The Washington times., 1895-02-03

with oysters. The deekman would then seize
the basket and by an acrobatic movement
send it whiZzing to the dock 70 DE dumped
into wagon or cart by the third party, while
the captain. Standing near by with paper and
pencil. would repeat In sort OF musical
monotone: ITALY one, tally two, and so on.
While the reporter was watching this IN
loading process two tall and ignifled-looEing
men. wearing high hats. approached one Of
the vessels and purchased bushel of oysters
known as selects" Accompanying the
strangers were two of the dusky shuckers
They were provided, in addition TO their
oyster knives, with salt. pepper. and vinegar.
The colored men quickly seized the bUshel
basket of biyalyes and removed il to an OBJ
scure nook in the rear of gray mountain Of
glistening shells.
Both shuckers then went to work with a
will and supplied the dressy strangers with
oysters on the half shell. seasoned and juicy
as fast as they could gulp them down. The
visitors paid 80 cents for the bushel Of oysters
and 10 cents each TO the colcred men for open
ing them.
SUNDAY FEAsTs on THE WHARF.
The practice Of going to the oyster wharf.
especially on Sundays, and indulging in
open-air oyster feasts OF this sort is an old
fashioned fad in Washington, and supports a
small army OF cateh-as-eatch-ean oyster shuck-
ers. Those who do not care TO stand out In
the atmosphere and eat from the half shell
patroniZe the little booths and one-story
frame buildings at the entrance TO the pier,
where a juicy article of oysters, with crack
ers and condiments, are dIshed out from long
pine counters at 10 cents per plate.
On bright, cold Sabbath mornings these
booths and structures are crowded with pa
irons from all parts OF Washington, while
groups OF men, eating oysters from the half
shell, and attended by colored shuekers. are
scattered all over the wharf.
The large number OF oyster sloops and
pungies which were inspected at the wharf by
the reporter included such names as the Eph,
Dolphin. Dandy Mabel, and Volunteer. The
Lily OF the West was the only vessel in the
fleet which was fitted out for dredging. The
others were what are known in the rIYer par
lance as ''buy boats That Is to say they
visit the dredging crafts in the lower Potomac
and Chesapeake Bay and purchase their car
goes OF oysters from those who drag them
from the muddy bottoms Of the bay or rivers
Most of the oysters that come 10 the WASH
ington oyster wharf are from Tangier Sound
and the mouth OF the Rappahannock. Capt.
G. E. Henderson. of the sloop Martin Wag-
ner, who is regarded as one of the best
posted oyster men who sails the winding
Potomac. gave some interesting information
concerning the bivaIye traffic He said the
average daily sales of oysters amounted to
from l., GOO 10 20,000 bushels. II requires
about two weeks for an oyster boat TO make
the round trip from this city to the feet Of
dredgers below TO get cargo Of oysters.
The little vessels are usually towed by puff
ing tugboats through the long. curying, and
historic length of the old Potomac.
They rarely ever spread their white wings
until the open water near the mouth OF the
river or bay is reached. The oyster vessels
are mostly ''pungies" and sehooners. and
there are usually from fifteen to thirty-Aye OF
them moored at the oyster wharf.
The transactions and safes at the wharf are