Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-01-18


Ooslaess 0r Baltimore.
TIE following from the Baltimore Sss
gives some very interesting facts relative TO
the oyster aud fruit packing business.
which, during the past ten OF fifteen years,
has sprung up IN baltimore. We hope
some day 10 see Norfolk. whose situation
both for the oyster q nd fruit business is dc
cidediy more advantageous, at least sharing
with Baltimore the fruits Of this enormous
and lucrative business:
The houses prosecuting tie trade have
increased during the year 1896, and now
number upwards Of forty. employ ing more
than four thousand pessons, OF both sexes,
in the various departments Of shocking.
packing. pseling, preserving, &c.
The oyster packing commences in Sep
esnbse snd esatisues - Juss 10th, though
The sroas bolk Of the heemstically sealsd
vasis1iss ere prepared for market within
about three and . half msnths, when tAe
eystse 10 in pss1sctoin. The quantity q
oysters brought to this mssket b fully
81, 0OO. 80 basAels, theagh some dsalsss
estiaafs The rscsipts q 1000. 900. Some
Of these ars packed raw 10 cans, iesa, eao
gAlloa in siss. rsquisiog about 4,960, 900
cans a.,d 800, 900 cases. The bolaneo q
them, cay 1900, 900 bosAsls. are honseie.
ally esalsd. Ths ceasumplicu loe the whols
ss6esa b upwasds ~ 10000 bushels, bet
during ths nesths Of hesms1lsally sealed
acssvisy shs coasumpstsn y spwards u A..
900 bushels daily.
The NV q fresh oyster branch gives ea.
ployment to about 200 persons -shscking,
packing. etc. The shuckers are psiocipally
negroes. The hermetically sealed branch
requires about $500. chiefly white persons
Of the female sex-for the reason that the
new process Of stcaming readsss the open
ing Of the oyster % simple that children
may do IL. The number Of cans Of one, two
and three pounds each Theoretically sealed
daily during the active season 10 quite 49,
600. Thus nearly 5000 900 Of cans arc re-
quired for the oysters and during the
fruit and vegetable season Of summer. the
daily average is about the Same for period
equal 90 the oyster season Of winter. 50
that some 5000 to 10000 Of cans Of oys.
tess, fruits and vege abIes ore the product Of
this industrial pursuit, and these again r.
quiss some COO, 900 eases in which they ~
packed. The manufacture Of the caas
givss employment TO upwards Of four huns
dsed pessons, and the value Of The tin, sold.
o., ETC, uesd il the manufacture is near q
million Of dsl,ess.
The cass-making requires some two huu.
dred and forty to fifty csspsotsss constantly
smpIeyed, and The cost Of them 10 about
<260.00O The svsrsge cast Of the systers
for the year has bsso aheue 50 cents per
bushsl. The value Of the heroetically seal
cd oysters, fruits and vsgs.sblss is equal to
$4,000, 600. and thas Of the fsesA oyster
branch more than half % muca more. or q
sum total in value Of this trade upwards Of
1850 900. The number Of vessels engaged
in taking oyssere for The Baltimore market
is more than 1000. Of atty tons sasA, and
some 800 to coo vessels 81 larger clasa srs
running then TO nasket. Theso vessels,
1900 to 600 in number, require an average
Of srsws equal 70 Jour each, or some 5000
persons. Then during tho summer aod
autumn, Or the fruit and vegetable season,
- many more persons are engaged in pick.
ing. boring aed shippieg them 70 market BY
steamers and bay craft; and when oil these
oysters. fruits and vegetables reach ous
wharves, there 10 teeming hive Of carriers,
carmen and draymen who derive living
from the delivery Of the same.
MAGNITUDE OF TuE EARfm.--Tho cream
ference OF our globe il % O2O miles and so