Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-06
Asa Hartz on Oysters.

An oyster is something good to eat,
hut 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
twenty four hours, and he seems to like
it.
He has curious and at the same time
playful habit, at certain times, of open
ing his shell and attracting to his pre-
sence the hungry raccoon. On such
occasion the cuss of a raccoon surrep'
titiously 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 plates
for saying that such is the fact, and also
that no raccoon has been known to sur
vive this hydropathic treatment.
The oyster must be of an extremely
aocial disposition. They sleep hume
rously in one bed, and nobody ever heard
of one kicking another out. They are a
quiet set, aud though they often open
their mouths, have nothing to say. A
great many self important politicians oi
the present day are suffering with the
same complaint
Oysters flourish in all the months OF
the year in which the letter "r" occurs,
and the larger colonies of them are to
be found on St. Charles street, both
sides, from September one to the very
last day of April next There are occa-
sions when they may be found in large
communities at Barataria. These are
of higher order, and their acquaint-
ance eagerly sought after by simple
natives.
The religious principles are strikingly
evident in the fact that they all belong to
the Hardshell persuasion, and although
strictly addicted to cold water, as a 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 normal state the oyster is quiet
and anything but fussy, but when brought
into towns and cities he often gets into
a broil OF a stew, and although McCoole
himself would be unable to close his
EYE" the poor thing suffers muchly
from this getting into hot water.
His temperance proclivities will make
him take even salt water when he can't
get fresh, and his diet, outside Of that
raccoon foible mentioned above, is ex-
ceeding light
People eat oysters Some are pre-
ferred 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
do it after the shell has been opened |
have known people TO fail signally who
tried it the other way.
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 a thing like bowie knife. The
first named plan will always succeed,
but the oyster doesn't like it, and the
result is not satisfactory to the man who
does it.
/ tried the other process once; and
succeeded in taking of one half of my
left thumb with the bowie. kniferous in
strumeut used for tickling. | have not
tried il since. Not many people know
how to do II 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; but am willing, after
due notification, to try it for the benefit
of any unprejudiced individual who has
a barrel or two on hand and an expert
to use the opening instrument
In conclusion, the oyster is like clam,
only a little more that way. he can
hold on tighter, is more hefty in his gen.
e-al build, and there is more diversity in
his style Of architecture
think shall 20 out and get some.
Asa HARTZ.
p. S.-I should have stated that some
people eat oysters in August but they
are principally illiterate persons who
spell that month 20 gus"