The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



This invitation was accepted. I was met and conducted on 

 a tour of the oyster areas of the East, went out on dredges 

 in Chesapeake Bay, in New Jersey, Virginia, and New 

 York, visited some of the largest packing plants, and 

 ended by attending the directors meeting in New York. 

 There an advertising cam^paign was started by initial 

 subscriptions of approximately fifty thousand dollars. 

 On that trip I met many of the leading oystermen, and 

 in Washington D. C , I met men in the Fisheries Depart- 

 mxent and the U. S. Department of Health, who were very 

 helpful when later on I was called upon to make other 

 trips representing our own oyster industry. 



The Olympia Oyster advertising program v/as unique 

 in every respect. It was for the most part limited to the 

 western states. This was because of the competition with 

 the Eastern oyster, especially east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and excessive express rates. In fact, it was limited 

 to the Pacific Coast States. In those days advertising was 

 not as expensive as it is today. Now half-hour programs 

 on T. V. cost more than this small industry, at one dol- 

 lar per sack, (about ten per cent of gross receipts) could 

 afford to spend in one year. But the subject matter was of 

 such interest to the public that it received broad coverage 

 from a news and general interest standpoint. Such able 

 writers as Dr. Trevor Kincaid contributed most interest- 

 ing articles on the history of the Olympia Oysters, its 

 merits as a food of the finest flavor and food value. 

 These articles, with illustrative pictures, were published 

 by such papers as the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the Ore- 

 gon Journal, and in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As 

 the interest spread, other writers wanted information 



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