The Washington times., 1901-09-22

or Phllaueipnlstn or Baltimorean
who may eat them abroad that there
are still oysters in the worid-even if
they are a long distance from the top
notch flavor of home oysters
The acme of oyster transportation is
found in the service operated between
Norfolk and Cape Charles, Va. and the
principal oyster-consuming cities of the
country-Washingto Baltimore. Phil
adelphia, and New York This is the
special train run by the New York.
Philadelphia, and Norfolk Railroad,
which is a part of the Pennsylvania
system, and of which particular road
the present president of the Pennsyl-
vania was chief executive before he as
sumed direction of the highest office in
the gift of the Pennsylvania system.
This train bears the thousands and
thousands of the choicest oysters from
Norfolk and the environs of the Ches-
apeake Bay into the markets of the
cities above named, and places in the
very centre of their distributing mar
kets the delicious oysters of the days
dredging. At the close of every day.
wher the markets of the Norfolk and
Chesapeake districts have turned over
their products to the transportation
men. they are placed in the cars of the
"oyster special" which are as perfect
type of the refrigerating car as the
most luxurious Pullmans are of their
own special style. and drawn by the
fieetest engines in the service. over the
various divisions between Cape Charles
and Jersey City, the almost countless
morsels of deliciousness are whirled
from their breeding grounds into mar
ket.
There are no oysters in the world like
those to be eaten in Norfolk, Washing
ton, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New
York, and if the truth be written New
York does not get the choice either.
The oyster special is one of the big
gest money making trains in the world.
and some day, when the general man
ager of the line grows confidential, he
will tell how the success Of the oyster
special inspired the idea of the special
Southern fruit and vegetable trains
that whirl between Cape Charles and
New York in all seasons, bringing the
refreshing vegetables and luscious
fruits of the South to Northern markets
in winter time, and made the "Nyp ana
NJ as railroad men designate the New
York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk, one of
the best paying railroad properties In
the United States. And from Washing
ton, too, special crrs are whirled to-
ward Pittsburg and Buffalo, laden with
oysters from the Chesapeake.
Philadelphia and Baltimore are prob
ably the most important centres of the
oyster trade, because within this sphere
of influence lies the greatest oyster
producing country in the world From
all parts of the upper Chesapeake come
the products of the oyster beds TO the
Baltimore market. Philadelphia mar
kets all the oysters Of the Jersey dis
trict and from the famous coves OF
Maurice River; Washington draws a
portion of her quota from the beds at
the mouth of the James River. while
New York culls her supply from every
where, and especially from the beds of
the Shrewsbury River and of Rock
away, and the many retreats OF the oys-
ter on the Long Island shores. Down
East they have great liking for the
oyster, and some famous morsels come
out of Providence River and the upper
eastern part of Long Island Sound. The
Providence River oyster is of an espe-
cially fac flavor. and New England is
not as badly off for oysters as it might
seem, with pretty nearly all OF the
choicest claimed before they get
chance to journey farther north or east
than New York.
The king of oysterdom is the Lynn
Haven Bay, from Norfolk and the low
er Chesapeake. and no connoisseur Of
mollusks is ever profane enough to
sound the name of this superb morsel
in the same breath with the mention
of another oyster, no matter how high
their repute. 1t has been long and pop
ularly supposed by some hundreds OF
thousands of people WHO don't know
any better that the Blue Point repre-
sented all there was to be found in the
aristocracy and flavor of an oyster. 1t
is of size to fit the budding mouth OF
a beauty, and 1t has always been pop
ular and beloved oyster among women.
Many men. because they knew little
about an oyster, and as often because
they were gallant, gave the palm to the
Blue Point, because their wives or
sweethearts or sisters said it was the
only oyster, and so the Blue Point. an
excellent oyster. too, has been praised
highly and deservedly.
Any person who has eaten stewed,
panned, or fried oysters in Philadelphia
knows there is no place on top of the
earth where they are cooked in those
styles as In the city of Penn. Wash
ington claims the credit for steamed
oysters par excellence. while Baltimore
chafes and roasts the oyster to a hne
degree. New York gets a combination
of all the cooking styles. but oysters In
New York are never nearly so satisfac-
tory as they are in Baltimore. Wash
ington, or Philadelphia, and every good
judge of an oyster will agree to this.
There are hundreds Of bays" in Phila-
delphia where one can get oysters
stewed or panned or fried most de-
liciously. Why they are SO much finer
in these styles in Philadelphia is not ex-
actly explainable; but. like Philadel-
phia squads and chickens and butter,
Philadelphia cooked oysters are beyond
compare. and the special styles in
which they are prepared in the quiet
city on the Delaware are famous.
1t is conservatively estimated that in
the Eastern States, where the oyster
has his greatest vogue, nearly 100000
men get their living directly from him