The evening times., 1896-05-04
PASSING OF THE OYSTER
Winter Favorite Divides Honors
in May With the Clam.
SEASON INFORMALLY CLOSID
Labor Required to Bring the Oyster
From His River Quurters-Oyster
JOe's Reminiscences-Hi services
at an Uptown Hotel Cafe, With
Statesmen as Guests.

The oyster season was Informally closed
yesterday. Usually the season ends an
nually on the 1st OF May, but it seems the
gastronomic appetites of the epicure for
the palatable shelIfish had not been ap-
peased and good, old-fashioned stews were
TO be had up-to-date at most of the leading
hostelries.
From somewhere away back In the dark
ages a legend has been n ha nded do wn through
the generations that the oyster is only an
appropriate subject for the menu card dur
Ing the eight months containing the letter
r." There is no apparent reason in logic
for this, except the coincidence that the
four remaining months OF the year are too
warm for the coid-blOoded oyster to remain
upon the market. When May, with her
bright, smiling face. makes her bow to
close up.
The past season has hardly been as profit
! able to dealers as is usual. The cause for
this is not the fault of the mute old oysters.
They have been dug up in the ordinary
abundance, and the quality has been up to
the average. but the mild weather has mill
tateO against the trade.
SNOW A REQUISITE.
What is wanted to make a good, brisk
oyster season is a cold, sharp winter. with
plenty of snow. Then a hot bowl OF soup,
or a dozen fried. or dish prepared in any
way which appeases the appetite, is what
the people call for, and the demand Is fire.
quent Then 1t is, too, oyster suppers are
the order of the evening, and King Oysters
.oyal subjects delight to do him homage.
People little realize. when their appetites
are being gratifed by steaming dish OF
the shell-fish, what a task it is to supply
them, and the hardships which the oyster
fishers undergo
They are paid but S13 month. and their
work is Of the most disagreeable sort,
keeping them in mud and water for hours
at time.
When the oysters are dug up they hook like
.lumps Of rocks, covered with wet sand.
In this condition they are placed in the
boat and brought to market. Quantity is
counted 10y tile standard of dry measure,
a. bushel, when shucked. making a good
gallon nr clear meats.
The old oysternIan says there are male
and female in the she'll kind, as in other
things, yet for some unassignable reason.
the latter outnumbers the former ten to
one.
a familiar figure about the oyster wharf.
DOWN by the river front, is an old colored
man, known as Oyster joe The only
claim which this descendant OF Ham ma kes
to the goddess OF fame is that he has opened
the bivalves for more nota bles than any man
in Washington. Not much, to be sure. yet it
is his only pride and source OF vanity.
sHUCKED FOR STATESMEN
For many years joe acted in tie ca
pacity of oyster shucker in a fashionable
oyster saloon uptown. Senators and Rep
resentatives were frequenteTs OF the place,
and many time has the shining coin
dropped from the fingers OF mighty states
men, tickled the palm OF the old negro for
the manner in which he has served up the
succulent oyster.
Joe'S boast is that the greatest oyster
eater who ever stood before him was the
eral terms ago Senator Mahone's COL
leaf que from the Old Dominion. The states
man had most marvellous appetite fer
-he shell fish. and "Oyster Joe's'' hand
often grew weary ere the Senator's Ca E.
pacity had been supplied.
Sunset Cox was another whom the old
man remembers as having induIged i'll the
oyster dainties.
Joe also had n record as swift
shucker. One story which he tells of
how he euchred a city swell out of a SO
note, is regarded with n large amount Of
suspicion by his fellows, yet the old
man vouches strongly for its accuracy.
The dude wagered Joe SO to a dime he
could eat oysters faster than the shu cker
could open them. ice borrowed the dime
and the money was staked.
WON THE "TENNER."
Slowly he opened the first. which was
quickly devoured by the young man, who
patiently waited for another. Joe took
his time and lazily opened a dozen or so.
The youn man demanded the wager. but
Joe smiled a broad grin and replied that
he hadn't see him eat them faster than he
opened them; If he had he must have eaten
shell and all.
The dude 50 " he had been trapped by the
negro and left the place and his SO note.
"Oyster Joe" says that as lon as the
weather remains moderately cool oysters
will be in demand. but they will no doubt
De compelled now to divide honors with
he Little Neck clans, which are especial
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