The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-01-21

SOMETHING NEW IN OYSTERS.
When You Go TO Paris Ask for American
Oysters a la Halt Shell.
From The EGston Ledger.
The results of Mr.. A. A. Free.
mans experiment are awaited with
much interest by the people Of Tai
bot county, and in fact by the people
of the United States-that is the
oyster-loving people. Mr.. Freeman
is from Philadelphia, and he has dis
covered means of keeping oysters
in the shell in their natural condition
for great while-six months if nee
essary. He has gotten out patent
and has formed the American Patent
Lock Oyster Company, with head
quarters at Oxford, and a branch
Office at Philadelphia. Mr.. Free
mans means OF fastening the oyster
is to close its mouth with piece of
stout wire wound once around it.
The operation is performed by hand,
and as it can be done very rapidly
great many sters can be wired in
a cay. The oyster supply This year
in Talbot county has been unusually
good and the Patent Lock Company
have been very busy.
A person not thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with the habits and peculiarities
of the oyster cannot understand why
the simple fact of its being tightly
and securely wired will keep it in a
perfect state of preservation longer
than it would remain without the
wire. The oyster is a queer fish,
ard just so long as its mouth remains
slut just SO long is it in first class
condition. But let the mouth re-
main open for any length OF time,
and the bivalve is of no account.
The oyster feeds twice a day
just at the turn of each tide. These
are the only times in the twenty four
hours that it opens the mouth for
food, and when taken from the water
it eXpec to feed at the regular in
tervals, just the same as if it were in
its native element. Here is where
the harm comes, for no sooner is the
oyster mouth open than some of
its liquor is lost and air takes its
place. The first stage of decompos-
ition sets in Immediately, and the
oyster is covered with a coating of
slime, after which it is not fit to eat.
Consequently, to keep the oysters
mouth shut has been the object of
oyster dealers for some time. In
1884, Mr.. A. A. Freeman, of Phila-
delphia, hit upon a plan and he i'm
,nediately shipped lot of oysters to
Denver, Col, with their mouths
closed with the Yankee patent spring
clothes-pin.
Persons in the eastern cities have
always been accustomed to eat oys-
tiers on the halt shell at any hrst-class
restaurant, but in cities farther west
than Pittsburg oysters in their nat
ural condition ale rarely if ever seen.
Shipments have been sent as far as
Chicago, but the percentage of loss
was so great that the consumer had
to pay an enormous price, and the
result was unsatisfactory. Several
years ago several capitalists on the
pacific coast coast undertook to raise
oysters in their own waters, but the
experiment proved impracticable as
the oysters lacked both N ga quality y
and quantity, and so all the people
could get were canned oysters.
Canned oysters are hardly fit to
eat, and are certainly not sought after
by epicures. Before they are can
ned they are washed until all SEM
blance in flavor to the genuine arti-
Gle is lost; then they are put in the
can in preparation Of ozone and |
are guaranteed to keep until doom's
day. So they will, and the longer
they are kept the less will they re-
semble an oyster.
This has therefore been the exist
ing state Of affairs, and Mr.. Freeman
cones forward with his very simple
and seemingly practical plan of pre-
serving oysters in the shell-that of
Writing them. The company has al
ready sent shipments to Chicago,
DetI oft and other western cities, and
q Nt'i 81 ID SNNll vi ITO way ~ bOll-
don. Extensive preparations are be-
ing made to send next season great
quantities of our oysters to London,
Paris, Rome and other places in the
Cd World, and if the experiment
ST. which now seems almost
certain-the American oyster on the
half shell, or in any other natural
state, can be had all over the civilized
world at a very slight increase in
price over what we pay here.
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