The Stevedore’s Claim: A Waterfront Legal Battle
After loading a massive cargo of spars, timber, and planks, a Seattle laborer took the ship owners to federal court to recover his unpaid wages.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Charles Jose, a stevedore residing in Seattle, has filed a libel in the District Court of the Third Judicial District of Washington Territory against the ship Jeremiah Thompson. The vessel is registered in San Francisco and currently under the command of Master H. Peterson. Jose alleges that the ship is indebted to him in the sum of $186.53, the balance due for a contract to load and stow a full and complete cargo of spars, timber, and planking. This work was performed at Port Gamble between January 20th and April 7th, 1885. The ship’s owners have reportedly refused to pay, and the vessel is currently bound on a voyage to Hong Kong, China. A warrant has been issued for the ship’s tackle, apparel, and furniture, and the court has ordered the case to be heard in Port Townsend on May 11, 1885.
“The said ship is indebted to libellant in the sum of $186.53, the balance due him on a contract for loading and stowing a full and complete cargo of spars, timber, and plank.”
This 1885 wage theft claim highlights the enduring struggle of maritime and dock workers in the Pacific Northwest. Just as in the 19th century, when laborers had to navigate complex federal admiralty law to secure pay from transient global shipping firms, modern Seattle workers continue to grapple with the power imbalances of international supply chains.
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