The Oregon daily journal., March 01, 1908, Page 30, Image 30

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yt LONG the shorei of the Chesapeake
jjf bay there stalks a historic specter
. - that avos supposed to have been laid
ft early a century, a 10 by the shot and shell of
vrar. The spirit of the press gang of 1808 is
abroad once more in IQ08, . v " '
School children learn from their his
'tones that one of the chief causes of the sec
old conflict with England was the prevalent
British habit of impressing American sailors
for service on the kings warships. It is
rather singular to- find Uncle Sam at this day
confronted by nearly. a similar problem pre
sented within his own domain.
Press gang methods of today are called
?T f THIU3 the Jraprmnt cf Amtrlcao alhr (or
11' British warabipa 'til ndd virtually by tb
V V ' War of 113. that tnetbod of 'fllllnr the ranks
ot apitttd crwwa continued for a number of.
yearn" on ine oiber aide, and waa by no means despised
by masters of 'American mercnantmen andlns; tueiu
olves snort-handed In borne porta.
It was not aa unusual oouurreaoa for men, begin
ring witb a round of merriment .In some drinking;
place, to sink unconscious .from drugged liquor,
awakening a day 'or two later In the forepeak of a
bip at "sea; " - -
Nor were men who prowled abou docks or wan
dered alone at night through streets near the water
front safe. They, were liable to be pounced upon by a
bwdy of kidnapper and hurried off to .a shori-handed
vessel in the harbor, buch outrages were Common In
lngllsh ports.
, A vivid description of the press gang methods of
a century ago m given by W. Clark Hussell In one of
liis sea stories. Tue supposed narrator, a sturdy yuuna
t-allor. was waking his way along the streets of Deal
at night. "
"X heard footsteps; a sound of tbe tread of feet came
from Beach street. 1 walked up the alley to the en
trance oMtmot tor s moment doubting that the fel
lows coming along. were Deal boatmen. When 1 reach
ed the entrance of the alley -a body f ten or twelve
men came right upon me, and in a breath 1 .was collar
ed to a deep, roaring cry of 'Here's a good sailor!'
''I struggled and was savagely gripped by the arm.
I stood grasped by two huge, brawny men, one of
hom called out,, 'No-taper-cutting, my lad. No need
o show paces here.'
" 'I am first mate of the Royal Br una wicker. I ex
claimed. - .
rou look Ilk a first mate the chap that cooks
he mate. You shall have mates enough, oid ship ship
mates and messmates.'
" 'Heave ahead, lad!' exclaimed a voice that waa not
van ting In' refinement, though It sounded aa if the pr
oa who owned it was rather tipsy.
"At the moment of seising me the company of fel
ows had baited -within the sheen of the lamp at the
orner of the street. They were a wonderfully fine
ody of men, magnificent examples of the British
ailor; they were armed with cutlasses and some of
hem carried truncheons. Two of the mob were press
d men, like myself, .
, i NO MERCY SHOWN
"In a moment the whole body of us were tn motion.
. seaman on either, side grasped me by the arm, and
Ti mediately behind, were the other two pressed men.
t e trudged onward, making for tbe beach. Presently
ne ht the other pressed men began to curse; he used
''uSKKiipW thS iack knocked hi, hideous Or should he attend the poor gratis
poecb into a single half-cocked growl, and the young and charge the rich According to their means l
entleman with the refined, but husky, voice called
utrvjf that beast doesn't : belay his Jaw, stuff hie
icuth fuu or antngie ana gag nimi ;
"I guessed that this gang were satisfied with pick
ig up three men that night, for they looked neither
o the right nor to the left for more, but headed a
traight course for their . boat. The sailors seemed
reary, aa though they had been a long time about it.
1 had heard much of tbe brutality of the press
ang, of taunts and kicks, of maddening". Ironic prom
sea of prise money and glory to the miserable
'retches torn from their homes or from their ships;
f pitileas usage, raw heads and broken bones. But
witnessed nothing of this soi among tbe men Into
f hose , bands 1 had fallen, in silence we marched
long through a street that seemed as though the
uildings held nothing but the dead.
"When the boat .waiting at the shore Was reached,
owever and one of the victims began to curse ana
eslst. I saw what sort of tenderness waa to be ex
ected from press gangs when their kindness waa not
eserved. ,
"Three stout seamen, catching hold of the bias
iliomlng fellow, one by the throat, as it seemed, another
r ths rm and. a third by the breeches, flung hlm
ver the gunwale as if he were some dead carcass of a
i)ep and ha felt with a crash upon the thwarts and '
'oiled, bloody -with a wound in the head and half atun
led. Into the bottom of the boat," iun
such were the press, gang methoda of long ago-'
boe of today are uleter and less open, bit fust aa
n l e.-Ate -tm Uncle gam became in tented-it
lappened-In this way; , ... iea u
Charles F. Hammond, aforesaid was granted leava
f absence from the receiving shl? Franklin in rZVil
bat -he miBht Hie himself into ths citvr 2J?.r-der
lidke merry tor a -seasons-, uu
Just .how? he proceeded to spend his tim i.
itated. but
tated. but curing me evening he wa ir,,i-
art led aboard an oyster vessel, which soon aftrw.
fonafterward
u n. wuuu si ibi Chesanefc
Spverat times durlnghls Involuntary , cruise th
met was In port: then. Hammond says, he was lorVl
yw devk o thtt be could not make any appeal tor
l inallr, while theNvssel was In Baltimore harter
:arj:nond managed to escape one night. He promptly
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Oyster Boat Methods Suck as Caused
tkeWarof 1812
"shanghaiing," and they arc particularly use
ful in supplying crews for the oysterTdredg
ing vessels of the Chesapeake bay. "Shang
hai?' directors have operated for years, but
only recently hdve they grown bold enough
to capture and impress into service enlisted
men of the United States Navy.
When they "shanghaied" Charles F.
Hammond, a seaman apprentice attached to
the receiving ship Franklin, at the Norfolk
Navy Yard, they "caught a Tartar." While
other navy seamen" had been impressed of
late years the Hammond case, it seems,
proved the last straw. And so-Uncle Sam is
after the press gangs of iqo8 with a big stick.
made bis way back to the Norfolk Navj- Yard, to find.
, as he expected, that he had been posted as a deserter
and would, have to face a court-martial.
Of courses any enlisted man who bad long over- .
-stayed his time might cook up a story of having been
"shanghaied" and detained against his will. Hammond,
however, was able to prove his story to the satisfac
tion of the officials.
Similar cases of "shanghaiing" had been Investi
gated, and with the latest Case the Navy Department
grew heated under the collar.
A revenueocutter was sent post-baste after the ves
sel on which Hammond had been detained, and Its .
master was arrested and held for the action of'the
federal grind Jury. The Navy. Department is deter
mined to break up "shanghaiing," especially of its en
listed men.
Nearly every winter men are picked up on the streets
of New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk and other
cities and hurried into slavery on oyster boats, but this
nefarious work is conducted as quietly aa possible. Tne
kidnappers do not care to attract attention; they do not
wiah to get Into trouble themselves nor risk losing a
HI
COLLECTING
S1
110UJLD a physician go to law to collect his
bills i Or, if he feels he cannot go to law,
how can he make people pay what they owe
for services!
Upon what basis should a physician make his
charges! Should he charge the rich man more than
How might doctors solve the financial difficulties
in which they often find themselves .
These are questions which are often discussed
among physicians; that of collecting bills is one of
thi most delicate, and often the most difficult,
problem in a practitioner's life. '
MONO physicians' It la not considered ethical
to go to law," declared a well-known mem
ber of the profession recently. "So what la
one to doT Let me tell you the monotonoua
routine of a doctor'a life.
- "He la called to attend a patient He visits him
faithfully, studies his disease, carefully analyzes the
symptoms and -gives not only medicine, but hours of
deep thought, worrying himself and often spending
aleepleaa nights over the case.. The doctor may visit
' the patient for weeks, perhaps months. The patient
recovers or he dies.
"Well, the bill is unpaid. If the man lives he ig
nores his obligation, and If he is dead the relatives
pay no attention. Now. If the man Uvea enjoying the"
health which was reatored to him through the atten
tion of the doctorv out of gratitude one would think
he would gladly pay the physician. But no, the phy
sician is the last man to get paid. The baker, butcher
and candlestlckmaker all come first.
"And what is the physician to do?
"If he goes to law and sues a patient he is likely
to antagonise all his patients and lose prestige among
the members of his profession. A man in business,
be he a merchant, a banker, a lawyer, may sue v his
creditors, but a doctor cannot Naturally, the profes
sion suffers. To my mind, there should be some legal
protection for the doctor. -
. "It la outrageous when one -thinks that the man :
whose services are the -most Invaluable is the last one
te be paid. Yes. a man- will pay all hla debta by April
1, but he'll forget all about tbe family physician."
' Many physicians, seem ..to favor the Idea of legal
protection. If there were a law In rbrce which Would
give the physician first claim upon a man'a estate the
' position of the medical creditor - would be greatly
a
JTHB OREGON STJTJDAYl JOtJRJAl. , TOR1XA12SUNDjV' MORNtNCVj jHARCH tWOl
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victim through the Interference of other persona
Baltimore and Norfolk are the cities to which
the
oyster dredgers look principally for supplies, and there
they ship -most of their crews. There is always a de
mand for creWs during the dredging season. Men unac
customed to the rough life and hardships soon tire and
return ashore if permitted to do no.
Of course, all oyster boat masters are not brutal, nor
would all sanction "shanghaiing" by receiving "shang
haied" men. The majority, perhaps, are aa kindly and
RECINADPIULBOnLlLDr.
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strengthened, they say.
pliucult is the financial end of a doctor'a life, ao-
-.affiinf to triAmhArs of the tirofejiatoti. On the bonks-
of nearly every doctor are unpaid accounts; In fact,' r
aome pnyaiciana declare tnat as many as ono-tnira to
" one-half the persons they treat are either tardy In
payment or do not- pay at all. After struggling with
this problem, the next question with which he must
deal la the rate of charges. Regarding the work and
pay of doctors, a famous physician recently declared:
- "No one should adopt the profession of medicine aa
a- business. The-first end .most potent consideration tn
undertaking the life work of a physician should be the
unselfish one of helping those In physical affliction. ,
"It is. not too -much to expect that in the near
future the standing disgrace of our civilisation, the
existence of preventable disease, will be maije to cease.
To be sure, tbe state will, or should, always play the
chief role, out. Judging by tbe records of current leg
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honorable as men in any. other vocation, but the entire
class suffers' because of the. dishonest and cruel methods
among their numbers.
In a number of cities there, are crlmpa," or men
who make a business of furnishing crews for vessels, no
matter by what means. Dealing with the oyster fleets
of the Chesapeake, there are mere In Baltimore- and
Philadelphia than anywhere else, naturally, aa they are
the cities nearest the field of demand. '
Time was when men were "shanghaied" In the streets
BILLS
islation, little Is to be expected from government
regulations or provisions until the material of which
legislators are made becdmes less venal or more wise.
"Meanwhile, in every community composed of aver
age human beings there must be supplied guides In
puysical conduct who shall be equipped with both
Knowledge and forcefulness, and who, if possible, will
be of ample authority, direct or vested, who not only
shall succor the lame, the halt, the diseased, turn the
fool from the rich deserts or his folly, but also exercise
an inhibitory influence upon the acts of the unwise,
both individual and joint, and throttle health-destroy
era human or demoniacal In their lairs.
"In the doing of this, in the pursuit of hla chosen
line of duty, the, physician has great need to possess
large capacities, powers, wisdom and knowledge. Fur
thermore, he must be ready to give his undivided at
tention to a quest which, while perfectly possible of
attainment has never been near realisations- To fit
himself for his lifework require exceptional traits,
years of training and the ceaseless exerctse of Judg
ment night and day.
"He also must live: he has a right to the enjoy
ment of equal privileges and emoluments with the
man who tills the ground, digs the ore or aeta chol
eric human savages by the ears to their own undoing
and his financial betterment, -or-the one who manipu
lates the market whereby lambs yield their fleece. It
would Indeed seem that all his patience, his yeara of
dangeroua toil, ought to be highly rewarded. Health
and life are. especially in tbe hour of great- peril, for
a brief period regarded aa of more account than mere
material acquisitions. . '
"All this tends to show that a capable, conscien
tious, experienced medical adviser Is a boon to any
community, and should be provided with full returns
for his labor, time, skill and strength. -When once his
capabilities are demonstrated, his experience ripened,
his earning capacity ought to Increase, not lessen. He
gives his time and energies freely to the very poor.
The rich man, who has more than enough, should pay
In proportion to his means.
'It Is asserted by some that the fees should " be
fixed at a maximum, and made leaa for those who are
unable to pay the highest.
nav the hi artiest. The nature of service
varies widely; ordinary medical attention may be put
upon this basis, but not that special service whereby
large aimcuities are overcome, wnere tne pnysician
Is aware that he has accomplished much in face of
almost insuperable obstacles, he has a right to claim
more than. for simpler everyday attention. r.
"Some persons complain that many specialists
charge excessively high fes. If a specialist, Is con-
suited by a patient. In connection with his physician
or Independently, I think he should pay for the pref
erence. The form of competition forced upon medical
men is humiliating. The apparent conflict between the
general practitioner and the specialist, particularly
the surgeon, is chiefly due to the fact that the publlo
Is not taught to value good medical advice, , -, ,
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of Baltimore almost as openly as the press gangs of Old
did their work. When the "crimp'! received orders for a-J
certain number of men, he sent out "runners" to gatheg
In all they could find. like the servants of tbe man men
tioned in tbe New Testament went Into the highways td
gather guests for the wedding feast
Saloons along the water 'front generally yielded a
fruitful harvest. Intended victims were plied with drink,
often drugged, until stupefied, when they were quickly;
conveyed to the security of a vessel la the harbor. Men "
were seized even aa they walked the streets, their crlee
being choked off by gagging or a Judicious application of
the sandbag. - '
Now, however, this business can be done only with
stealth, if it is done at all, owing to recent legislation in
Idarylana regulating the method of shipping crews. But.
"shanghaiing" is going on, nevertheless, deception being
used as a general thing Instead of force.
, It is surprising huw many men are "shanghaied"1
from cities at some distance Philadelphia, New Tork,
Pittsburg, for example, A large percentage of the (
"green" oyatermen found on the dredge boats hall from
Philadelphia . , ,
Along the water front streets of Philadelphia men,
have been kidnapped boldly. Taken Into saloons, they,
would be filled with liquor and then offered tempting,
positions on "bay vessels,". With a number of others In -a
similar state of intoxication, tbey would be taken to a
train and sent to Baltimore. In that city a covered van
would meet them and convey them to the water front. -
Hundreda of men have lost control of themaelvea and
recollection In a Philadelphia saloon to find tnemseivea
a day or two later in the forepeak or on the deck of an
oyster boat far from home. , . , . m .
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which was need
principally becauae lta station in Baltimore la nearer
fh t finally shut down on these shlDmente of In- -
nTimted men. Now the method of the "crimp" la to.
'- th victim with ti4miae of a fine position In Balti
more and start him on the way toward that city with
a bottle of whisky. There la always some one to look
out for him upon arrival.
' a A specimen case will Illustrate the present methods. -
Charles Patlllo, 17 years old, was standing on a street
corner la Philadelphia one morning In late autumn, when
he waa approached by a negro. .
"Know of any one around here who wants a good)
job?" Inquired thenegro. The boy pricked up hla ears
'"Well, I think you'll do," remarked the negro. Tow
see, I know of a fine position on a tramp steamship,
you'll get 20 a month, good -food and have little work,
besides a chance to see the world. The captain Is aj
good friend of mine, and I promised to find him a good
man." '
Pleased by the flattery, aa well as the prospect of a
position, Patlllo accompanied the other to the plaoe of a .
well-known negro "crimp," conducted under the guise
of an employment office. There, apparently much to hla
dismay, the runner "discovered" that the steamship had
just Bailed.
PAID "PER HEAD"
"Never mind," he said 'to the boy. "the vessel ha
?one to Baltimore. I will advance the money for youf ,
icket and you can go right down there and meet her."
Full of enthusiasm, the boy agreed to go. He wafl.
offered whisky, but refused it. On the trip south with
him there were about fifteen other men and boys, most
of them white. At Baltimore they were hurried Into a
covered wagon, driven to the dock, -earrled to a vessel
Jn the harbor, and soon found themselves on the way,
down the bay.
No lines are drawn by the "crimps" In meeting the
demand for more men. Old men and boys, negroes and
whites, natives and foreigners, whether In fairly well- "
kept condition or abject poverty, are regarded alike: the
"crimp" vets so much "per bead," ana one bead is as
good aa another.
Very many of the men wMo go "down the bay" on
oyster vessels find themselves under indeterminate sen
tences, as It were. That they are there Is about the only
certain fact; when they will return la a matter of con-lecture.-
.
Yeara ago., when oysters were so plentiful that to
dredge up a boatload was a matter of a comparatively ,
short time, most of the boats ran to market with their
cargoes. But with depleted oyster beds a much longer
Hime waa required to secure a load, so that, to make the
season a profitable one, the dredgers were compelled to
spend as much time as possible at Work
Then the two other classes of vessels the "run" boat
and th "buy boat became common. Tneir function la
to carry the catch of the dredgera to market. The Vrun
boat , la owned or employed - generally by one or more'
dredging concerns, and plier between certain vessels of a
fleet and the city. The "buy", boat, aa its name Indi
cates, la on a purchasing mission. It will buy cargoea
from any who will sell. . . ,
It will be seen, therefore, that a regular dredging
vessel may not find It necessary to visit port often during
a work season. Unless forced Into harbor by storm or
Ice, It may remain on the oyster ground . virtually all
Winter, receiving new supplies from time to time by the
"run" boats. ..--,-," , . .. ; ' r
. i These "ru"Moata, bv the way, usually distribute
the unwilling recruits. Receiving a dosen or so "green--horns"
while In harbor, the Vessel will hasten back Ho
a fleet on somt oyster ground and -distribute the men '
among the - shprt-hended .craft,..' '