The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-12
That Oyster Scare.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL and COURIER:
 We have often heard of and read the efforts of enterprising journalists who print false rumor one day and cor rect it the next for the purpose, in both cases, of making matter.
 In the Register of Saturday step forward in similar enterprise was taken by publishing a false rumor with the refutation of 1t immediately following. This, to the writer, seems very undig- nified journalism, but it is far from the most important feature of the case.
 The caption of the article, seven lines in extent, part of it in the largest type, all emphasized the false statement and and not one word of it true. Careless readers thus derive the false impression and it is probable that in paper of such character the careless readers are in the majority.
 Now in this case the falsehood was such as to injure one of our local in- dustries, upon which: many men and women depend for their livelihood, and in which much capital is invested.
 "Oysters as the Cause" Wesleyan Epidemic of Typhoid Fever" etc., etc. Purchased from a New Haven Dealer. Under this heading the report" is pub lished that "the State Board of Health and Prof. Conn" "have. concluded that the fever was caused by oysters taken from a bed in New Haven harbor, near which sewer enters." Just below this, without single word of caption: "Dr. c. A. Linsley, president of the State Roard of Health, stated this noon that the board was not yet ready to make a report" --..
 The Sunday Register follows up it's own sensation with three-quarters of a column of discussion about nothing; principally report of what some oyster dealer had been induced to say about this report. Just at the close of the three-quarters of column there were two lines that contained all the sense there was in the whole article: "The president of the Board of Health, pr. c. A. Linsley, states:" As yet there is nothing to show that the. oysters eaten were responsible"
 Now what is the use of a journal which has any respect for itself or expects any from other people to start such Q noise with absolutely nothing for a basis? The facts do not require much sagacity to interpret. Rival dealers in Middletown sell oysters to the Wesley ans. Some have their oysters from New Haven and others buy a cheaper grade of oysters in Hartford. .'Are oysters raised in the Connecticut at Hartford ?" Twill Hartford monopolize the oyster industry as she did the capttolT No, not even with the puissant aid of the Register. These oysters which are sold so cheaply in Hartford are virginian and Maryland. They are preserved. more or less, artifcially, with ''reg inasnus," !" or ''preservative" sold at-pEiCes farless than the New Haven oysters are sold for. ( s,, Now, this solution of the epidemic puzzle was started in Middletown and published in q local paper in the inter est of the Hartford oysters and those who sell them in Middletown. Why should a New Haven paper join in such an injurious and at the same time foolish and false attack upon one of our local industries2 I say fo0ltsh, because the bulk of the oyItef .ct1iti ation which noM has its heaa0ust ttera ln tasK Haven. 4f j. ra l z z