Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1887 — THE OYSTER. [ARTICLE]

THE OYSTER.

Some Interestin'- Observations Apro_J>QS of the Luscious Bivalve. X. Y. Letter. September Ist the oyster monopolized attention in Neiy York. He even discounted in importance the yacht talk, the base-ball and race talk and politics. People said, <: R, there, I will now partake of the oyster.” Because" of the "R” in September the first day of that mouth has become the regular reorganized opening day of the oyster season, and people who yesterday could not be prevailed upon to partake of this succulent and delicious insect to-day are gormandizitig on the cool, seductive ocean bird. Yesterday it was not thp season and not “the thing” by a large majority. It makes no difference that appliances for keeping oysters are now so perfect that the idea of season and time has practically done away with the “R” superstition, it still holdg, and probably.alw’ays will hold, just as we still wear buttons on the hack of our coats, though the sword belts they were originally put on to support were discarded many years ago. All of the papers give a good deal of space to tbe oyster to-day, and the importance of that individual is emphasized. In one of the club 3 a dozen well known men sat last night before plates of Shrewsberrv oysters watching the clock as the hands neared the middle hour. At the last stroke of 12 they turned in on the oysters, and the “season” was becomingly opened, though the “seasoning” was scarce, as it is not “the thing” to season oysters much, aside from adropof tobasco or a bit of horse radish, and it is “the thing” to take the oyster from the shell. The good liver views with horror the use of the' fork or the puncturing of the animal. It is good form to] take the half-shell in which the white, fat ocean butterfly is alluringly lying in his own liqqor, in the left hand, put a drop of tabasco on his royal deliciousness with the right hand, put the edge of the shell against the lips, open your mouth, throw back your head and let him slip down your o»3ophagus swiftly, sweetly, to nestle in your grateful stomach. Itjs getting to be considered among the epicures as a great outrage to cook the gentle oyster in any way. And why should he be submitted to fire and batter and grease and sauce when he comes to you in his simple, natural state, the most delicious morsel nature has prepared for her hungry children, with his own flesh ready for the digestive apparatus, and his own juice prepared to assimilate harmoniously with the gastric fluids and-aid in the natural processes that shall make him presently a party and parcel of an immortal human being, instead of a dumb and humble mollusk ruminating on a mud bottom of a salt water pond. When you fry the ovster you make a nasty, greasy mess that must be chewed. When you stew him you make him into a little leathery lump, and again you must chew him. Scallops, patties, -pies, pickles, baked, roasted, steamed—they are all outrages The oj ster resents them all. H< should be taken j ust a 3 he is without one plea. The rushing of the oyster trade here yesterday and to-day has been immense Ten million oysters yesterday were shipped unshelled And three millions opened in tubs, but the supply wa9 far below the demand. This year promises to be the greatest ever known in the trade and the oysters are above the average in quality. The demand for ox ster. j»rows amazingly, and the oyster business has already become one of the leading industries. There are oyer sixty thousand people engaged in the. business in this Slafce alone. The Wcaft* ern trade has grown prodigiously and, is still increasing at as great'a rate as ever and the European demand has increased equally. Ten years ago about a thousand bafrels a week were sent abroad. Now it takes ten thousand barrels a week to supply the market. Said one dealer: p “The demand foi small oysters has increased very much during the last two years in New York. At Delmonico’s and the leading restaurants they used Saddle Rocks and the larger kind of oysters exclusively; now* the popular demand is for small Oak Island or Blue Points, which ruu 2,000 to the barrel. Then & great deal more trouble is taken with oysters nqw than there Used to be. For instance, we take up our oysters at Prince’s Pay and drop them down again in Ran way River, giving them one tide in the fresh water to take the rancid taste and sand out of them before they, come into the market. Yes, it trill probably be a big season, but many of the houses here do not begin • to open oysters lor two or three dayß yet. It’s all nonsense; oysters are as good one ! month as another.” Last year over 100,000 barrels were sent to England arid this year the amount will far exceed that.