The Republican journal., 1886-07-22
Huge CLANS and Oysters.
SINGLE OYSTERS WEIGHING THREE POUNDS
SINGLE CLANS THAT FIVE MEN LUGGED
A

SINGLE CLANS THAT FIVE MEN LUGGED
INTO A DINING ROOM.
'Speaking about shells, now," said an emf
nent conchologist to a New York Sun reporter.
holding up a magnificent orange shell as if it
We're gem, and breathing upon it preparatory
to polishing it with chamois skin, ''reminds
me of a practical joke that some friends of
mine got up Il little while ago. You see, we
had 4 club of shell men and met in each others
houses once week, and once a year we gave Il
dinner, TO which each member was allowed to
invite friend. Two of the guests at the last
dinner We're Englshmen, and as one of them
had expressed desire to see something of
American oysters, and the other had inquired
about clam bakes. it was decided to give them
surprise, and to say we did 50 don't express
it. We met at members house up town and
about twenty sat down to dinner, the two Eng
llshmen being seated on the right and left of
the President, as sobcr-faced professional
Wag as ever graced a gown. After the bless
ing, which was delivered in the Sioux Ian
guage, two walters came in, bearing Il meat
platter of the largest size, and. lifting it with
the greatest difficulty, placed it in front of one
OF the Engishmen, whose eyes began to open
as he saw that the dish contained six oysters
on the half shell that looked as though they
would weigh three pounds apiece. They were
brought from Old Point for the occasion, you
see, ana were what are called coons-nearly Il
foot in length, and of gigantic proportious
They projected from the dish ike great blocks
of stone, and Il small piece of one would have
been enough for two men lor a whole meal,
we generally begin on six of these said
the President They're a little understood
but it's late in the season..
"'Those are not all for me% said the horri-
fed Brton.
"'Certainlv,' replied the President. .and if
you want larger ones say the word.'
'Fmally the victim lifted the great morsel
that looked like an underone ham. cot it half
way to his mouth. and then with Shuddcr
dropped it. Good heayensr he said. won
don't mean to say YOU eat six of these? can't
20 one. You see haven't been educated ND TO
it. | must give it up
''IIe was urged politely but as it was an i'm
possibility, the oysters were refused, and the
next course was brought ON, every one looking
as sober as a funeral | tell YOU it would have
made a horse laugh to have seen those men
look as the walters came in The course was
baked CLANS, Il Ii Rhode Island and, as before
it took two men to bring in each plate. piled
with CLANS so enormous that it fairly took
ones breath away. and the Enrli>hmen looked
on in downright horror Bv actual measure
ment each clam was nearly Il foot in length,
and nearly all weighed more than six pounds.
BY the time half dozen plates We're brought
in the table was about covered. The victims
sat there in helpless amazement. while tile rest
pretended to pitch in Did they cat them: |
should say not. Nobody noticed them. and
finally, when they had tatcn some small CLAIMS
that had been tucked in for their benefit, the
monsters were cleared away The next course
was called deved tritlacna and one Of the
guests being urged to try some, a moment
later five walters came struggling through :,
door with an enormous half Shell of clam,
that actually weighed 80 pOIndS This was
lifted to the table and put before the now thor
oughlv demoralizcd Enylishmen, who looked
utterly dumfounlrd that the whole party
broke into Il roar of laughter They then saw
they were the victims Of Joke. and took it
WELL
'But how about those biz CLANS We're they
made up%' Asked the visitor.
Not Il bit of it," was the reply ..Thcy were
| guess the first of the newly discovered edi-
Die CLANS of the Pacific that had ever been
brought to New York or the East They have
been known for some time but not to the cen
eral public. A naturalist travelling some
months ago near Puget Sound found that the
ecoluckS. as they were called We're consider
ed of the soft clam race Just think of a com
mon soft clam about a foot i'm length containing
a mass of flesh wci~hiu,, more than six ponndS
In taste thev don't seem like ordinary CLANS.
but rather like crab boiled or the Southern
salt water rrawti>h or whip lobster. When
YOU 90 clamming for these chants Won have n
dav's work before vou In The first place Won
can get ut them only at certain times where
there is extreme low tile and then YOU want