550 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



pean country being represented), unable to speak more than a few words of English. When a 

 crew, which usually consists of about eight men, is wanted, the vessel-owner or captain applies to 

 a shipping agent, who then gathers these men wherever they may be found, drunk or sober. As 

 one large boat-owner expressed it to me: 'We don't care where he gets them, whether they an- 

 il rank or sober, clothed or naked, just so they can be made to work at turning a windlass.' The 

 shipping agent having placed the crew aboard is then paid- $2 for each man furnished. With 

 such a crew as this, who neither know nor care for laws, the captain is of course able to work 

 wherever he desires to. As tnay be supposed, the life led by these men on board of the vessels is 

 of the roughest kind. When sleeping, surrounded by vermin of all kinds; when working, poorly 

 clad and with every garment stiff with ice, while the wind dashes the fast-freezing spray over them, 

 hour after hour winding away at the windlass, pulling a heavy dredge, or else stooping, with backs 

 nearly broken, culling oysters. Returning from a trip, the men take their little pay and soon 

 spend it in debauchery, amid the lowest groggeries and dens of infamy to be found in certain 

 portions of Baltimore. It is a gratifying fact, though, that even amid such surroundings as these 

 there are some few who are respectable and honorable men. This is more especially the case on 

 the boats owned in the lower counties of Maryland. The crews of these are often gathered from 

 the surrounding neighborhoods, and even as a class are not as degraded as those on Baltimore 

 vessels. 



" There are two ways in which these men are paid, the one most generally adopted, at pres- 

 ent, being to pay them a stated amount per month, although payment is usually made at the end 

 of each trip, the amount, of course, being proportioned to the length of the trip. The other plan 

 is to allow the crew a share in the profits. When this is done, the vessel at the end of each trip 

 first pays the 'grub bill,' wharfage, and commission merchant's charges; then, of the balance, 

 one-third goes to the owner of the vessel, and a small bonus, usually about $20, to the captain ; 

 after which captain and crew all share alike, except the cook, who receives something less than 

 the others. When the first plan is adopted, the men receive their board and from $10 to $12, 

 and occasionally as high as $15, a month. Those working on shares will, during the season, 

 average about the same as those who are paid a certain amount. A fair average of the amount 

 made by each man would bo $11 a month, making $77 for a season of seven months. Computing 

 on this average, it will be seen that during an oyster season the four thousand nine hundred 

 dredgers receive about $377,300, and the seven hundred captains, whose wages will average $50 

 a month, about $245,000, making a total of $022,300. It would also be proper to add to this 

 amount the cost of boarding these men, since that in fact forms a part of their wages. This 

 costs the vessels about $7.50 a month for eacli man, equal to $420 a season for each boat, or 

 $294,000 for the entire fleet. This, added to $622,300, gives a total of $910,300 paid to the 

 dredgers of Maryland during every oyster season. The law requires all boats engaged in 

 dredging to obtain from the State comptroller a yearly license, costing $3 for eacli registered ton.* 



"Dredging boats range in size from 5 to 75 tons, and in value from $500 or $600 to $8,0(0, 

 some few owned in the lower part of the State being valued as high as $10,000. The boats owned 

 in Baltimore are, generally, in every way inferior to those hailing from the counties. The present 

 value of these boats, basing the estimate upon information obtained from all parts of the State, 

 would be an average of not less than $1,500, and is believed by many to be much higher. At this 

 rate, however, the 700 boats in the trade would be worth, to-day, $1,050,000. In addition to this, 

 the winders, dredges, roller and chains, and dredge lines on each boat may be valued at $100, 

 although costing considerably more. Adding this to the value of the boats, we have $1,120,000 



* Not more than a half or two-thirds pay for this license, hence the necessity of the police. 



