The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-09
THE OYSTER PACKERS

IHE OYSTER PACKERS
Something Of the Industry that Everybody
Regards as DiStIncIiYsIy NOrfoIk'S.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS Of BUSHELS
s'nr@c Numbers OF Employees Engngcd
IN Atlantic CitS's Extensive Es,nb.
iishEncnts-Thc Qunlity About thro
OF Other YcnrS-Ehe Dcmnnd fat
Them Is Great ana Bound to Grow.
Norfolk and oysters are always
thought Of in the same connection.
Other cities handle this greatest deli
cacy of the sea, but Norfolk is the CEN
ire OF the oyster industry Of the United
states. and every bvalve that does no,
rest on the bottom of Hampton Roads
or chesapeake Bay regards himself as
an outcast from the home of his fathers.
CENTRE OF THE; INDUSTRY.
In Atlantic City, Il progressive ward Of
Norfolk. are to be found the foremost
oyster dealers in the State Of Virginia,
And the immense business conducted
here has told for many years on the
material development and rapid pro-
grcss In business of Atlantic City. Hav-
ing water front well suited for mar
ketinG bivalveS and adding much to en-
nance the beauty OF view physically, the
prospect is fine for its uninterrupted ad-
Eancement on all lines Of Improvement
The following are oyster dealers who
Tor many years have been established In
business here:
SOME OF THE DEALERS.
Messrs. w. II. Till & Co. Nottingham
~ Wrenn's wharf, established in 1872
IheSe gentlemen. as well as most others
| handling oysters, set them from the
rivers tributOry IL Chesapeak lay from
| the Rappchannock south to the, James
! they report 100000 bushels handled dur
| ing the season just closed. Quality bet
| ter than last season; margin or profit
| fair. They employ about sixty first class
| Shuckcrs; they pay the uniform price, 10
cents net per gallon for shuckinS. a
| first rate shucker can do twenty gallons
| a. day.
Messrs. r. a. Higgins & Co. of Bos-
| ton: Cant. l., Barker. manager. on Not
tingham & Wrenn's wharf, established
in 1879. 1t IS difficult even TO approxi-
mate the quantity handled. but the quail
! ity was better than last season. .The
| margin Of profit was rather small. From
| 30 to 100 shuclIers employed.
capt; John Z. Kemp, Nottingham &
Wrenn's wharf, went iptn the business
| in 1856. He was not sblc to give the
quantity OF oysters handled This year.
| hut said the quality was better than
| usual. Forty or fifty shuckers are en-
| piOycd here.
| Messrs. Atwood & Bacon. OF Boston,
Nottingham & Wrenn's wharf. estab-
! lished 1879, Capt. Robert Cleverly mama
ger. Fifty thousand bushels We're han
| died the past season. The quality was
| no better and profit not as good. En-
ploys fifty shuCiers.
OYSTER FARMERS.
w. J. Crobsy & Co, Nottingham &
Wrenn'S wharf, established 1883. These
gentlemen are extensively engaged in
| planting oysters. The waters they use
| for the purpose arc James, York and
East rivers and Esq Island. Those from
| the last place were very fat and salnblc.
| They report better quality and profit
| than last year. They employ about 125
Shuckers, among whom are many called
| sahbers," from the fact they do not
| break the shells, but with an instrument
| properly shaped for the purpose open the
! bivalve so as to keep the oyster clear Of
| fragments Of shell.
| They say the year has been good
| one. They have branch houses in Bos-
| ton and Savannah. They handled in all
| this year about 200, 900 bushels.
Prominent among the dealers OH Not
! tingham g. Wrcnn's wharf are Messrs.
| j. D. Armstrong & Co, who are also
! planters. They represent. all told. 300
| 600 bushels annually. Quality of yield
last season was not considered good,
| though prices were as good as could be
| expected. Their pros poets are fair for
business next season.
| The Salt Water Oyster company do
| business on McCullough's wharf and
employ about so shuckc:s. They say the
| quality was only medium and profits
satisfactory the season just closed
| There are two houses on v. u. Groners
| pier, back Of the fort, viz: Messrs. II
| II. Atwood & Co. and -. Atwood Capt
! Isaac Paine managing for the former
and Capt. e. G.. Paine for the latter
These are Boston firms and have done
| each quite respectable business.
! 1T is fact that year by year the de-
mand for oysters increases, SO that in
! stead OF the business growing less in
volume it Grows Srea ter. A. facilities
| for transporting the fresh oyster 10 in
! land cities become greater the demand
| for them will grow to unheard Of pro-
| portions.