Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-09-05
OYSTER CAN AGAIN.
Blvalves Will Be Sold in Old Fash
toned Manner Once More.

The cause of the lowly oyster has
been taken up by the packing and
express companies.
Declining consumption of the
deep-sea oyster has Deen noted for
several years. The little paper boz.
containing a pint or more of the
oysters was becoming a less and less
familiar sight in the hands of the
belated householder going home for
his evening meal.
A search for this cause was
started and the temperance of the
oyster can, so familiar to the goat
Of fifteen years ago as a tootbsome
article on the alley ash heaps, is
evidence that the cause has been
found and the matter rectifad
Oysters are being packed in cans
again, as they were a generation or
more ago. The bulk oyster is dis
appearing from the market. The
Baltimore company revived the can
package and the express companies.
who had interested themselves ip
the matter of the decline of oyster
eating, made rate concessions to re
establish oyster stews in favor.
Very definite causes have worked
for the restoration of the oyster can.
One was the sanitation wave which
has stirred the country SO vigorous
ly. The second was the decadence
IN the flavor Of the oyster. The
third was the adulteration of the
bulk oyster liquor The people be-
came seized with the idea that the
bulk oyster was unsanitary. About
the same time it became apparent
to oyster eaters that the flavor OF
the bivalve was not what it used to
be.
The air tight oyster can was
seized upon at once as the solution
OF the difficulty. With such a
package the oysters were absolutely
secure from dust, exterior microbe
infection and unclean methods OF
handling and thinning. They were
| protected by the air-tight process Of
sealing from rapid decay. The
second requisite was obtained also
when investigation disclosed the
fact that the absence of the delicious
/ flavor was only at the point of con
! sumption. At the factory" they
tasted just as good as ever. The
| genius Of the packing company dis
covered that the flavor was lost
through exposure IN bulk packages,
OF thinning 10y the middle men.
The reappearance Of the oyster
can in the shops is very noticeable.
They have practically replaced the
earthen crooks for bulk oysters with
the long ladle.
And besides the standard can OF
fifteen years ago has come the little
can for small families, containing
about a pint. On opening the can
the consumer Will find little but
ter blue ink label with the com
pany's guarantee of the oyster, the
number of the packer for reference
and some receipts for cooking the
oyster. The can will be found full
of solid meats with the minimum Of
liquor from the juicy bivalves.
Oyster firm packers fell into the
bulk method of handling for various
reasons. One was the ease IN ship
ment, another was the demand for
less than can lots. In bulk form
the dealer could deal out IL small
quantities if necessary. With the
transportation rate concession by
the express companies, the cans can
be sold at very reasonab BILE prices.
The express companies began to
notice the falling off Of consumption
of oysters" said a local dealer.
I'VE got together and came 20 the
conclusion that the consumer was
not satisfied with the flavor of the
oyster shipped in bulk and was af-
, fected by the sanitary campaign.
through the country which con
} demned oysters from certain dis
tricts unsealed, shipped and the
greater should be shipped in cans
only.
We have been tt. ing TO keep the
standard can in the market. All
oysters were handled in sealed cans
or little kegs until about fifteen OF
more years ago the packer started
to ship in bulk. Families gradually
quit eating oysters as the oysters
did not get to them in as appetizirg
a manner as they should in cans.
Miss Genevieye Belken who has
been visiting her sister Mrs. H. S.
Gerlach at St. Paul, returned home