Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-03-09

amount OF express charges on each
sack they soon dropped out. The rea-
son of this will probably be better ap-
preciated when it is known that a
sack of oysters in the shell makes
only from six to eight quarts of solid
meats, the latter only when very
good.
GOING INTO BUSINESS.
To the mind of a person contem-
plating engaging in the business and
considering whether or not it will pay
there come naturally two questions,
namely, the cost of starting and the
market or income. The claim costs
nothing, except the fees for filing and
the beds can be prepared at very little
expense, the chief of which should be
some contrivance to keep water always
upon them, unless it be the intention
to remove the oysters to deep water in
the fall. The other expense which is
merely nominal. is incurred in prepar-
ing the beds, which usually consists in
scattering oyster and muscle shells up
on them, SO that the spat of the oyster
which is floating upon the tide shall
have something to which it can attach
itself, and this will form the "bed"
which keeps the oyster out of the mud
in which it must otherwise smother.
OF course oysters partly grown could
be secured and placed upon the bed
then formed, but that would be more
expensive, although quick returns
would be received. By the first method
there would be no large investment of
capital, the interest upon which would
have to enter into ones calculations
while waiting for his stock to grow in
to a marketable commodity.
The second and vital question spok-
en- OF, the income, must, as in most any
other business, (possibly the tax-col-
lector and money-loaner excepted) be
an uncertain quantity. The frost is
the hardest foe to overcome, but it can
be done, and aside from this the mus
cles and the star-fish are the only enc
mics the oysterman has to contend
with, and these latter he does not fear.
1t is safe to say that it is business in
which loss can be guarded against al
most to certainty. Calculating then
upon the possible yield as given by the
oystermen's estimate there would be a
fair thing for each individual owner
though not bonanza by any means.
l am inclined to think, however, that
the estimate given is under rather
than over what the beds could be
made to produce.
There need be no fears of overstock-
ing the market. At present, beyond
the power of meeting the requirements
of the trade, the demand caused by in
crease of population will keep pace
with any increase in supply. Should
the output at any time not be demand
ed by the Territory which can profita-
bly, take them in the shell, new mark
cts in the interior can be obtained by
opening the shells here and shipping
the solid meats in tubs or buckets.
1t seems to be the opinion of many
that the business could be much more
profitably and successfully carried on
by companies organized for that pur-
pose than by individuals. An attempt
was once made to do this in Oyster
Bay, but by some reason it failed, and
the only visible remains is the sign
still standing in front of the store
kept by Mr.. Taylor, which reads "The
Oyster Bay Oyster Company's Store"
The price now paid for oysters at
the beds is from 50 to 1926, per sack.
The average price during the year
would probably not be far from 81.
The culling is done by klootchmen, for
which they are paid before the freeze
fifty cents per sack. The price for the
same work now ranges from seventy
five cents to one dollar. The sacks cost
four cents each. The steamers come
right to the lighthouses, so that there
is no expense to the oystermen for
transportation.
THE oYsTERMEN.
There are perhaps twenty persons
now holling claims in Oyster Bay and
about one-half of these are indians.
The industry there gives employment
to about 100 persons, and there is
quite a settlement in that vicinity and
yet our reform administration will not
allow them a postofice, although peti-
toned SO to do. Many of the residents
there get their mail from Olympia
nearly twenty miles away. A very few
of the oystermen are thrifty and strive
to improve their claims and to conduct