Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-11-11
For the Monitor.
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

Every observant traveller by the steam
er up Narragansett Bay, or Providence
River as it is here called will notice
many sticks about the size of bean poles
protruding from the water. When
asked what they indicated, I was lacon-
ically answered: oysters.
But one of these fall days 1 was going
along the shore and learned more about
these Sticks and oysters. Off the shore
from Drownville there are many acres of
level sand upon which the water stands
four feet deep at low tide, and about ten
feea deep at high tide. This land is
plotted out by several companies, for the
fattenng Of oysters.
The oyster house Of Paul Buckingham
was blilding about l2x25 feet square.
Along one side is counter piled with
ten or fifteen bushels of oysters and
Paul with thick canvass mitten in his
left hani to protect it from the sharp
edges ofthe shells, he picked up an oys-
ter laid its edge upon chunk of iron,
and with a few blows of small hammer
he broke the edges of the she'll until
near the oyster, when a sort of stumpy
knife blade was inserted and the oyster
detached and dropped in the quart meas
ure.
A bpshel of common oysters would
yield four quarts of meats that would re-
tail at 90 cents quart, or wholesale at
80 cts. An active man can take out
thirty quarts in day. The very best
oysters are put into a bushel basket and
sold at two dollars bushel in the shells
to those saloon keepers, who furnish nice
raw oysters to customers. The vivalves
are taken every day tc the city by a
team and rctailed out.
This man has control of five acres of
the river bottom before described. He
has about 400 bushels of native oysters
spread here and 1900 bushels of Virgin
la oysters These were all spread upon
the sand last spring about 1000 bush.
els per acre is about the right quantity
The Virginia oysters are brought in YES
sells in the spring, and when they arrive
are poor and weak; they are sold at &C
cents per bushel After laying on the
river bottom all summer they get far
nice and tender. Mr.. B. begins to takt
them up une nIsu '1uPUom6er, ana IN
tends to put them all in the market by
the first of January; as all that are lef
through the winter, die; the water get
so cold. Then about New Years he be
gins to take up his natives. and the,
last until about June first The grounc
is again spread over and is unmolestec
for three months. The way the oyster
are taken up is by an implement closel.
resembling two hay rakes fastened to
gether like pair of shears The ma
stands in the boat and lets down hi
rakes open, then shuts them togethe
down on the bottom and the steel teet
gather them and they are lifted an
emptied into the boat.
l asked "Can you 60 tomorrow morn
ing just over the place where you LEI
off this morning and begin there so a
to take them up clean?"
He answered, 'yes, stick some stick
: at the place and can find it surely"
r He represents that many acres al
, used in this way, and Boston Comp;
; ny have from 10000 to 10000 bushe
here; and | saw the boats out on ii
water loading. The results of their |;
Dor they carry in cars direct to Bostol
in the shells. | remembered this whe
coming through Boston and saw di
; played in the saloon and window
.New York & Providence River Oyste
sold here by quart or gallon"
| cannot say that the oysters cook.
at our donations and other parties
' Vermont are from some of these beds
Providence river yet it is possible.
y H. E. j.
e