The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-20
RDus sLooDBD OYSTER OPENER.
"a Relates Some Interesting Reminis-
cences-


-, Vol. letter to Pailddelphi1 Press.
In making an Investigation a day or two
30 into some rumors which had heard re-
meeting the great danger to the oyster
+rada in New York city, l was referred 10
individual who was said to have grown
:, the business. / found him behind the
-s,,rter in one OF the great restaurants of
.Sa citv where sea food Is speciality, and
was struck by his resem oiance 20 some per
- HON 7 had seen but could not recall.
~ rs a man past 20 years of age, but of
nc mind and most entertaining in his
qo- S;-iecances He was the man who dis
IeL lLH-a5 that bed of famous oysters which
SoE ,l'--,,n around the base Of Saddle Rock.
5 -.bose flavor and fitness were SO pro-
$1,000 and satisfactory to the eplcureau
4as+a +hat the name Saddle Rock has been
L.1ia5 ever since to choice oysters, al
appllTb his pa ticular bed was long since
q % Is.'t toid how Edwin Forrest used to eat
,..Ior-sts-s. for he served that great and err
-, monarch of tragedy. Forrest" he
10 used 10 send out between the acts for
Len Saddle Rocks, and usually had
Las Of brandy sent in with them. lie
s-onid eat the oysters and swallow the
brandy in his dresslng-roon. we ala not
t1ovv 80 much theu as we do now, for We
Sava learned that alcoholic liquors make an
oTstar tough and indigestible when it is
oatan raw. Forrest must have had heavy
reigbt of leaUher-like oysters in his stomach
when he finished playing each night. he
never came to the oyster room, but always
had them sent to him. = We could tell when
he was particularly worked up, because on
such occasions he would consume a larger
amount of oysters and brandy than usual.
Edwin Bootn's father VAS great eater of
oysters and he, too, used to take them raw
with brandy ! wonder how they stood 1t.
Roth Lester Wallack and his father were
fond of coming to the counter and seeing
me open oysters, and the father would eat
them so fast that got tired of shocking
them before he got through. At that time
everybody ate big oysters raw. They
would have thought these little Blue Points,
which are now the favorites, were cheat
upon them if we offered them such little
fellows to eat
THACKERAY AT THE OYSTER COUNTER.
Zone night Mr.. Walack brought in a
great big man with broken nose, and
asked him to eat oysters, and he ate dozen
Of the biggest Saddle Rocks that l could
open, and seemed to enjoy them greatly.
He talked with me about the oysters, and
said they were not like those he was accus-
toned to eat when he was at home. l
thought he was down-easter. and told
ours. He laughed at this, and turned TO
Mr.. Wallack and said: Have they made
me a Yankee in BostonH and there was some
more chatting when Mr.. Wallack intro
duced me very politely to this man. He
said his name was Thackeray, and he was
one of the jolliest men ever saw. heard
afterward that he was a great writer, and
wrote novels and story books"
TIE OYSTER OPENERS COUSIN.
Thus the old man ratified on for half
hour, telling many an interesting anecdote
Of his experiences over the counter with dis
tinguished men. He told his tales simply,
without affectation, and with no self boast
ing. All the while the striking suggestion
Of some one whose face l was familiar with
impressed me, and of a sudden | remem-
bered his name; it was Abraham Depew,
and with the recollection of the name the
placing of the resemblance came. He was
striEingly like Chauncey NJ. Depew, or as
one would think DR.. Depew would become
when he was a septuagenarian. | spoke of
the resemblance, and the old man smiled
and said, "Well, | suppose it is natural. L
never saw Mr.. Depew in my life, but we are
cousins. two or three times removed. His
great-grandfather settled in Peekskill. and
mine settled on Staten Island, and they
we're brothers.
II suppose that the place where they
lpCdbGA IttNl a HSON N.SeHA W ~
scendants' course of life. My folks all be-
came seafaring men or fishermen, and his
farmers and sort of country squires. l
don't care so much about looking like
Chauucey NJ. Depew. as do about another
resemblance, and that is that we are both
strong republicans. My folks are all re-
publicans and have heard that all of Mr..
Depew's folks, excepting himself, were
democrats
The old man seemed to be as proud of
his career and his accomplishments as an
humble purveyor Of oysters to hungry per-
sons as any man could be Of his life work,
but it was a rather singular reflection which
was suggested by this discovery, and by the
fact thai these relatives, one distinguished
and powerful, and the other humble and
unknown, were each doing their daily duties
almost within stones throw of one another
and total strangers at the same time.