Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28
THE FIRST MoNTHWlTHAN r,
With sspssnbsS Comes the Advsn. of the
/ sas n o,'ssr
Pro.pest. sor Lark s-pply and
Good auality-0pilions OF tie
LdGnl Dealers.

oyster seasonoS OF 1878 viii open.
During the past few weeks the boats from
down the river have been bringing thou
sands ofwatermelons and canteioupes from
the farms along the Potomac. Coan.
Wicomico. St. Mary's and Yeocomico
rivers as well as from the numerous
creeks betw cen here and Point Lookout.
But now that the fruit season IS almost
over the owners are getting their boats
IN condition for. the oyster season. 1t is
necessary every year to make some re-
pairs, even IL a coat of paint Is not given,
put the more prosperous oystermen never
Lall TO put on thick coat of paint. ST.
Georges Island is favorite place for the
Doatmen to haul up for repairs, for here
.ney can get In St. Mary's or st. GeorSe's
river, where they are well protected from
the weather. Then, too, the river steamers
al stop there, and It is an easy matter
sor the captains to get supplies of material
from the city.
Down the river. as well as about fish
town, every man who runs on a boat is
known as captain" no matter what posi-
tlon ne holds The fact that he is euler
as the utie Is concerned. and the man who
ialis TO address him as such may EXPECT
70 pay for hts bivalves price in advance
Oh the regular market quotation.
Summer Oysters.
During the summer months, when many
oysters are taken from the river IT is
stated, In violation of law, they are shipped
mere on the river steamers instead of being
brought in sloops and pungies. This is
done for the reason that they must be
moved with little delay as possible in
order to get them here in good condition
and also for the reason that they are not
brought in large quantities. Oysters from
the north are brought to Washington on
the steam railroads, and they are sold
by the hundred, while the river and bay
oysters are sold by the bushel all the year
round. The dealers will soon make their
improvements about the oyster wharf in
order to be ready to handle the supplies
brought here early in the season. The
shuckers will also have their knives ready
to go to work. There are scores of men
who do nothing in winter except to shuck
oysters at the wharf. and the man who
Is an expert earns money enough to sup
port himself and family. and has some to
put aside for 1.-THE rainy season. which in
MS case is the warm weather period
Many of these shuckers live down the
river and only come here during the oys-
ter season to work. Some of them are
already here. anticipating an early open
ing OF the season., and their appearance &c,
the. oystermen say, is indicative of what
may be expected.
The arrivals of oysters from down the
river have averaged a little more than a
hundred bushels a week for the hot wealth
er. but as September, the first fall month
with an -'er' i'll IT. approaches the receipts
increase. During The past two weeks the
receipts Showed that double the quantity
averaged in the hot weather had arrived
more than two hundred bushels being re-
ceived. About the river front, as well as
among the dealers throughout the city,
he opinion is EXPRESSED that his is to be
the best season experienced in many years.
The oysters were in good condition all
summer, they say. and even now they are
in better Condition than they sometimes
are much later ip' the season. Next months
trade will depend entirely, upon the wealth
or conditions. anI, the range of the Their
mometer, will guide the men who do the
hardest part Of the work. What they want
prove th9S condition of the bivalves, and
also to cIfate a demand, for them, Should
the weather remain, warm. however, the
opening Fl tbs, season will be, backward
and trade. Will NOT improve: much before
the middle OF the month, the dealers say.
beginning !Sf Dfeagcrss Season.
The dredgers VIII not begin operations
until tho middle of October. and after this
time trade will pick up considerably The
big canneriesi will not open up until the
dreigers have hauled oysters enough from
the river to give the market a good, big
supply. zy.
About the restaurants the oyster bars
are being put in their places many of the
keepers always desiring to open their raw
boxes the first day of the r month. There
are some few restaurants In which oysters
are handled twelve months in the year. so
that with them the opening of the season
brings no changes.
THE prospects for a good season are
unusually bright this year." said Mr. J.
H.. Hogan, who has been In the oyster
business for a number of years. Northern
oysters are already in excellent shape. the
Keyports being received filing the shells
Most of the northern stock now being re-
ceived is fatter and in better condition
than many oysters are in the winter time
"A few bay oysters are coming in, and
season, they are still little thin. This is
generally the case soon after the spawning
season.
BLUE Points are in fine condition. and
the outlook for them was never more prom
Using. Northern oysters generally are bet
ter this season than / have ever before
seen them at this time of the year.
Lynnhaven oysters will not come into
the market until the latter part of Sep
TENDER; they are not taken from the water
until then.
The Perennial Clam.
CLANS and crabs he said, ARE now to
be had twelve months in the year, but this
trade does not interfere with the sale of
oysters. Soft crabs will be in market until
about the LIST of October"
The prices of oysters this year Mr.
Hogan said, will be about the same as last
year, so lar as ne is able to judge. Reports
from the Chesapeake and lower Potomac
are all favorable to a good yield, and at
present there is nothing to indicate an in
crease in price.
Mr.. Edward Weser, dealer with years
OF experience, Is certain that the coming
oyster crop is going to be an excellent one
unless something develops during the next
few weeks to upset all calculations This
summer, he says, the Potomac oysters have
been in fine condition, because of the late
spring, the cool weather keeping them fat
Potomac oysters. he said, have been relied
upon to a large extent for the summer
trade, and there was no reason for COM
plant on the score of condition At this
season Of the year. Mr.. Weser SAYS. the
oysters from northern waters are depended
upon. especially for the fancy trade. be-
cause they, get far so much earlier
During the SUMMER months the demand
for oysters, Is not great, so that the supply
is ample and the Potomac oysters come in
Quantities large epough to fill most orders.
While the fall season begins on the list of
Septembets the trade is guided entirely by
the weather; The first, big demand will
come with the first spell of cool weather
Then people feel n1ore like eating oysters
and the demand IS also Increased for the
reason that hundreds of people are driven
Advices from shippers Mr.. weser said
all indicate a prosperous season and plenty