The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1910-12-20
SEALSHIPT VS.. BIG
OYSTER MONOPOLY
MassasOit and Smith Companies Add
ed to Stratford Concern Sale.
DENY COMBINATION TO
ELEVATE THE PRICES.
Transfers to Big System in Six
Months Cost Approximately
$1,OOO,OOO.

Following the purchase of the STRAIT
ford Oyster Co., which was owned by
a stock company of Stratford residents
for something like half million dol
lars. the Sealshipt Oyster System has
Massasoit Oyster Company and the
Frank W. Smith Company at Warren.
r. l., and L. Brooks, gigantic plan
for cornering all the desirable oyster
grounds in this part of the country
seems to be almost contaminated.
Frederick S. Beardsley of Stratford
is treasurer of the Sealshipt System.
He was secretary and manager OF the
Stratford Oyster Company which has
an office at 40 California street, Bridge
port.
Attorney Arden l.. Judd was treas
urer Of the company and John G. Will
coxson was president.
Among the larger owners of shares
in the stock company which went over
to the Sealshipt System were the OIL
GERS and stiles Judson. C. S. Smith. s.
S. Beardsley. the Ezra Whiting fam
lily and Mrs. H. J. Lewis.
The Stratford Oyster Company is
now the Stratford Oyster farm divis-
ion Of the Sealshipt System. The sys-
tenn has many divisions. located at
bay and other places
The Stratford Company beds were
considered among the finest in the
world, off Stratford Sou h Bay. Green
port. Long Island. and Providence.
The following is from the Providence
Rumors of an attempt to create a
corner in the oyster business Of the
country or, as it is commonly known.
a trust in this industry. are very
persistent this week. following the sale
a few days since at Warren of the
Massasoit oyster Company and the
plant owned by Frank w. Smith.
These sales had been pending for some
time, but II was not until the latter
part Of last week that they were
brought to a successful consumma-
ton The purchase price is not given
out. but it mus have been OF some
magnitude. as the asking price for
each Of the concerns was in excess OF
$3.50 900.
The purchaser was the Stratford
Oyster Company. which is one OF the
large branches of the Sealshipt Oys-
ter System Of South Norwalk. Conn,
and which has a good sized plant on
Water street at East Providence. With
it's acquisition Of the two Warren COM
panies. added to it's former holdings
in and about the waters of Narragan-
sett Bay. this company now holds the
grounds in Rhode Island and its con-
tiguous territory while at the same
time it is conceded to be the largest
inividual holder Of oyster grounds III
the world.
The fact that this company is said
to be backed by the Armour and
Swift beef interests is responsible for
the rumor among local dealers that 1t
will not be long before the price OF
oysters is raised to the wholesaler
and the dealers and that consequent
ly the public will have taste Of
high prices on one more article OF
food
This statement is denied by r. S.
Beardsley, the treasurer of the Seal
shipt Oyster System, and the manag-
err of the Stratford Oyster Company
In an interview with a Bulletin rep
resentative at the East Providence
plant he stated that any rumor that
the price of oysters was to be raised
by his company was false.
"The price of oysters like many
other things is fixed by the law Of
supply and demand" he declared
THE price may be low this year
owing to an excess quantity and a
fine harvest, or because the set did
not pan out as well as had been
Anticipated, there may be fewer than
was expected. This latter instance
would serve to make the price high
er. The average price at present TO
the wholesaler is from $1.25 to $1.5O
gallon. the big. fat oysters COM
manding a higher price than the small
ones.
80 far as our company is con-
cerned,'' he continued. 1--WE are sim
ply a selling corporation. but we are
always ON the lookout for available
plants and absorb them if the oppor-
tunity arises and they look good to
u.s."
The two Warren companies just
purchased are quite extensive proper
ties. That of the Massasoit Oyster
company of which Ex-senator Thorn
as H. Connolly was the head. held
332 acres of oyster ground under lease,
employed 80 to 40 men and hes des it's
extensive wharf property and build
fngs owned the power boats Bessie
and Jessie, each of 600 bushels capa-
city Captain Smith controlled $50