, 1874-12-20

the modarn results Of civilization. With it's artt-
4 fetal Inventions and industries But onco made
]'ayalable to markets and communities remote
from tho natural bod. the oyster las developed
with wonderful rapidity as d staple Of food and
as feature Of commerce. and where, twenty
years ago. in these Western latitudos, it
passed for curiosity, with something OF ehy-
-ness and caution Oh the part OF the natlVee 1t
excess Of some o1. tho natural products Of our
soil and climate, .
: LINKS WITH DEF AND PoUL7ET
as an item Of merchandise; gives employment to
hundred restaurants, including one establish
mens on Clark street (thnt OF Race Brothers.,
said to supply larger patronage, according 10
all computations, than any restaurant in hny OF
the Eastern cities. not excepting. it NC can be-
hove tho statement Of the Chicago correspond
ent of the Now York Erening Mail, the old his
4 toric New York Fulton Market.
| OUR ANNUAL uARVEsTS
Of oysters are produced aad distributed over the
| markets of the country in methods originally
similar to the production and traffic in corn aud
| potatoes, The great oyster districts OF Chosa-
roalse Bay, Staten Island Sound. East River, and
| adjacent territory, being divided in ir-
viiaals, the difference boing that the
farms aro under water, From the latter
| territory, and from the little Shrewsbury River,
| in the same vicinity; come tue famous Shrews-
burys, bue Points, New York Counts Rock
/
| oysters, constituting main feature of the busi-
| ness at the establishment Of Messrs. Raco Eroth-
ers. just mentioned and to bn found sometimes
| also at other restaurants and which now form
! tho delicious aud nutritious dict Of many thou
sands OF our citizens.-the Shrewsbury gencr-
ally ranking first the richest, most pnlatable,
| and most nutritious brand; tho Blue Points,
smaller saltwater oyster. generally maintaining
| preference among our English aud Scotch popu-
! lat,on as being similar to thoir native OYSTER
! with the exception OF the coppery taste charac
| teristic OF the English product. In regard to
| tho shel-oystcr business OF the city it is diff
cult to form reliable computation, for, while
| the statistics Of daily consumption at the res
1auraut OF Messrs. Race Brothers indicate weekly
average Of about fifty barrels. considerable
trade is scattered among hotels, dining saloons,
private residences and other restaurants,
CANNED OYSTERS.
The bulk, however, Of the Western trade is in
canned oysters. the base OF tho entire supply be-
ing the harrow waters OF the Chesapeake Bay,
tho production Of which, owing to the economy
and facility Of operating in shallow waters, ag-
oysters for eyerv thirty persons in the total pop
uiatlon Of the United States, representing tho
commerce of q thousand ships, and the industry
of 10000 men. In tue business Of canning and
packing, Baltimore is tue depot and centre OF
the enttro traffic Of Chesapeake Bay And i'll
this department., also, Chicago is represented
in three leading brands,-the Race Brothe,s'
Standards, r. .. Selects and Il. B. Prime
clCA u tAB5e OEattQ6 D6IuR III 0ls7u 1uFOF among
consumers. and constituting q considerable item
in our local trade; the T. t. primes being caro-
full selections of exceptionally fine oysters, aud
larger in size than the average shell, and de-
signed by the proptictors mainly for con-
sumption at their Clark street restaurant, where
the now popular 25-cens stew originated, it is
said, by the same gentlemen, ia earved up to u
monthly average Of 10000 persons. eeide from
tho considerable numbers Who give their prefer
once to the half ehell. to fried or boiled dishcs
DtAiu. fancy md au.r0AatS Tt IN ha n al.
esting to mention, as giving 8 key to the general
oyster business Of the city, thnt the consumption
Of can oysters at this restaurant alone averages
throughout the season upwards Of 1900 cans
per week.
cun1os1r1Es OF OVERWHELMING
Tho most Interesting feature of the oyster
business is the process of planting sad
production from the native bed. The in
the curiosities of Nature. They increase
by breadshs Of multiplication far ahead Of
any science Of numerical computation ret in-
vented. A hon lays an seg a day, aud cackles
production Tho immediate progeny of an oys-
ter Is . family Of 5000 The dozen oysters you |
cat to-day would, ii planted, yied sufficient to
toed At maturity the entire population Of large
town. Plant the oysters represented in Il few |!
weeks buuness at the Fulton Market in New |
York, or at laco Brothers', in Chicago. and the |
drs. generation would be represented iu millions |
Of tons, and form
-: HUGE HILL OF SHELLS,
twice as high as the Grand Pacific Hotel, with |
base as vida as the Egyptian pyramids. And !
there il question that, II the industry OF |
oJeter-culture we're carried to it's possibilities
and extended to all 1atitudes and climates Ut the
sea favorable to the existence and nourishment |
OF shelltish, the ocean could be made 10 yield a
product OF Incompatible food adequate to the
subsistence Of the great human race. The OYSTER
hoUeEer, has nothing to do with its offspring.
After two months ''laving'' tue spawn is elected
f-om the full shell in groups of countless blad-
der-iko or bubble-lko
oYsTEI1rSGs,
which instantly become tho homeless waits Of
the wave and the tide,-a portion doomed to in
mouths OF oysteriyerous fishes, others carried to
safer places By the kinder tide to protected
shores or up the quiet rivera, sometimes for
hundred miles. before they find 4 permanent
strike,-whnt ut first is US light as a hand
ful of sea-foam, not bending tho straw
Or willow tVig they light upon. growing to pom
derons groups as heayy as young bullock, and
breaking good-sized branches from dead or liv-
ing trees.~ -.
-; THESE TIDE OYSTERS
are generally permitted to grow only to seed;
when at about the age OF l year, they be-
come marketable among planters and bring so
from tho sea frequently earn q livelihood by
these contributions Of the tide. and sometimes |
find an uncultiva1ed harvest as cheap and as
abundant as' bulltrogs in the Dismal Swamp.
For the items thus presented the reader il in
debted to Ar. Edward Bogart,
4 NATIVE OF THE OYSTER TERRITORIES,
well posted in the details OF planting, prodnc-
ton, and general manipulation, mud now IN en-
ploJe at the establishment Of Messra. Raco
Brothers. No. 153 South Clark street, whom we
have had frequent occasion to mention in this |
article as representative Of some interesting and
important features Of tho business and who are
believed by our citizens generally to have CON
tributed service to the public in making
the most valuable oysters Of the At
lantic fields available to tho community
in their natural and original condition of fresh
ness and purity, and in tho most approved
forms OF modern cooking. The firm was cstab-
|ished in Chicago as lata as 1870. being burned
put, in the general conhaSration, at No. III South
Clark street, tho business being Immediately re-
sumcd in rude quarters on West Madison street, |
and conducted merely to retain custom. Their
entire system Of manipulating and serving
oysters has bcen such aB to guarantee dis
tinct popular favor and approval eomo-
what remarkable, in the restaurant busi-
ness. their uniform and permanent patronage
aft 1.k. - ]