El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-02

18TH the closing of the oyster
w season almost at hand and a
decision on the "floated'' oys-
ter question soon to be given out,
good opportunity to scrape a closer ac-
quaintance with his majesty, the oyster.
is afforded. The whole world stands
on the tiptoe of expectancy to hear the
decision of the legal question us a
'floated oyster 'fattened' OYSTER
Once it was held that it is not. Then
the Jersey members of congress had
the case reopened. Additional testimony.
given by the Jerseyites. who fIocked to
Washington TO the hearing, was taken,
and now DR.. Wiley and his colleagues
on the pure food board are wrestling
over the problem.
FIoaters Not Fattened.
The case in a nutshell is this: A year
ago the pure food board held that
'floated" oyster was not a "fattened'
oyster Several things led to this con-
clusion. In the first place. floating"
consisted in gathering oysters from the
beds in which they grew, carrying them
into brakish water, and leaving them
there from II hours to two weeks, in
| floats, where they could drink in all
the brakish water they wanted TO.
1t was found that in less than "a
hours they would grow to twice the ma
tural Size of salt water oysters. 1t was
claimed that they would keep in good
condition longer when out of the water,
that they were more pleasing to the eye
and TO the palate. But Dr. Wiley
thought it no more possible to fatten an
oyster in a day than to fatten a steer
in a week, and he said so. To prove 1t
he had some of the two kinds boiled,
and then weighed the cooked flesh. He
found that the "floated" oyster lost so
percent more In cooking, than the ordin-
airy salt water oyster so he concluded
that the so-called fattened oyster was
nothing more than common oyster
filled with water. The other members
| of the board agreed with him, and
"floated" oysters were declared to be
adulterated within the meaning of the
pure food law
Jersey People Protest.
A few weeks ago the case was re-
opened and reargued. The Jerseyites,
| who are principally interested in the
'floated" oyster question, declared that
they had found less than 1 percent more
water in a 'tfloated" oyster than in one
not floated, and that the ''floated"
! ones always were free from mud in
their 'innards." while the others seldom
were free from it.
They produced the evidence of deal
4 cTS anu nOlol men 10 prove Indl the
public demands "floated" oysters, that
they are larger, that they are more
toothsome, and that they keep for a
long period while the IMPLICATED" ones
tend to shrivel up and become unstable
after day out of the water. AS the
New Jersey oyster crop is more valu-
able than the wheat crop. the Jersey
ties are greatly interested in the ques-
ton.
When the Heated oyster question
was decided other steps were taken for
the protection of the public from impure
oysters. The use OF those from pollute ed
beds was forbidden, and the sale of bad
oysters prohibited. Likewise the use
of unsanitary containers was interdict-
ed. and after next May il will be unlaw-
full TO ship shucked oysters with ice or
water otherwise added. Thus will the
| public enjoy advantages during the next
| oyster season which were unknown
heretofore.
The Oyster Trade.
Few businesses possess more huma n
interest than the oyster trade. From
the pearl diver of Ceylon to the gather
er of the luscious Lynnhaven Bay there
is a sort Of romance centers about the
without price or the box o. six fried
which the humble laborer takes home,
or pearl buttons, the oyster is an in
teresting, versatile and useful animal.
Even in the oyster trade the good
| citizen bumps up against the issue that
will not MISREPRESENTATION. The in
exhaustible beds OF yesterday threaten
| to be the depleted ones of tomorrow.
Vast piles Of shells left in Massachusetts,
] regions by the indians of three cen
| turtles ago bear mute but eloquent wit
ness to the extent of the beds that once
| flourished off Cape Cod, and we are told
! that Americas first Thanksgiving din