New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturday, December 14, 1929

A cool night and plenty foggy morning. I stood watch on the fo’cas’le till the fog thinned about ten and we moved on. It was still pretty foggy and the ships that passed us were buried in white vapor up to the bridge—appearing more like phantoms than ships.
Near the city a doctor came aboard—quarantine—then we steamed up past the business section some distance from the river. Modern skyscrapers didn’t look so bad at all. Along the riverbanks long lines of go-downs, dry-docks, etc.
Anchored about five miles above the city at two. I took a tram through the slums near the river to town. Names of streets such as Laurel, Annunciation, etc. completely belie the true nature of the mean, narrow, dirty, unpaved ways along which I traveled. Many of the downtown streets are wide enough for only one-way traffic. Canal Street, the main drag, is on the other hand a very wide one.
Found five letters at the Post Office and indulged in a haircut—then back to the ship to get a bit of sleep before my 12 to 8 watch. Had to stay down in the hold to watch a half dozen snowballs unload 4,500 cases of pineapple and to see that they didn’t break any open to drink the juice. These stevedores make 80¢ per hour, $1.20 per for overtime, and $1.60 per for Sunday.
Finished up at 5 AM and as there were three company watchmen around, I hit the hay.

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