The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-14
uue 1a we restaurant business under

uuc N WE restaurant business under
took as an experiment to serve steamed
oysters to his customers. He con truct--
ed large chest, with woven wire
shelves, had half-peck wire baskets
made, and then connected his steam
chest by a pipe with a large boiler
Through this pipe the steam escapes
from the boiler into the chest, filing it
completely and thoroughly heating it,
The wire baskets filed with oysters are
placed In the chest and there thor
oughly heated by the steam. The ex-
pertinent was a success from the start.
The oysters served are soft and deli
cate as the roast oysters, and the new
dish at once became great favorite in
the national capital, and is until this
day. 1t is a singular fact, however,
that neither in Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New York nor Boston, nor, so far as I
know, in any other city in the country,
can steamed oysters be obtained. One
thing, however, is certain, and that is
that no one who has ever enjoyed the de-
lightful flavor and beneficial results Of
steamed or roast oyster supper ever
desires to have oysters served in any
other manner in this city. AS conse-
quence of this fact the man who evolved
and executed the happy thought has
grown wealthy at the business. More
over, every old Washingtoniani is delight
ed, and nobody is envious because of a
streak Of luck which recently came to
this man. By an act of congress an en-
tire block OK ground opposite the
sueemed oyster house has been pur-
chased and upon it will be erected an
eight-story marble building for the ac-
commodation of the city post office of
the national capital. The selection OF
this site has already enhanced the value
of the steamed oyster mans property to
the extent of fifty thousand dollars.
Fortunately for the rest of mankind
in this city no patent was applied for
by the discoverer of this culinary
method. Consequently there are half
a dozen excellent places in Washington
where steamed oysters can be had with
out the payment of an exorbitant price.
In many cities the summer is the social
season, and the ice cream girl leads her
escort to the dyspepsia dealer. Here,
however, the winter is the gala time,
and after the theater it is customary
Tor gentlemen to escort their guests to
the restaurants where steamed oysters
are served.
Sitting before a long marble top
counter table one evening recently in
response to my inquiries the sable oys-
ter shucler said: ''We works seventeen
hours cherry day. We gets five dollahs
a week. s'pohts a wife an fo' chillen.
/ pays eight dollahs month To- rent.
Eff it wasn't fo' de tips wot gets from
de gentlemen here, I couldn't s'poht my
family. l gets ten cents from some
folks, an twenty-five cents from good
many; an sometimes rich folks comes
in an gives me de change out'n a FIVE
dollah bill Once got two dollahs an
a half from one man. De av'rage tips
amounts to from twenty to thirty dol
labs a month. So yer sees, boss, Use
maxim purity good livin'.''
learned afterwards that the obse-
quious servant who bowed very low
when he accepted my pour boir is the
owner of several houses from which he
receives monthly rental which would |
make many a newspaper man feel as |
though he were the owner of shares in
the Golconda or Bonanza mines. Never
theless, while he is working with the
succulent bivalves and the succulent
suckers who give him tips" his wife is
doing washing and ironing by the day
or week, and adding constantly to the
Accommodations which her am
bilious, not to say avaricious, husband
has set his heart upon. The dear peo-
pie who imagine that the freedmen in
Washington are not competent to care
for themselves do not understand the |
conditions and circumstances Of these
people. They live on oysters and pie;
and the fairness of the earth is theirs.
SMITH d. Fry.