The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-09-27
A Huge oyster.

"How's that for an istei?'. said the skip
per of an oysterman, pointing to an enor
nous sh ell that laid on the deck. ut amt
OF only big SHE'LL he continued, "put
is got a powerful big yarn that goes with
it,"
The shell was certainly four feet long,
large enough to serve as bath-tub Tor
small boy, and must have weighed over two
hundred and fifty pounds, as the reporter
could not move it with one hand. II was
one of the largest bivalyes known, the tri'
dacna gigas. more properly allied to the
clans, but passing as very respectable
oyster ,. ,
shucklng oysters, smoking. talking and
hummipg a tune at the same time, THAT
lister was fetched from the East Indies by
an old mate of mine, and happenin' to run
foul of me he says says he, Bob, you're in
the lister biz and oughter have the boss lister
kinder sample yer goods like" so what does
he do but send this ere ballast aboard.
There was two Of 'em; one got washed
away IN gale of wind of Pint Lookout
down the Chesapeake; but the two OF 'em
weiehed over 500 pounds, and Gillis, he
what fetched 'em, said he eat the lister along
O. the hull port watch of the ship. atout
twenty. reckon, and there was half OF that
lister left. The critter weighed close on to
forty pounds, all solid meat, we wouldn't
omen MANY OF 'em in an hour.
"The yarn2 Wall, as / was sayin, ellis
was one o. these speculalin' chaps, always
lookin' for the main chance. swappin'
knives, clothes, anything to make cent,
and cute as they make 'em; so when the
shin struck the Hoss ATTITUDES Gil. was al
ways on the lookout for curiosities, shells
and such, for to bring home and sell. So
when the ship struck the straits o. Sunda
and KEN to, off be goes with couple o mig.
gers what came aboard to git coral and
things. Wall. they was wadin' along, as
Gil. said, haulin the canoe after 'em and
packin' up chunks af coral and conchs and
such, and ali to once Gil. see what looked
like flower, all pink and yellow, and, no
KNOWN what 1t was, up he goes and gives
1t a kick with his foot. The next minute
he felt somethin' close over his foot like a
wise and was gripped as eff he'd took root,
and lookin' down he see his foot nipped in
one of these ere shells. Pull and haul every
way he would he couldn't move, and they
couldn't get at the critter, as 1t was buried
in the coral and the tide on the hoodi IL
rises about six feet in that country. Wall,
they thum ped the critter with the oars and
hauled away for awhile, all to no puppus,
and Gurus enough, Gil. had lett his knife
aboard and the only thing to do was to go
for IL. So off one OF the coons started Tor
the bark and she layin' two miles away.
The other chap stood by Gil. in case he gey
out, aud there they vas, tho tide riSln'
every minute; but in about three-quarters
of an hour the ships cutter came along.
The boys gev Gil. a cheer that kind O.
braced him up and the skipper had sent his
grog. Overheard jumps the mate, with
one Q, these ere spades they use In whalin',
and in about minute the critter was all
cut up and Gil. yanKed aboard; but I'll be
logged II the water wasn't up to his chin.
The next day they went ct low toe ana got
ont the critters shell, and that's the yarn
and there's the shell, said the skipper in
conclusion. Times.