Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-26
Millions Made by Those Engaged
in the Trade.
industry Shows Large increase in tho
Last Fifteen or Twenty Years
Large Population Is Support
&c Directly by 1t.

New York.-From the days fifteen
II twenty years ago, when a few old
oyster fishermen nurtured beds in the
waters Of the sound outside Hell
Gate, the business has grown tire
mendously in the United States.
The old fishermen lived lives OF
ease and enjoyed themselves every
minute aboard the clumsy but com
Portable little sIoops.
Ali that is changed. The oyster
business is a big business now. It
produces annually in the state OF
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York
New Jersey, Virginia and California
$10,000,000 worth OF oysters for food
Other states are developing the in
dustry. A large population is sup
ported directly by it and still more
by contributory industries.
Oyster farmers and cultivators have
purchased from the different states
permission to cultivate the hitherto
barren ground covered by the waters
Of bays and sounds to a depth Of TWEEN
ty-five, fifty, or even 100 feet, and
have by expensive and hazardous ex-
periments caused this unproductive
ground to yield annually 100000
bushels Of oysters.
While the United States and other
various states have at public expense
propagated millions of swimming
fish, to be caught by those who are
engaged in the fisheries, the oyster
grower and planter has at his own
cost prOpagated his own crops and
worked out his own results by costly
experiments and large investment.
Instead of having his crops produced
and protected for him. as has been
done for the fishers of swimming fish,
he has paid large sums to the states
for the use of the ground on which
he might create and prosecute this
industry. In Connecticut, for exam
pie, the oyster growers have paid for
the franchises permitting them to
cultivate oysters, and they pay taxes
on these franchises. They own steam
ers, shops, wharves and other appuT-
tenances of a great industry. IN
Rhode Island the oyster growers pay
rental for oyster grounds.
The oyster industry has been de-
veloped against obstacles. Great
storms have swept away beds. The
natural enemies Of the oyster, espe-
cially the starfish and the drill. have
destroyed millions of dollars worth
Of the product, and the oyster farm
ers have expended as much more in
catching and destroying these enc
mics.
Just now, or, rather, every spring
or early summer, the oyster men are
much incensed at reports of alleged
cases of typhoid or, other illness from
eating oysters. They insist there is
nothing to it and that oysters are the
one delicacy that is peculiarly free
from infection. One of the big plant
ers, who was stopping at the Hotel
Knickerbocker last week, said of this:
ut has been said truly that there
were few places where oysters were
planted or fioated that might be con-
sidered insanitary. While one bushel
in 100000 might be so situated. the
other 99,999 are grown in the deep,
pure water of the great bays and
sounds. In those cases where there
was suspected danger of insanitary
effects, or even criticism, the great
oyster-shipping firms voluntarily dis
continued floating and snoring oys-
tiers, and the other shippers have
been required by law to discontinue
doing so. 1t is now forbidden to mar
ket any oysters from places that are
not approved by the health author
tiles. But, notwithstanding these
facts, certain writer's have continued
to work this profitable vein of sensa-
tionalism.
1T is contrary ia public policy that
a food such as oysters, which are