The daily gazette., 1881-08-31
"Halr n Dozen, Raw"

seasona BILE and unwholesome in all
months that have not an r in their
name to eat an OYSTER" Now, this
Butler was Vicar of an English
country parish, where oysters probably
never went before they were three
months old. 1t Is not likely, there
fore, that what Butler knew about
oysters was worth knowing. Besides,
these oysters were English oysters, and
not worth eating in month which
had an r in it. There is no reason
why they should not be eaten, except
during the three or four weeks Of
spawning time, which differs in diff.
ferent localities. Doubtless the Puri-
tans took up the Rev. Buffers idea and
brought it over with them. Be this
as it may, the baleful BuLlerian dogma
has since his time had such effect that
no one does eat oyster in months which
lack the eighteenth letter Of the alpha
bet in their names.
Americans are nation of oyster
eaters more than any other on EARTH
Ben Franklin suggested that our ma
tional mblem should be wild tur-
key. A more practical mind would
choose two oyster-shells, showing that
we knew what was good and always
got it, even if we only had shells to
show for it. The statistics of the
number of oysters annually eaten run
into six and perhaps seven figures
Every one eats oysters. Who, indeed,
has not heard with a thrill of gusta-
tory pleasure the familiar announce
ment OF Raw, roast, fried, scolloped,
steamed, stewed and panned" ? The
very variety itself shows that they
serve for any course. They are, hors
d'eavre, soup, fish, eniree, and relieve.
They are good in any part of the dim
ner, and the Chinese even use them as
a sweet, smothered in sugar and sweet
vinegar. Ali summer long the oyster
eating American citizen has gone
without his favorite article of food
Already the inquiry is made at the
early restaurant, "Gotnyoysters P"
The season is al hand and tho dey
cometh when all may enjoy them with
out fear of tho malevolent Butlerian
threatening which no one has ever seen
realized,
Soon the rosy checked opener will take
his stand behind the counter, decked oul
IN neat white apron and dnewly-polished
shirt pin, holding his death dealing
knife in his hand ready to give hal
dozen Blue Points, Cape May salts, ,Coves
Saddle Rocks, or Providence Rivers, al
the case may be. Before him is ranged
neat pile of the bronzs-armored bival
yes. Tney are piled up like bricks ans
surmounted by crystal block Of ice
Like house of cards the pile dlminishe
before the opener. Then the revel be
gins. Early in the morning the small
white oyster In its pearly shell and &C.
companied by the yellow lemon and dus
of red cayenne Is laid before the jadet
palate OF him who has been "goiIg 1t /
Dit" the night before. TO him the sigh
alone acts as Ieviver, and after the row
| of shells is emptied he feels new man
AT noon the milky stew holds sway. A
night there is nothing more sought afte
by theatre-goers than the oyster whicl
lies concealed 10 a new dress OF cris]
brown batter. Meantime the bacheio
sights The Kissing and cracking of th
| bivalve as he rests on an open graf
| tOastibb WAN pcitutuc eppbttHtul
enough to give dyspeptic the desires o
a Gargantua.
And SO it goes. From morning til
night from the first of September to th
last Of April the oyster Is in constant de
mand In the home, the hotel, and th
restaurant. Little do other people knoy
OF the delights of the oyster. The Eng
lish, with The exception OF the Whitsta
BILE, knows pot The real oyster flavor; th
Dutch gather at Ostend some little cop
per-botsomed things they call oysters;lh
French almost literally manufacture
.astelass imitation; the Italian eats
half-bred fresh.waler mussel, and th
other foreigners swallow combinatio
of these and call them oysters, but the
are not. Nowhere else but here can b
obtained that sweet, juicy, solid an
nutty meat which has the delicate fiavo
OF tie pure breath OF ocean. Here alon
the living animal between two shell
combines "fish, flesh, fowl and good re
herring all IN one oyster. Here alon
does he have his perfect sauce with hir
that combination of ozone, pepton,
and every other scientific .sone" whic
gives health and good digestion and is q
invigorating as the salt sea spray. Her
alone is the oyster perfect. And b
time to be swallowed is at hand.-Pres