New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17
OYSTERS BY THE THOUSAND.
ZIG ORDERS COME FROM THE WEST.
TIE BoRER WORSE ENEMY THAN THE STAR
FrsII-REMARKs OF AN INTELLECTUAL
OYSTERMAN.

servant who passing for the FIRST ume over
the Brooklyn Bridge. AS the big. massive towers
doomed I'D before her, she gaZed at them long anu
wonderngly, and then murmured softly 10 herseii'
God bless me. wouldn't that be a fine place TO ury
( clothes," Another case OF a somewhat similar
character may be cited that Of a New'York man
AMI n citizen of Chicago who. while on Trip 10
| Europe started a discussion about the relative
merits of the two cities.
you boast Of being a great seaport town. SAID
the man from Chicago.
you bet" answered the other.
'What is this?" continued the first man as he
leaned over the taffrail and waved his right hand
What IS WHAT
THAT there" And this time he waved both left
! and right hands
'Why. man. that is the Atlantic Ocean," shouted
the man from New-York.
1.-THE Atlantic ocean, echoed the philosopher
from the Windy City contemptuousy. and then
with a scornful curl OF his lips SAY. you should
Lake Michigan
This disconnected the NewYorker. but he rallied
and said: well. you can't raise oysters In ChlcaSo'
! that's one thing.
That's not much" answered his companion WHO
was staggered. nevertheless.
And ! might also add" continued the other. VINO
/ perceived his advantage and was intent upon io-
lowing II up that Eastern folk-people from the
| effete East. you understand. have waited ana
! watched in vain since the year 1882 when that
!
school books by the name Of Chicago was Hrst
spoken OF, for the appearance OF clam. any sort
of clam, bearing the trademark OF the Ninuy
City as the place Of it's origin and birthplace
The Chicago man was knocked speeches., and
all he could say as he disappeared below into the
saloon was ''Wel. you're not a member III Sood
standing OF the clam family. anyhow
| Impressed with the truth of the New-forK man 3
side of the case that Chicago had neither oysters
nor clans of her own and as a matter OF fact was
worse of in this respect than any other inland CITY,
the writer started to make inquiry as TO now they
got them and this opened w the subject or the
cultivation OF oysters. the manner OF packing ana
exporting them the profits OF the trade and so on
ANY one at all familiar with the city must have
noticed the oyster scows which line part OF the
North River. piece of marine architecture ny 10
means ornamental. but which has been n feature
Of the locality for years and years. they extend
about three blocks. from West Tenth-st., and there
are in all about thirty Of them. From within TINS
narrow SPACE there are distributed all over the city
and throughout large portion OF the great CEN
tres Of population in the West the shell-hsh when
supply that toothsome dish. without which hrst-
class dinner Is incomplete. II may be sah that
about two-thiris OF these scows are for what Is
called the opening trade. and the other one-third
for the city trade The owner OF each scow pays
his rent directly to the city. and this amounts
each year to $3.50 TO $3.50.
WORSE ENEMY THAN TIE sTARFfsH.
strolng down one day to where these curious
craft lie anchored In the North River. the writer
had an interesting conversation with one OF thr
men who was working like a beaver opening and
packing oysters.
pat can you tell anything about this new
enemy of the oyster that has appcared|'
Throwing aside hls knife. he looked up and. with
merry twinkle Of the eye. said; can you tel
me why 1t IL that everybody calls me rat!
81 am sure | don't know
Nt'oti'' caII no wi a because
Is Pat"
well, will you answer my question now
"That | WILL with "A heart and half The
borer as he is called. does a great deal OF dam
age and not excepting the siarflsh' Is one OF
the dircst enemies the poor oyster has excluding
~ course. klnd-heared and civilized man. The
oyster beds have 20 be gone regularly with
soft net 10 sweep away the siarfsh VINO commit
such havoc; but what to do with the borer Is
problem which has not been 80 successfully soiVet
Has Il appeared Ia the oyster Deus III uls
"Wot 70 anv great extent or not to great an
ex,nt az II has elsewhere in the beds OF Delaware
Bay for example. where great loss mas been &C. PC
casioned the people engaged N t'.s industry ny
the depredatons OF this little enemy.
1t Is said that
Big feas have little feas upon their backs 10 bite
And little feas have lesser neas; and so ad nhni-
tum.
But the lesser nea in the case OF this borer does
so go this yilanots enemy Of the poor oyster moves
forward in its career OF destruction unhindered
hoper because its sole business In he TO
be 10 bore Not much bigger than a marble. II az
there until 1t has worked It's way through Inen II
sucks the e out, st al you nn w boc They show
a predilecton for good oysters. Just as a man
would and they hey SpRGnn a D hhn rrer o oysters han
among the small ones.
,ne asked * Pat him "h S2 ha@ @
the oyster supply of New-York and the proh'S OF
ny. "a man in this trade said he. requires to be
unremtng in his attention or II VIII not pan o pu.
but the risks OF accident are numerous II Is only
the otneh c Goy Of lad NAMED Jerry Murphy OF
brooklyn. who strayed away from ms nome, g9t
employment in boarding house In Goodgrounl.
owner of three-acre oyster bed ana TWO oyster
THAT speaks more for the profits Of d,e the tip
f Fai7" ina" OF ''S O''''' '''', ~
OPENING PACKING AND SHIPPING.
81 didn't think about that" Pat answered. but.
"a the saving is everything depends upon the point
OF view"
"What Is meant by the opening trade?'
"By that we mean all the oysters that we are
Obliged to open and pack for shipment throughout
the country and notably to the West The other
division Of H. business which Is referred to always
as the city trade contemplatcs the sale OF oysters
TO hotels oyster houses. restaurants ana iish ma
kets where they are got rd or by retaii through
many channels 49, , 49,.
Where do all the oysters that supply these
scows come FROM
From Princes Bay: which Is down on the Lower
Ray: from Great Kills Staten Island. ana the
shrrewsbury oysters, too, in demand. Then You
must not forget the beds at Oyster BAY ana at
Cow, Raw on Long Island. and the Glen Coves, the
Sounds the East Rivers and the Rockaways.
How are they disposed Of. when dumped on the
You can see here for yourself" said he. as he
nointed ont large rows OF big baskets One of these
h. skets is supposed to hold 80 cuens. Then We
begin opening those which are intended for ship
meat. and put them into tubs OF different 1o sze 70
and 1000 and in that they are forwarded to al
"a rita of the West as far Salt Lake city. Each
tub ia hacked in and securely fastened on the
ION as you can see. The orders for this trade.
ESPECIALLY when they come from distant cities, are
received generally by telegraph.
WHERE TIE ORDERS COME FROM.
"IIow large are these orders?"
"Well. now" said he. you would probably be
surprised TO hear that they all the way from