oregon, and
the harvest is Just as sure as. that the
Exposition Is now closed.
More than all else this great Fair has
been an inspiration to the youth and
manhood of the state, a comfort and
pleasure to the pioneer, who laid the
foundation for it all, and out of It will
come the greatest good to one of the best
states in the Union.
F. M. WILKINS.
Mayor, Eugene.
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