Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-11-17
WHEN CLANS SMILED.
A Contest to Decide u Question of
Great Moment.

The curtain-like scenes on the stage of
New York hall were rolled up to the
ceiling, and three men in white coats
were standing behind long pine coun-
ter opening CLANS so fast that the shells
fell in three continuous streams into the
barrels under their hands, and all the
shouting and betting and quarreling of
the fifty young men scattered among the
800 chairs in the hall did not once dis
tract their attention from their work.
The gathering was in attendance upon
clam-opening contest. The following
were the competitors: George Jones,
Thomas O'Brien, Owen Murphy, John
Gillen, John Weinhart and James Con-
nelly.
The umpires drew strips from a hat
for the men. O'Brien, Gillen and Con-
nelly thus got in the first rank. They
took their places, and each grasped his
knife and clam. O'Brien is stalwart
blonde, with blue eyes and light mus
tache. Gillen is handsome young
man, with jet black hair and snappish
black eyes. Connolly is smooth-faced,
boyish-faced man, of under size. 'I
give you warming" said Mr.. Savage,
"I'm going to send you off in minute. 4"
When that expired he said "Go ~ In
stantly the six hands came together (;
there was the grating and the swish
swirl of six knives in six bivalves, and
the contest began. O'Brien was the
first TO open clam, but Connolly and
Gillen dropped the contents of their
shells simultaneously. and Connolly an
nounced his work with shout, "First
clam!'
Each man stood before square par
titioned off on the counter, each square
held a hillock of clans with a big new
dish pan and little handpan, and there
was a round hole close to the front edge,
through which the shells were to find
their way to the barrels under the coun-
ter. Just beyond the round hole was
an opening block. O'Brien was cool
and smiling. He held each clam, fitted
his blade in the lips, and then struck
tho block with the back of the knife so
as 10 split the clam on it. With curv-
ing motion he spread the. shells, cut the
ligament, and threw the meat dexter
ously into the dishpan. Gillen was
more deliberate, and did not use the
block. 1t is said of him that he cannot
be beaten at oyster opening. He did
all his work on a level with his chest,
and seemed at times to be as fast as the
others. Connolly was like personified
high pressure engine from the start.
The cords stood out in his forehead, his
eyes were fixed, and every motion re-
vealed a nervous strain. He used the
block and worked like O'Brien in all re-
spects except that he held his hands
over the pail when he freed the meat.
O'Brien from force of habit washed his
hands and knife whenever he got bad
clam. The others used the hand dishes
only when their hands became hot and
dry.
John Weinhart, young man with
full round face, Redeemed by sunshine,
was skilliul but trembled so from nerv-
BUSINESS that he was not at his best.
Owen Murphy, tall, slender man with
long reach, and thin, intelligent
face, got the first clam. He dug it out
and shot it into his pan as if it was the
pit from a peach. He held the clans at
his waist and twirled the meat out as If
it was the easiest thing in the world,
though without the appearance of great
speed. He was the only one in the
group that shelled the bivalves without
using his block. George Jones is a
slightly-bald, smooth-faced, earnest
looking young man, and pounded his
clans out with rhythmical rub-a-dub-
dub. So they worked, the unknown
perspiring like water-cooler. Murphy
spattering his coat with the mud OF
Princes Bay, and Jones pounding away
as steadily as the ticking of a clock.
The results were only obtained with
great difficulty and the casual interfer-
ence of the police. Weinhart won with
54o clams York Sun,