The sun., 1889-01-27
AN OUT-OF-THE-WAYCORNER
sHUcKERs AND WIvDMIJLs IN DoR-
CHESTER COUNTY. MD.

Whopping Stories of tho War by Ono OF
Mosby's Guerriiias-High Private BIZ
1ings steele oAstonishes tho Natives By his
Narratives OF Many vaiorous Deeds.
When Mr.. Billings Steele went down to
Cambridge Nd. to rehabilitato q portion OF
the State navy and see what might be done
toward wiping out the oyster pirates. he
thought there had beon some mistake In the
voyage OF the steamer. for. as he approached
the shore the wharf and the streets seemed TO
be covered deep with tho wbitest snow. As a
fact there was not heaven-frozen crystal
there. He was looking at pulvcrized oyster
shells. They constitute the most striking
features OF the south Maryland country.
There are acres OF land near the docks that
have been reclaimed by dumping oyster
shells into the water Great heaps OF un-
broken shells confront the oye, and on o dry,
windy day you may breathe oyster sholls for
the roads OF the towns and for miles into tho
country are covered with their dust. Thcy are
Quickly pulveriaed by travel. and the result Is
the smoothest, hardest road In tho world. ex-
cept perhaps an asphalt pavement. Tho mind
darkens at the thought Of how many oysters
have contributed their coverings to the roads
ana docks and the unused piles near the
shucking shops. In the shops hundreds Of
shuckers work six or seven months every year.
pilinR up tho shells until 1t seems problemati-
cal whether the land may not be entirely trans
formed into shells II the beds OF the hay will
hold out long enough. Tho work of these
shuckers is quantity interesting Nearly every
one of them is black, and their ages run In n
descending scale from tho extreme limit OF
human lifo down to prattlers OF seven
and eight years. Tho shops arc located
uron the docks. They are low. dark.
fll-ventilated buildings. with no other
furniture in the main rooms than long benches
about breast high, where the shuckers stand
with their knives. Boats from the bay ito up
at the very doors OF the shops and the oysters.
lifted from their holds by windlass or horse
power, are dumped upon the floor Of the shuck-
ing room What with the piles OF oysters on
the floor. the cans into which oysters are
thrown when opened, and the barrels to which
the shells are flung 1t is somewhat difficult to
make ones way through n shop. The shuckers
stand as close together as possible with due
allowance for the barrels and tho cans. As
many as hundred workmcn and women may
be found In a room not moro than twenty-five
feet square.
The people who cat the shuoked oysters have
little conception OF the edible virtue OF the
mollusk. for after the shells have been thrown
away the oysters are put In a large kettle with
sieve bottom. and fresh water Is turned over
them until every particle of their naturalliqu
and the salt flavor OF the bay has been washed
away. They are then put into barrels. solid
with piece OF ice on tae top. and shipped Off
to such unfortunate communities as Phila-
delphia. New York. and the interior cities.
There is not a minute during the whole
working day in these shops when the work is
not accompanied by music. A stranger might
imagine that religious service was going on
within the whitewashed walls. for nearly all
the songs that the darkies sing are OF tho
camp meeting: Tho stanzas are lnnumerable,
and the refrains are oddities Of literary and
musical composition. For half an hour the
stanzas are sufficient In number TO require a
half hour TO sing. or whether they improvise
stanzas rs they go along. or whether they repeat
one oyer and over again It is impossible to tell
but the refrain comes out at the end OF every
four lines. sung at the tops Of their voices. men
and women both joining upon the air with here
and there q bass or an alto note thrown in.
This was the refrain Of O song they sang one
day not long ago: