New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-24
FACTS ABOUr TUE OYSTER BUSINESS.

The tide was out; fleet of oyster boats heavily
ladeued with choice biValves had just arrived ana
Jolly looking men with red faces and brawny arms
hearing upon their shoulders huge baskets OF
oysUers, were busily engaged III unloading their
cargOGs. IL was at this moment that lkIBl Ne
reporter boarded of the boats and Inquired Tor
SCap'ni You'll find 'un deown thar in the
cabin" said a man Ill a voice Ill Al sounded Ike
circular saw going through knot. -
The reporter found a mlddie-aged man Suing IN
n chair tilted back against q bulkhead, enjoying an
alter-dinner cigar. lie was in gOOd-ndtuTed nloou
and answered the reporters inquiries with the ar
OF a man who knows what he is talking about.
:" Are there many risks III oar business, ala you
AK Well it's about ell risk with OySteTncn.
We can't tell in the language OF Scripture, " hat
day may bring forth. For instance. we make our
first plants in deep quiet water where the bottom
is soft When the oysters are pretty well grown,
we transplant them to shallow water here the bot
tom is hard. This is critical period with the Oys-
ters If gale comes up the sands are liable to
SHIFT and destroy our whole plant. Then. 100,
oysters have many natural enemies Among the
most formidable are gum fish, sea stars and mus
sells. Why, know Of a bed, two acres IN extent,
that was completely smOtbered by the mussels that
accumulated above it. There's 10 stopping then
when they once get started. or late new Toe
called tho drill worm has appeared. It's very
small in size but let few OF them once get as-
tened upon the shell of oyster and they are GER
tain to bring death to its occupant They drill a
smooth round hole straight through the shell and
thus reach the oyster"
" How long does 1t take for oysters to reach a
marketable size p asked the reporter.
Oh all the way from tIlTSt 10 DNB years. C1uNlt
Rocks used for large fries nearly ten years old
before ready for use. We make plants every
year SO that we can have new beds from which to
yet our supplies each season. The plants We
use come mostly from the East River and by
EasU River is meant anywhere on the SOuDd.
Toy are worth double what they were few yeats
ner. The water must be of "A certain temperature
10 insure growth. They grow most rapidly during
the month of September. Men who have been en-
gagged in the oyster business off the coast of Cali
ioFnia say that oysters grow there the year round
"Your season begins with September, Goes it
not ~ inquired the reporter.
-" Yes, and lasts until May" replied the captain.
/" | dou't suppose you know 1t "-heIe he chuckled
to himself and slapped his knee, but it's fact
that we fellows up North get ahead CT those South
ern oysternen by about four weeks. You see their
oysters not good until October, so they are COM
PEELED to fill their orders mp to that time through
US Luck too, seems TO have been against them
during tho past year. The winter was so severe
and the temperature of the water, n natural con-
sequence, fell so low, that whole beds OF oysters
the heavy freshets, which have not been equalled
for years. came and buried many more"
where are the large beds from which this
market is supplied. captain ~
81" They located at Princes Bay. Blue Point
and ROckawaY. The best restaurants use more of
the Blue Point and Rockaway oysters than of all
the other kinds put together. AS q general rule
people can't tell the difference. Many who order
Blue Points get ROckaways and remain in ignor-
ance as to the difference until informed by some
friend II you should ask ne what considered the
best oyster should answer Blue Points. They are
as finely favored as any that be obtained.
The Blue Points were not as good as usual last
year"
" How about the growth of the oyster business 7"
asked the reporter.
DWELL" replied the captain " will tell you. and
perhaps you will have little more confidence in
my statements when I say that | do about as large
a business as any firm in NewYork. | have IN my
employ several hundred men and a large feet of
oyster boats. will say that there at all times
natural growth in business, but within the past
five years il has developed quite rapidly. This
fact think, IN due in great measure to the OPEN
ing up OF new territory IN the West. Markets lave
been established in nearly all the States west OF the
Mississippi. There houses de Aling in oysters in
Montana where five years ago the people never saw
an oyster The building Of railroads aud the OPEN
ing of mines III the noun tam regions have done a
great deal toward building up our trade IN tile
West
"There is n big lot of beats in our business said
rbe captain in conclusion. "Sharpers take adyan-
tage of the credit system (which are Obliged to
use man who has PLAYED himself ont in eyory
other business will, by hook or crook get q few
dollars together and set mp an oyster stand lie
will pay up promptly at first, but will ask for
a few weeks credit. Suddenly he disappears an
you lind yourself tho loser of $50 or $40"