Evening star., 1886-09-04
CITY AND DISTRICT
THE TINE OF THE OYSTER.
ses sne Prtme ts Said to be the Condi.
sses 81 the BivAives-A Talk With .
Dealer.

w hen the cool weather comes we begin to
ssii oysters, and when the hot weather has
sway the oyster trade dw ndes, and that IS the
song and short of IT," The oyster dealer alter
having thus delivered himself in response TO an
inquiry from a STAB reporter, glanced down
mis- long oyster counter, which colored man
was cleaning up really for business after the
hot weather. luil In the oyster trade. "The
months with the r. he continued, ''have
nothing To do with the case, unless the weather
modsrateS. september, as rule, has cooler
weather than tine proceeding months 1t is
the hrst .aii month, ana tnen the oyster trade
begins to pick up. There Is nothing In the
cond ition OF the oyster from August 31st TO
September 1st that makes IL a better article OF
food. The oyster remains the same, buI
not bear transportation for any great
distance, and IL Is dIIficult TO keep them
fresh. i would just as leave eat oy sters all
summer II could only get them f.esn aud to a
. eHmited extent supply oysters all summer,
considerable risk and the quantity that spoils
II APT 10 absorb my profit Every year near
that cid gag about the letter Il and every year
i protest against tnIs superstition Whenever /
eau get u wspa per man TO listen To- me and
pull II In the newspaper. But people cling to
the iasa that when me magic letter X appears
In the ortho.Taphy of the name OF month,
then SONS miraculous changes take place in
the constitution oi AN oyster, Transforming in
the twihkiinS oil all eye what was bad and un-
whsiesoEne into nutritious anu ps,lstabe food"
"feL" continued the philusophic oyster
dealer, III cannot be denied that when the
month ot April comes To- an end the ster trade
begins ~ Ia4l On, 10 revive AGAIN only when
the haoutn oI September comes in. 81 you see
this superstitioG OR notion, whatever you
may call II, has u better grouudwurR oi issct
than most popular deIuslons, and the Il busi-
ness has some aas antaSes alter all"
suppose You tell me something about the
prospects Tor lus present season? suggested the
reporter mildly, but trmiy.
'oh! well yss,' sIanmered the dealer in his
effort ts CHECK his further phllosopuic mean
0erlnSs. Then, as his eye wandered down the
length oil the ne wi secured oyster counter and
. solitary customer mounted one of the stools
and ordered = stew. ms nIind seemed To come
back Id the present realities, and said: IL he
oysters this ysar promise we'll. They seem 10
De Iat, anu are very large. Ihe prices Will Do
shout the same as last ear.
"IRey always are Lus same" interrupted the
reporter, irOin the depths Oi his own ex perience.
The oyster deAler gAzed for u moment at the
reporter ana a frown gatuereu Oh his face, and
then eviusntly realizing That IT Was hIs custom
ers aud Not nlinseii wuoousnt 10 irUwn, ne said
Pleasantly, just AT prrselt our auppIy OI Uys-
ters eemss fiom Norfolk, Dul later ON we viii
begin To get the nOrtDern Oy Oy>ters-bIuepOiuts,
ShrrwsbIryS, hockaway aud East rivers. The
saaulerOcAs are only u trade name Tor any
larse, nue oyster, wns. ner Lney come from the
Cues. Peaks Long Island. i think that the
qualify Of oysters are improving. Tnere Is
Aiuen more attention paid Lo their culture
than tOrmeriy. Tncn. too, the law protects tne
oysters, anu during Tue growing season they
are sept undIsturDed. Then, too, oysters
plan ted In SXnAusteu beds, Thai while the
demand Increases the supply keeps up. This Is
u great oyster city, anu taiey used III guam
titles not only In tns restaurants Jul III private
residences. j believe THAI nave "a good Tepu-
lence oi our oysters, aud the varieties Oh Ways
taIion among the VlsituTS here the excel
In whicD We prepare them IOr the taUe, ana i
Think thAt this reputation l, we'll founded,
and with sncoinIuin upon the business, Tue Oys-
tll i,