Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30
HALF MAN, HALF WOMAN.
So Seem the Oyster Maids of Goes at
First Sight.
ON tho New York Tribune.

! From the New York Tribune.
On the island of South Beveland, por-
| t,on of the province of iceland lying be-
| +ween the east and west mouths Of the
| river scheldt, many of the women are en-
Moved in an occupation which hardly
seems a womans to the American, that
of working on the oyster beds. Goes, a
| town on the north side Of the island IS the
| center Of this industry in Holland.
The scene about Goes is an interesting
one Everywhere are splashes of red Near
the shore are number of strengthening
nersons At a distance their garb sug-
gests that they are half man, half woman.
Some of them, mingled with a group Of
figures which undoubtedly are those Of
men. are moving about in the shallow
water of a series of long. narrow pools
They have implements resembling long
handled forks in their hands. On their
heads are dainty white sunbonnets, which
protect the head and neck from the SUM-
The plump round arms are bare to the bt-
ceps The covering of the bust is embroid-
cred profusely and is partly hidden beneath
the folds of an outer covering which passes
over the shoulders and Is crossed at the
waist in front. A skirt is rolled up over
the hips The lower extremities are en-
cased to the hips in clumsy leather boots,
which remind one OF the covering of a d.
vers limbs in their lOoSeness. A flash of
red shows above the top of each boot.
Sitting astride an oyster barrel, near a
barn-like frame building standing close
by the shore, like jolly bacchante is one
Of these creatures. Over the black stock
ings and red flannel knickerbockers She
for the nondescript figures a nearer view
prove to be women-is drawing on one Of
the pairs of boots which she has pulled
out Of pile of similar boots near by. These
are the women who work on the oyster
beds of Holland. They are good, whole
some-looking persons, who turn their heads
away or cover their faces with their hands
with a little self-conscious laugh when
camera is pointed toward them When the
work Is done, the boots are drawn off, the
skirt dropped and they again typical
Dutch housewives. Nearly the entire popu-
lation-men, women and children-is en-
gagged in the cultivation of the oyster.
In Holland the oysters are grown in shall
low pools. through which the salt water is
permitted to flow freely. series of these
pools is called a park. The most important
part of the work is done in April, when the
oysters spawn. 1t Is then that the col
lectors," curved tiles about a foot long,
covered with layer of mortar, are placed
In the parks. The spawn floating about in
the water attaches itself to the collectors,
and is then gathered into boxes eight feet
by two feet and immersed in the beds. In
August the collectors" are taken out for
cleansing, an operation performed by
women. In the autumn they are again re-
moved from the water the young oysters
now being the size of a 25-cent piece and
strong enough to live alone A special
kind of scissors is used to take the oysters
off The tiles, with their living excres-
cences. are placed in the middle of table
around which gather men and women. The
latter are more dexterOuS than the former
in performing the operation. Considerable
skill is required, as there is danger of
puncturing the thin shell and njurng the
young oyster. Notwithstanding the care
exercised, the loss is from 90 to 25 per
cent.
Not yet provided with shells sufficiently
strong to protect them from their numer-
Gus n"mies, the oysters are then put In
fiat boxes with bottoms of wire netting,
called "ambulances" and are covered with
other boxes of the same kind. Three
months later, when the oysters have at
tanned a diameter of from two to two and
half inches and shell thick enough to
withstand the attacks of their enemies
they are strewn along the beds. to remain
until they are three years old and have at
tanned their full growth.