The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1889-02-09
OUR OYSTERS.
Ia TRIP TO JACKS CAMP.

Editor SENTINEL:
The pithy communication Of our
friend, Mr.. c. J. Barker, in regard to
our oysters, and your very sensible
editorial on the same topic, printed in
the SENTINEL of Jan. II, remind me of
a promise, neglected but not forgotten,
to give you a brief sketch Of my re-
cent visit to the habitat OF the delect-
able bivalve. "To err is human
complete the line, "suit the action to
the word" and prove that you are pos
sessed of at least one attribute Of di-
vinity. But to our mutton:
Early one morning, not long ago.
your correspondent found himself a
passenger on three boats bound for
the oyster beds of the Timbalier.
N-y-a pas de betiste, so don't snort IN
c%redulously, Mr.. Editor, for though
am not so great a parsonage as the
Hibernian gentleman who "kem over
on three ships, bedad,' yet was, in
sober truth, a passenger on three lug
gers at one and the same time. They
were dashed together, side by side, aud
/ was equally at home on all Of them.
1t was a dreary day, with half a gale
and a cold, driving drizzle from the
northeast. A day to make one imagine
himself off Cape Cod rather than on
the shore of a tropic sea. But dismal
as was the weather we were not alto
gether uncomfortable. A hot charcoal
fire kept our lower extremeties warm,
and the contents of a very black, but
not mysterious, bottle helped to still
further increase the temperature.
And what a blessing is charcoal to
the oystermau! 1t is his ideal fuel
, Light and clear, it gives an intense,
+ steady heat, with no t%reacherous flame
to surreptitiously SINCE your legs OF
I, set fire to your long-tailed coat, ant
no acrid smoke to wrench forth unwil
| ling tears and profane objurgations.
A furnace glowed in each cuddy.
Around two of them huddled the idler
of the party, and on the third, unde
careful supervision, steamed and gar
gled the fragrant, the festive jamba
layaJjambalaya III huitres!
= Who of my readers has not eate1
.jambalaya, and who shall worthil,
o sing the praises of that delicious com
pound1 The Englishman has his roas
beef, the Frenchman his soupe au laro
the Spaniard his .trjoles, the Italian hi
macarOni, the Yankee his baked beans
u the Hoosier his hog aud hominy, tn
Mexican his chui-cdn-cana, but til
: 'Cadian need envy one Of these, fl
S. he has his ~jambalnya. Your CORES
is pondent has eaten roast beef with til
Engishman, soupe az lard with tt
70 Frenchman, .trD0les with the Spaniar'
macaroni with the Italian, baked bear
with the Yankee, hog and hominy wit
the Hoosier, chili-can-cana with tt
-. Mexican and j%ambalaya with the c;
y dien, and his solemn verdict is til
ijambalaya lays over them all. Re,
y sap. One and not the least of Il
q good points of the jambalaya is til
rs it is quickly cooked. Ours was so
done. The smoking, savory mess W
n capsized into an immense tin pan, al
s. tho patron, fourishing a colossal ir
ry spoon, cries: "Come cen, come ee
Hep yo'se'fs 'Merikin fashunw A
til the big spoon goes round the hung
vn circle. A pitcher Of wine was the
n too-strong, red wine from the Gold
State, saturated with the sunshine
,r- the hot, rainless, breathless sunni
Il of the Napa valley. l am tempt
70. here to a depression on the subject
Nv wines, alcoholic liquors and the mu
To- vexed question of temperance"
called in the cant of the day; but a
er. started out to write about oyste
ed alloms! rerenonsa nos moutons.
,s Still, as we ate and drank, we SIX
ried on before that Norwegian vii
The curtain of trees that shut us in
either side grows thinner, and n
ma only a ragged fringe Of roseaux hi,