The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-20
OYSTER OPENERS STRIKE.
THEY WANT HIGHER WAGES AND
MANY LOSE THEIR JOBS.

An Advance of 5 Goats Gallon for
Opening the Oysters Asked for and
Refused-The Strike Not Affecting
the Market Much-Whst Dealers say
About 1.-THE Oyster Opening H.
dustry.
The oyster openers have been attacked
with tie strike fever" They quit work
a few days ago because a demand for
higher wages was refused by the oystermen
They have been receiving 20 cents per gal
Ion for opening oysters, and they want 25
cents.
The strike however, didn't amount TO
much, and has petered out because plenty
of hands were found willing to take the
Jobs at the old wages. There are between
$50 and 400 colored people. men, women and
children, engaged in the oyster opening in
dustry around Savannah, and tasy have been
making fairly good wages. A skillful oyster
opener can unshell from six to ten gallons
of double oysters day and between fifteen
and twenty gallons of singles. They don't
have many OF the latter bivalves to open,
however, because most of the oysters grown
in this vicinity are what is known as
doubles.
The openers are generally given steady
employment from September TO April at
ten hours e day, and their wages at
20 cents a gallon ranged from 81 90 to
81. This didn't satisfy them, though, and
thinking that no one could be got TO fill
their places. and that, on account Of the busy
season having opened, the oystermen would
have to accede to their terms for self-pro-
lection. they struck.
But their reckoning wasn't exactly right,
because for every striker who threw up his
or her job there we're two to take the place.
There was hardly an appreciable delay, and
dealers in the city wouldn't have known
there had been a strike had not the OYSTER
men informed them.
The result is that the majority of the
strikers are out OF work and will have to
try their hand at something else to make
living. They had but little organization,
and many of them broke away and applied
for reinstatement as soon as they saw that
the vacant places were being filed.
Everything is moving along smoothly
now, and the strikers are regretting their
hasty action.
In speaking of oysters yesterday, an oys>
ter dealer remarked that while there is
plenty OF oysters coming in the quality is
unusually poor for this season. This he at
tributes TO the want of rain. He said that
the statement might appear strange in view
OF the long-continued rains of several
weeks ago, but it must be remembered
that at that time the oysters were only
growing, and were not in condition to be
affected. Rain mixing with the salt water
at the oyster beds fattens the bivalves, while
q lack Of it after they have reached a GER
tain stage makes them watery. With few
heavy rains in the near future the oysters
will greatly improve in quality and flavor.
Watery oysters are not exactly the thing
for person who has any regard at all for
his digestive organs TO place in his stom-
ach. They are liable to bring about collie
and numerous other unpleasant expert
ences. Numerous complaints are being
heard from the people in the last two weeks
of stomach troubles resulting from eating
oysters, and physicians have been called
out at late hours OF the night to prescribe
for the uufortunates VINO allowed their APP
petites to get the better of their Judgment.
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Don't tear your entrails out with pills and