Evening star., 1895-10-26
AT THE OYSTER WHARF
Where Many Go to Get Mess of the
Bivalves.
The Shuckers and Their Victims
Large Shipments Made to This City
From Down the River.

kin do somethin' fer you today, boss:"
inquired a somewhat dissolute-looking col
ored man Of a Star reporter today as the
reporter approached the neighborhood Of
the oyster wharf. There were at least a
score of oyster shuchers watching for Gus
toners along the street car line. as we'll as
along G street between the cable road and
the wharf, ready to waylay strangers walk
ing in the direction of the wharf, and who
are naturally supposed to be looking for
bivalyes These colored men hold up the
pedestrians, as 1t were, and ask for the job
of Shuckng the expected feast of oysters.
The oyster season Is now almost at its
height and business on the wharf is in full
blast. Noo only the wholesale end retail
dealers in oysters do their buying at the
wharf, but many private families well
get their supply of oysters direct from the
boats, and then hire these men to do their
shucking for them. Many persons get their
oysters In this way because they consider
them cheaper than purchasing them in the
regular way, and then. TOO. they are not
put in fresh water to be bloated, in order
to make them fill a measure which would
otherwise not be filled. Then. too. the oys-
ters are in their own liquor, and when they
reach the dinner table they nave lot been
robbed of the delicious favor that they get
In the salt water.
Green Ones Taken In.
Persons unacquainted with the ways of
many oystermen and some Of the shuckers
will find a trip to the wharf little more
expensive than visit to an oyster house.
for the men about the wharves are always
on the alert. looking to get the better of
the bargain. Frequently strangers are
charged more than the regular prices, and
the man employed to do the shucking will
do his share in the game of doing" the un-
Initiated.
These men always know where the finest
Pocomokes and Tangiers are, and will lead
the customer to a particular boat, but it
will never go amiss for the customer to do
his own selecting, unless he knows his man.
The Shucke,S have their particular friends
en- the boats from whom they get commits
Sions. and 1t Is natural that they should
lead their patrons to the captains of the
&c ats who pay them.
In Fine Condition.
Oysters are now coming up the river in
fine condition, and most of them fat
and have a delicious flavor. This Is the
result of the continued dry weather and the
c, nsequent low water. There is plenty of
salt water on all the oyster beds now, and
it is said that the water is brackish as far
up the river as Marshall Hall. A boatman
who took on a supply of water at the
w Whte House one day last week found that
it was too brackish to be used for drinking
or cooking purposes, and he was compelled
to go ashore and get a supply from 4
spring.
The oysters coming from the mouth of
the river. from Coan river or the vicinity of
Piney Point and ST. Georges Island have
the delicious flavor of the Norfolk oysters
just now, so the oystermen say, but when
the heavy fall rains eolhe and the river
rises, they will be robbed of that flavor.
But the salt water now will put them in
good condition for the winter, and there is
Tot much danger of this seasons catch not
being fat.
Big Shipments.
The daily shipments received at the river
front now will average more than 1850
bushels, and the prices range from 40 to
- cents a bushel. For shucking the men
charge from % to % cents bushel. Thurs
day there were more than 1000 bushels of
oysters at the wharf 1t is usual for the
stock to be larger than on other
days because of Fridays trade. There We're
vehicles Of all kinds crowded on the wharf
yesterday, and the tin-bucket men. who sell
from door to door, were out by the score.
Many of these men, however, get in their
supply the evening before, in order to get
around to their customers early in the
Inspector Harris makes daily tours of In
spection about the wharf and condemns all
r.arine products found unfit for use, and
the products condemned are shipped
hack down the river.