The daily gazette., 1879-12-09
Dredging for Oysters By Steam

The William B. Lockwood, Of Fair
haven, Conn.,, 10 { steamer f0rty-nine
tons burden, high In the bows, wide of
beam and built on the lines of q mil
lion non-capsizing power. She is sixty
three feet long, and her draughr of water
is five and half feet. She carries as
tern an unusually powerful engine, in
addition TO which is q double-cy Under
engine for the purpose Of hauling in the
oyster dreiges. The dredges consist Of
an enormous bag Of linked chain, con-
nected to rope by three iron bars, pro-
ceeding from the ends and middle, meet
ing in q common centre, and forming
the ring to which the haul rope is at
tached. There are four dredges, with q
man to look after the interests of each
one, and a series OF ropes, run through
a series of pulleys, ultimately connect
ing the dredger with the engine. The
centre of the boat is covered, doors open
on either side, while rollers insure the
smooth and safe passage Of the ropes, as
the Ominous dredger descends In seal ch
of its prey, or is hauled to the surface
surfelted, bloated aud gorged. The new
light house is soon reached, and when
little to leeward comes the order
"Throw 'em overheard, boys"-this to
the experts who "stand by" silently
waiting for the word. A rattle, . dull,
heavy splash, clatter OF rollers, and
down 20 fathoms descend the dredgers,
bearing death sentence to thousands
Of all-uncoDscious Fairhavens; down,
down, the waters seething and boiling
around the bleached and quiverine
ropes.
The steamer forges slowly ahead, the
artist makes his sketch, and l collogue
Mr.. Rowe. "You see," he observes,
with light laugh, "the old hammer
and-tongs business Is played out. l can
fetch up more oysters in an hours
dredging, in this way, than in q days
dredging by shalpies and the old-fash-
iOned stOle-tOngs. can lift from ten Ia
twelve bushels Of oysters at haul,
while tOngs won't raise up bushel.
am the only steam-dredger on the
coast, and l find that it pays much bet
ter, as can 60 out in all weathers, car
bust the ice, and keep my European
clients always supplied. do a lot oi
business with London and Liverpool
and many 'blawsted Englishman, you
know eats half dozen OF Fairhavens
hauled by these very dredgers, while he
fondly pays for-London natives.I pack
all the small beauties for the Englisl
Market"
The steamer still forges ahead, drag
ging the dredges along the bottom, ant
dev0uring the luckless oysters, the ropes
Il mi nl,iv,r nd of intv nd ~,,;u >; n
the while. ga leetle more of 'em boys,
cries the captain. A "leetle" more it II
and the engineer is directed TO "Fetcl
her up!" And then follows the order
"Let 'em comel' Clink, clank, clink
clank! and the hauling engine sets II
work with will. The rollers creak, ant
the water Is squeezed out of the ropes a!
they pass over them. The iron ring ap
pears above the waves, then the bars
and lastly the dredgers, gorged will
oysters, many of which slip through th'
rings and over the sides. The dredge
landed on the deck, the men-one Q
them Montauk indian, by The way
their hands projected by thick leathe
gloves, after causing general disgorge
ment, proceed to sort the haul, whic
consists of oysters, oyster shells, blu
mud, waterworm stones, periwinkle.
crabs, sea spiders, horse shoes, and OF
casionally an old boot.
The good oysters, with iuconceivabl
rapidly, are jerked into bushel basket
and then heaped up in pen erected
the centre OF the boat, while the happ
youngsters" are flung into corner I
order to be restored to their native bri
ny. "Let them come" cries the cheer
captain, and again the dredges flop owe
the side to the music OF the olink, clan
Of the engine. Again is the haul mad
made, again do the pickers sort rh
"loot," and thus from day to day durin
the season. Back to the place frOI
whence we came, and we anchor at th
wharf.
"Now," exclaimed Mr.. Rowe, "we'
throw the oysters overheard here on m
prepared ground, and give them wasl
ing, or, rather, what we call a drink
then tomorrow, or the day after, "
shall Gull them"
The oysters get their "drink" in tn
wise: All nands seize wooden shove
and commence tossing the "beauties," ,
Mr.. Rowe loves to call them overboar'
This operation is performed with such
good will that the decks are cleared in
trice. Upon the folIowing day the dig
| gers, uOOJcu W tuc uipos COmo hitcE u
oysters, transferring them by shovel
carts that back into the tide. This drn
OF fresh water, although it weakens tn
brIny favor, fattens and beauties th
oyster, there is beauty even in an oyste
Mr.. Rowe, with his $1,000 steame
dredges up seven thousand bushels {
oysters month. And such oysters!
have eaten the Ostend at the Cafe Al
gIais in Paris; the PoldoOdy on th
banks of the Shannon; the Native ,
Pyms, in the Poultry, and within SCUM
of Bow Bells; the La Mancha in th
city of Mexico-all more or less perset
In their way; but the Fairhaven posse,
ses special Favor, and one which, whi
recalling that of the others, se1uctivel
maintains its own a 0utrance.
Mr.. Rowe is the oyster monarch, an
had he lived in the days of Lucullus, b
W ould have been the most noble Rowe
man of them all. As it is, his lines ia
in pleasant places, and, with GAN Il
; worlds mine Oyster" for his motto-h
broad platform whereon to shape b
ends-1 trust that the success which hi
already attended his enterprise will II
crease and multiply, with his full favo
ed oysters.