Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-12-11
Asa Hartz on GYSterS.

An oyster is something good to eat, buS
can't register and vote. He grows in
out ofthe,way places, where the tide ebbs
and flows as often as it wants to in twen-
ty-four hours, and he seems to like it.
He has curious and at the same time
playful habit, at certain times, of opening
his shell and attracting to his presence the
hungry raccooa. On such occasions. the
cuss Of raccoon surrepttiously inserts
his paw into the open shell, to haul the
oyster out; whereupon the latter clamps
down ON him like the devil, and holds
him there till the tide rises and browns
him.
don't know what he does it for, but |
have the authority of several editions Of
natural history-with colored platcs-for
saying that such is the fact, and also that
no raccoon has eyer been known to sur.
vive this hydropathic treatment.
The oyster must be of an extremely
social disposition. They sleep numerous.
ly in one bed, and nobody ever heard of
one kicking another out. They are a
quiet set, and, though they often open
their mouths, have nothing to say. A
great many selfimportant politicians of
the present day are suffering with the
same complaint.
Their religious principles are strikingly
evident in the fact hat they all belong
to the HardShell persuasion, and although
strictly addicted to cold water, as GEN
eral thing, the principles of that creed
are often seen when dozen of them are
found clustered around the neck of an
old empty bottle which some mean white
man has emptied and thrown overheard
In his moral state the oyster is quiet
and anything but fussy, but when brought
into towns and cities ne often gets into o
broi or stew, and although McCool
himself wonld be unable to close his
'"eye," the poor thing suffers muchly from
his getting into hot water.
His temperance procliyities will make
him ;ake even salt water when he can't
set fresh. and his diet, outside of that
raccoon fnible mentioned above, is en-
ceeding light.
People eat oysters. Some are prefer
red in the live state and some in the
cooked. They are dog-on'd good both
ways. The most approved and highly
satisfactory way of eating an oyster is to
10 it after the shell has been opened. !
have known people to fail sgnally who
tr;a6 II tho other ycov
There are two ways of making an oys-
ter open unto you. One is to knock him
like the mischief with a brick until he
can't help it, and the other is to tickle
him with thing like bowie knife. The
frs: named plan will always succeed. but
the oyster cosen't like it, and the result
is not satisfactory to the man who does it.
tried the other process once, and sue
ceeded in taking off one half my left
ihumb with the bowic-kniferous instru
ment used for tickling. | have not tried
it since. Not many people know how to
do it expertly.
You then put pepper-sauce on him, if
lemons are ten cents apiece. They are
both good if you like it.
don't know how many oysters can
eat in a given time; bat am willing, after
due notification, to try it for the benefit
of any unprejudiced' individual who has
barrel or two on hand and an expert to
use the opening instrument.
In conclusion, the oyster is like a clam.
only a little more that way. He can hold
on tighter, is more hely in his general
build, and there is more diversity in his
style of architecture.
think shall 60 out and get some.
Asa HARrz.
P. S.-I should have stated that some
people eat oysters in August but they