The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-15
Mr.. Lewis Mcdonald, who does bust


ness on Custom house wharf, also spoke,
expressing views similar to those already
given. Mr.. Mcdonald, during his re :
marks, turned the tables by asking a
question. He wanted to know where the
complaints came from. DR.. Merrill as
sured him that they were made by cit1-
zens whom Mr.. Mcdonald would respect
and whoshad beenss consumers of Holsters .
Secretary Young explained the symp-
toms of illness caused by eating tainted
shell fish, and then the dealers told what
they knew about eating HOLSTERS. Mr..
Marston said he took Holsters home and
INTENDED to take good ones. Yet for
many years his mother could not eat
losbters, being made i'll by them. But
she kept on trying, and finally con-
quered SO that she now eats them.
There" said Mr.. Marston, sis case
of we'll person who oouldn's eat lob
sters. It's question for the doctors. !"
Mr.. Trefethen said that he had an Illus
tration. In summer, every afternoon,
there were four or five drunken buns
hanging around his place and they We're
in the habit of taking the refuse Holsters
and eating them. 81 never heard of any
Of them being killed either" said Mr..
TIefethen, land don't know but what
have wish ed that they might be-"
DR.. Merrill-"Well, they were protect
ed in advance"
Mr.. Isaiah Daniels who was formerly
in the lobster business, said that he
thought that the docks were in better
condition now than when he was in the
business ten or moro years ago. Then
the sewers emptied into the heads Of the
docks. Mr.. Daniels thought that the
refuse matter in the docks foated over
the Holsters and did net reach them. In
his opinion it was better to keep the cars
about half way down the docks rather
than at the extreme ends where the
sewage flowed past. Mr.. Daniels thought
as did Mr.. Trefethen, that If the cars
were allowed to ground on the mud in
but with the water deep enough to keep
the cars af1oat there would be no danger.
Mr.. S. A. Skillings said he had eaten
Holsters al. his life, and had never been
sick but once in consequence, and that
was after he had eaten a lobster taken
wanted to have justice done to all, but
he didn't want to be driven from the
dock until farther Investigation was
made. He might be driven from Port
land to Boston, but he didn't know but
that would be good thing for him.
Mr.. Willard spoke briefly, agreeing
with the other dealers.
Geo. W. Verrill, Esq.,, was called upon.
Mr.. Verrill said that he had just come
in and knew very little about the mat
ter. If this was a question of keeping
Holsters in water polluted by sewage, he
would certainly protest and urge the
board to do it's duty regardless of any
threats of the removal OF the business
from this city, although he should not
want to put himself in antagonism to
any industry Mr.. Verrill asked if there
might not be danger from disease
germs, and spoke of the water in the
Holsters.
Mr.. G. N. Trefethen informed Mr..
Verrill that this WAS pure Sebago alb
sorbed in the process of boiling, and not
water taken in by the lobster while in
the dock.
Secretary Young of the State Board of
Health, said that he had visited the
wharyes during the day and found the
general condition, much as described.
He should not regard the upper end of
the Custom house wharf dock as in good
condition. The space between Long and
Central wharves was, in his opinion, in
bad condition. DR.. Young thought there
was leakage from the sewers there and
that the discharge from these sewers at
the outer end of the wharves might be
carried up the dock. DR.. Young thought
the water In some of the docks would
not besfayorable to keeping the Holsters
in good condition. The boiling to which
the Holsters were subjected would destroy
disease germs and that part Of the ques-
tion might be dismissed as settled; but
as to the water, DR.. Young said that the
lobster must breath as does a fish and in
breathing in impure water the lobster
might become unfit for food. CATTLE and
swine fed upon certain kinds of food were
not deemed suitable for eating; ON gen.
eral principles, he thought the same
might apply to Holsters.
In answer to q question by Mr.. Nick
erson, DR.. Young said that it seemed to
him that if the old filth at the head of
the docks WAS removed, the water half
way out might be suitable for keeping
Holsters.
Mr.. Chapman said that this seemed to
accomplish the purpose Of the board.
The views of the lobster dealers, as prac-
tical men, had Teen obtained. 1t now
remained to get the views of experts.
Then the board, if they found any dam
ger to exist, could make suitable rules.
Z DR.. Merrill said that the board was
only endeavoring to learn the exact stu
alton 1t wanted to do justice to all.
Col. II. S. Osgood said that he regarded