The Republican journal., 1875-03-11
Written for the journal.
The Oyster.

The oyster is a gentle animal. He is of easy
disposition, and never quarrelsome; and al
though a bad oyster may be found, OCCASION
ally, that will disagree with you, it is always
one whose nature has been spoiled by too long
"a sojourn in a world of disappointments, or by
decaying fortune; and is never a case OF orig
inal depravity. An oyster i'll healthy and
normal condition is always easy to deal WIN,
and will suffer any indignity, even to being
swallowed whole, without resistance.
oysters have a strong attachment to localities,
and families of them will continue to settle In
the same neighborhood to unnumbered genera
tons. where they continue to dwell in the peace
and harmony of brotherly love until the greed
of the ''tall young FISHERMAN" leads him to
break in upon the serene community With the
memorable dredge, which selZes and hits them
into the boat in which they are transported to
the dealers, and sold into captivity.
Some of these families which, in days past,
have attained distinction in the restaurants Of
New York. are now extinct. The Shrewsbury,
Blue Point, Cow Bay, and Saddle Rock fami-
lies have passed away. What are called Saddle
Rocks are still sold at Fulton Market but they
are obtained by culls of the largest specimens
from all the different lots and kinds that are
brought in. 1t is from an acquaintance with
members Of these several families, that l am
enabled to speak with authority in regard to
their inner nature and external characteristics.
The common way of making the acquaintance
Of an oyster, by cooking and eating him, or bolt
ing him raw, is not the best way of learning to
know his individual traits of character, for,
being remarkably easy Of digestion, he becomes
an indistinguishable mass in few moments
after being received into the stomach, and his
more prominent features are lost forever; and
all that YOU have learned by this introduction
is whether or not you are likely to get on to-
gether, and how you like his particular flavor.
If this were a successful method of gaining
knowledge of the mind and habit of thought of
the eaten one, there would have been signal
evidence of it given to the world ere this, in
the case of the cannibals; they would have be-
come thoroughly conversant with the tenets of
the Christian religion by means of their fire.
quent repasts on the baked missionaries OF that
faith. But, as these interesting savages whose
cuisine has long been subject of comment and
investigation, have never shown us that they
are possessed OF such knowledge, acquired in
such way, may conclude that to eat an oys-
ter is not the best way to know him.
When, in days gone by, members of the pro-
life families, above referred to, were pouring
into the metropolis daily, they were received by
all with marks of pleasure and relish; they
moved, with a borrowed motion, in the highest
circles of society, were present at the most
recherche entertainments, and formed very in
innate connections with the members of fami-
lies most distinguished for h0ut ton. Al one
time the most brilliant rout of the season was
thought to be incomplete without liberal
sprinkling OF Blue Pointers, Saddle Rocks, and
Shrewsbures among the guests, and, although
surrounded by wealth and fashion, learning and
artistic taste, they never in any degree lost the
repose of manner for which they have always
been distinguished Would it not seem like
detraction to speak anything but praise of their
even and undisturbed bearing, would say that
the Saddle Rocks are almost too lymphatic to
be entertaining in any other place than the
stomach. You require considerable lemon
juice and modicum Of cayenne to cope with
one of them successfully. | never look upon
Saddle Rock of large size upon the half shell,
without being reminded of Thackeray and his
experience with the first one he yanquished
in this country. The novelist, after sharp
struggle with the bivalve, succeeded in getting |
him under-and, on being asked how he felt, |
replied, with pretended look of horror, ''as
though had swallowed baby
The Blue Pointer, however, is a very differ |
ent sort of fellow. He has roysterous propen-
Stiles and keen sense of humor I once kept
a number Of Blue Pointers in the cellar for some
weeks, and fed them daily. have known them,
from mere humor, to clasp their shells suddenly
upon a rats tail at night, and what with the
squeaking and the gathering, we thought that |
Bedlam had broken loose in the cellar; and |
upon another occasion, when a demijohn of |
brandy had been burst, l found a large Blue |
Pointer lying il little pool of brandy, just |
drunk enough to be careless of consequences,
opening and shutting his shells with a ''devil-
may care" air, as if he didn't value anybody a
brass farthing but was going to be as noisy as /
he possibly could.
A drunken man is sad OBJECT to l-ehold; a |
drunken woman is a worse; cow intoX icated |
is amusing a swine drunk on brandy-cherry |
stones is disgusting; but an oyster drunk can |
show us the poetry of inebriation. Up to that |
time il had been q moot question with me, |
an oyster could die from being crossed |
might. r.