The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-05-11
Correspondence.
LETTERS FROM JUDGE CATION.
No. Ii.
An Oyster Roast at Cedar Keys--Trout
Fishing at Cedar keys-Stripcd Pigs at
Cedar Keys..A Word for Science.

An oyster Roast At Cedar Keys..Trou,
Fishing at Cedar Keys-Stripcd Pigs al
Cedar Keys-.A Word for Science.
That was q gay aud festive throng, surely,
that day gathered upon the pile of old drift
wood strewn upon the clean. white sand at
Cedar Keys. A babel of voices pitched in every
imaginable key-the flow Of wit and humor-
the quick repartee-the loud laugh, and snatches
Of wild wood song, echoed back from the old
pine forests as of yore they sent back the un.
tanned melody, when the natives built their wig.
vans on that very place, long before the Span
iards found that coast and broke the charm of
their untaught joys, aud stained the sands with
. crimson dye. But sad reflections of broken
bliss-of mans cruelty to man-found NJ place
in our thoughts that day. The hatred of wary
enemies and the bloody fray were quite forgot.
ten in our longing for the feast now just ready
to begin. The pitch pine kindling placed nm.
der the griddle flashed like finder, and roar.
ing fire soon followed, aud presently the iron
plate was paved with the innocents that had
that,morning quietly reposed in the soft bed be.
meath the tide. A Kissing sound, and then came
the fragrance which can only arise from great
bed of oysters Now voices were hushed the
loud laugh ceased. Each one sought q seat
nearer the sacrifcial altar, wherein were laid
the victims offered up to appease voracious ap.
petites. Mouths watered, and even tears were
shed. Were they tears of pleasure or of pain
l cannot tell, but will venture the suggestion
that it was the happy blending of the two.
Almost as soon as the bivalves had got we'll
warmed through, some ont, perhaps more i'm.
patient than the rest, suggested that roast oys.
tiers were best not overdone, and in trice half q
dozen oyster men whipped out their knives and
then commenced the tray. The gentlemen had
not far to 20 to hand them to the ladies.
Turner, true to his wont, even then thought not
OF himself, but sought out every one with load
ed half shell, almost like bread tray, in either
hand, and looked to each with "what will Won
haye!" AT first no one liked .the condiments.
butpreferred them straight The truth il. con.
diments took time, and time was precious then.
Such oysters 1 never saw before, and never
again expect to see. In size, simply enormous
round, plump and fat beyond comparison. And
flavor Oh, ye gods, help me to some new word
expressive of a new delight, more exstatic than
mortal ever knew before Had Neptune ever
found Cedar Keys there would be have erected
his throne and Toasted on roast oysters morn,ny
noon and night, unless in preference he takes
them raw. Did 1 say fat? Yes, 40 fat thew
cook themselves and waste the oil that over.
flowed the half shell. I expect soon to hear tina,
some Yankee has started here oyster oil ,rorb,
and made his fortune. VIVA. condimeut fo,
salad Turner would be the first to have it or
his table, I'm sure. 1t was proclaimed law o.
Cedar Keys that no oyster should be divided
outside the portal of the human face and it wa.
refreshing to see what law abiding people We
were. 1t was simply question of time when
An oyster by 2 by came in the way, nor even
then was the time required unreasonable. Som.
turned their backs at first when An uuusual
effort was required, but common situation
breaks down barriers rapidly, and soon to master
large one was considered an accomplishment
not TO be done on the sly. By degrees condi.
ments and crackers were resorted to sandwich in
with OYSTERS and the tin measure lost its perch
upon the log and circulated freely from hand to
hand Only one barrel of oysters at time wa.
trundled up. but this was repeated often,-how
often cannot say, but many times. have at.
tenoea ieasss before, and in the open air. have
been at clam bakcs and oyster roasts before
oroiied grouse at the border of grove in the
prairie after the hunt was over-fried mountain
trout on the shores of the lake. or the banks NJ
the brook, where they had shown their golden
specks but Just before. The fawn chops in the
hunters lodge, after a hard days tramp. arc
very good, as can testify; the mountain quail.
under the pines in the Sierras after long absti.
hence Is very toothsome. I have had MANY
1easts around camp fires at morning., noon and
night, where men and women gathered with
snarp "ppetites, aud hope far many more, but
commend me-yes, I ray, commend me even
more to an oyster roast ON the clean beach.
where the sand is as white ~ ncrtic SNOW. AZ
Cedar Keys. 1t is worth journey across the
continent. 1t is worth vsysve scros. III.
ocean, l: pays one for shipwreck or smash
up on the cars. Do anything-go any where
suffer all things-he a MARTYR il need bc-bnt
before you die, if you wish to die in peace, h.
sure ana nave an oyster roast At Cedar Kew.
but every feast must have az end. Had J-o.
ny h'na d'ned on the tongues ct Ni.h,i. L..
enough would have made sn,fe, Their, !. :.
i'hN 10 the capacity OF the inner nnn, hu, pr.c.
u0a'! mere is no limit to tie II, ,,rr. at Cedar
heyS' We Toasted with oceans of T., .,.r. h-,o,.
U.s. OUT strange to SAY We had to- succnmt i'm