The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



Oyster Bay, and within a mile of the J. J. Brenner plant. 

 It is modern in every respect. 



You may be asking what it means to say that these 

 two plants are modern in every respect. The first packing 

 plants were modern when they had a bench upon which 

 to pile oysters, carried in by hand from a boat moored 

 to a dock near the plant. I have quoted from the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries bulletin as to the standards of 

 sanitary requirements in 1925. Today the word modern, 

 when applied to oyster packing plants, has taken a new 

 meaning. In addition to the standards of those days, mod- 

 ernized by better design and equipment, the plant is fully 

 mechanized. 



The oysters are carried from the boat on a moving 

 belt and dropped onto shucking tables. The shell, instead 

 of being carried or wheeled to the shell pile are dropped 

 through the table and carried by a moving belt to the 

 shell pile. Manual labor has been reduced to a minimum. 



These two companies have owned adjacent Olympia 

 Oyster beds, have operated packing plants close together, 

 have been operating as neighbors, during the entire life 

 of the Olympia Oyster industry. Likewise J. J. Brenner 

 and Geo. W. Draham, have been members of the Olym- 

 pia Oyster Growers Association, have co-operated with 

 its members thoughout its existence, have served on 

 many important committees together, and were close 

 friends as they shared honors as "Old Timers" at the 

 Golden Anniversary Dinner given by the Association in 

 their honor. 



In Oakland Bay, near Shelton, Washington, Joe H. 

 Deer, Thomas O'Neil, A. L. McDonald, Frank C. Chester 



(54) 



