Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-09-13

IMPosTERs. out of every ten street
mendicants arc swindlers, and their guiscs are
so numerous, and arranged with such profcs
sional skill that they are we'll calculated to i'm
pose upon unsuspecting people. The last new
dodge of which We have personal knowledge
was successfully played upon very worthy
lady of the northwestern section OF the CITY,
She is we'll known for Christian piety-one of
the necessary accompauinents of which is
sympathy with the poor and distressed A
decent looking middle aged woman recently
called upon her and recited pititul story about
her only son who had just died at the aims
house; that he had died in the Christian faith
and his last happy moments were only couded
with his father, but mus. share the usual fate
of deceased paupers. She had assured him
that he should be buried where he desired, and
after his death had set about redeeming hsr
promise She had then made up all the money
necessary but nine dollars aud half, and de-
sired the lady in question to contribute towards
the balance Of the fund. Placing perfect rell.
ance in the truth of the statement, told with
pathetic tenderness, her eyes the while over.
flowing with tears, the lady was so moved that
she readily consented to make up the entire
balance demanded, and the womsn lett calling
down blessings upon her head.
OF course this woman was a swlndler, which
the lady afterwards ascertaned to her sorrow.
Had she allowed the ordinary prudence of
other transactions in life to govern this one,
she would at least have subjected the case to
some little investigation before bestowing her
funds. But these vagrants OF the sym pathy
stripe depend upon carrying everything BY
overwhelming the sympathies with a carefully
concocted story, by which the object would
greatly suffer if any postponement OF the AID
took place. In this case the corpse was oil
ready to he buried and the authorities would
not hold it moment longer. Hence there was
no time for investigation. All the stories told
by these vagrants will be, found to possess the
Same necessity for Immediate aid.
1t is as hard for some people, we know, to
shut up their heart from sympathy as others,
and the more numerous class to open theirs
Baltimore Bulletin.
TIE OYSTER BUSINESS. The Norfolk Day
Book, of the 9th instant, says: Our oyster
business commenced here on the 1st instant
and many of the dealers are going at 1t with
vim, while tho bays, harbors and rivers ar
alive with boats and vessels engaged 10 eaten
ipg the delicious bivalvcs. The oyster busl-
ness is tremendous thing in Baltimore, Whcr
they estimate their transaction by numbers
mli1ODS Oh QOnaTS. lu luat Clty 'heio q.
from thirty to forty packing houses engaged Il
the business, having o capital of from $4,000.
900 to $2O,OOO,O0O. Fifteen thousand hands
of all ages and of all races, and OF both sexes
are employed in opening oysters. Some pack,
ing. houses open 4, 900 bushels day. There i
process by which oysters arc packed in iii
cans so that they will keep in perfect order 10
an definite time, and are in that state sent a
over the world. They are first steamed in lh
she'll. A crate full are rolled into huge steau
boxes for this purpose. This process not onl
helps to preserve the oysters fresh, but it ais
opens them so that they are easily taken iron
the shell.
Large quantities Of oysters are also sent, o.
ice, fresh. The packing is done mostly iron
September to May. The oysters are found II
iuexhaustibe quantities on the shores OF tn
Chesapeake bay and its tributaries.