The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-01

located includes an odd medley Of people.
Those near towns are largely made up Of
the hotsam and jetsam Of the irregularly
employed, found on every shore. What
may be called the arcadian clammers'
camp is quite different. In these there
are, with scarcely an exception, one or
more represe ntatives Of a class that is
typical. In Louisiana and Mississippi this
class is known as "Piney Woods People,"
in Georgia and Florida as Crackers" The
clam fishing repres entatives Of this Pc
culiar people are more intelligent than are
some others Of their class, from the fact
that they are wanderers, and, from their
point Of view, have seen much Of the
world.
What Is known as Clam Town. on the
wisconsin shore Of the Mississippi river,
about sixty miles below Minneapolis, Is a
typical arcadian clammers' camp. A large
clam bed, which has not yet been fished
out, IS the attraction. Households, tents,
and shacks are scattered in picturesque
confusion along sandy beach, backed
by a narrow bit Of wood, above which rise
high bluffs, crowned with fertile farms,
which stretch back as far as can be seen.
With the single exception Of the aristo-
crat, who occupies the houseboat, each In
! habttant of Clam Town makes excuse for
being there. AS he sees it, the house,
| boat man has reason to felicitate rather
! that ne pays no taxes. has no fuel bills,
| since the river brings him all he needs In
| this line in the shape of driftwood, that
| he goes where he pleases and when he
| pleases, taking his home with him. His
satisfaction Is not without reason. The
six little staterooms, the living room, the
small reception room, the narrow porch
deck, bright with flowers are illustrations
| Of how comfortable a family can be In
limited space and with very little money.
When the summer wanes he moves his
taut domicile to the town of his choice,
] and with no frmer foundation for II
than the flowing river, is as safe and sat
| winter days go by, he fishes for CLAIMS
thru the ice with clam rake. and sc
| keeps the pot boiling without encroachine
on his summer savings.
The itinerant who represents class
tells of lost opportunities, which. are his
! reasons for being clammer. With his
wife, their two children, and his partner
he lives In g. one-room shack, and
while making an honest If not opulent liv.
ing, he is looking for the big pearl. There
are several old farmers and their wives
who, having outlived the necessity Of the
i strenuous labor Of farm life, spend theil
summers at Clam Town, earning JUS
enough to give zest to their quiet days
i Several invalids are doing enough fishing
W Ildho tIelT lCdIuplIlS-OuC-CuT6 pay
II A little crop OF white tents occupied BY
university students, is called 1.-THE Big Mi
Camp" A huge boxing glove is their In
sigma, and, working and idling with equa
; zest, they are the pride Of the camp.
The representative ne'er- do-welI, VIII
never ceases cut of the land is found Il
Clam Town as elsewhere. He Is believe.
J Of the dogs and the children. and find
4 more pearls than all Of the other, clam
I mers. and has less money; but he is quit
honest, whether In his cups or out Of them
:. as are the other inhabitants Of this sum
mer town. Whether the clammer is i
possession Of money paid him by shell an
/ pearl buyer. or has found a big pearl tina
} may be worth almost any price, he goes
81 his rest with the coming Of darkness Chi
drafty tent or shack is not suited to arti
fetal lightly with no thought Of possibl
, loss. In these oddly assorted little com
) munities theft and dishonesty are alrnos
I unknown. 1t Is not from his fellows tina
: the clammer desires to get quick gain:
but from the big river, whichtis always tn
IS loser.