446 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



and will probably so continue, owing to the nature of the work. The 2,460 females are all employed 

 in the steain oyster houses of Baltimore. They are mostly white girls, of from sixteen to twenty- 

 live years of age, the proportion of older ones, as well as of colored, being small. These girls are 

 almost without exception of foreign birth or parentage, the largest proportion being of Bohemian 

 origin, with Irish probably coming next. Few American girls, however poor, will consent to engage 

 in this occupation, as in it both sexes must mingle indiscriminately, without regard to color, class, 

 or condition. Owing to the thorough steaming, the oysters are very easily opened and the amount 

 of physical labor required is comparatively light ; but during busy seasons the work begins about 

 daybreak and lasts until dark, and is of course exceedingly fatiguing. An industrious hand can 

 make from 75 cents to $1 a day, but from the great irregularity in their work they are probably not 

 engaged over one-half of the time. 



Considering the class of people employed in the packing-houses, I do not think it safe to 

 estimate more than an average of two individuals dependent upon the wages of each shucker, at 

 which rate there are iu Maryland 17,278 people dependent upon oyster-shucking. 



There are about two hundred and twenty-five men composing the ninety-five oyster-packing 

 firms of the State. The large majority of them are of Northern birth, and many of them, espe- 

 cially those in Crisfield and the smaller packing towns, reside in Maryland only during the oyster 

 season, returning every spring to their Northern homes. More oyster packers have come from 

 Connecticut than from all other States combined. Mr. C. S. Maltby and Mr. A. Field, who respect- 

 ively established the raw and the steam trade, were both originally from Connecticut, and both 

 are still living, the former in active business. There are about 1,125 individuals forming the 

 families of the oyster packers. 



During May, June, July, and August the packers of Baltimore are engaged in canning fruits 

 and vegetables, and the same girls who in winter shuck oysters, in summer pare peaches and other 

 fruits. The male shuckers of Baltimore, as well as those of the cities in lower Maryland, having no 

 regular employment in summer, work at whatever odd jobs may be found. 



The manufacture of cans and cases, quite an important industry in Baltimore, is so largely 

 dependent upon oyster-packing, that an effort has been made to obtain some statistics pertaining 

 to it, although the exact figures will appear in the census of manufacturing industries. About 

 $250,000 is invested iu the business, which gives employment to four hundred men (on oyster cans), 

 whose wages for eight months amount to about $100,000. This estimate is based on the number of 

 cans used, as shown by the returns from the packing houses, the workmen being paid so much per 

 100 cans. It was very difficult to obtain any satisfactory statistics regarding the number of ship- 

 carpenters occupied in building and repairing oyster vessels, but from an extensive correspondence 

 with ship-builders in various parts of the State, 1 think it will be placing the estimate too low 

 rather than too high to say that there are three hundred workmen, including carpenters and sail- 

 makers, with yearly wages amounting to $150,000. 



As can-makers, ship yard workmen, &c., we then have 700 men, with about 3,500 people depend- 

 ent upon them, receiving $250,000 in wages. It was found impossible to obtain the number of 

 people engaged in the retail trade of Baltimore and other cities, as any statistics gathered from 

 restaurants and hotels would be delusive, since they are not engaged exclusively in handling 

 oysters. Under the circumstances, the best estimates that can be made may be deduced from cal- 

 culations based upon the local consumption in the cities. In Baltimore the city trade is monopo- 

 lized by a number of commission houses, which handle all the oysters taken for local use, with the 

 exception of the receipts by steamers. From the books of these firms it was ascertained that the 

 sales of oysters from September 1, 1S79, to May 1, 1880, for consumption in the city and suburbs, 



