The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



he lived on the land adjoining his oyster beds. After he 

 sold his oyster beds, he went into the chicken business. 

 The difficulty these people had in adjusting themselves 

 to modern methods is illustrated by his failure. One day 

 he told me, "Chickens no good for Indian. White man 

 chickens get all time more, get much eggs; Indian chic- 

 ken die, get no eggs. Oyster better for Indian. All time 

 muk-a-muk (food)." So he retired to Squaxin Island Re- 

 servation where he could dig clams and catch fish. The 

 last time I saw him I said, "Well, how are you today, 

 Dick?" His answer, "Oh fine, only all time sick." 



Sandy Wohaut, whose oyster beds I acquired after his 

 death, gave me a bit of Indian lore. At the south end of 

 his beds a narrow but deep gorge extends back into the 

 upland. It has rather a level bottom, a fine bubbling 

 spring, and alder trees. He said that when the Yakima 

 Indians declared war on them all the Indians of Oyster 

 Bay would come there, hide in this ravine until the raid 

 was over, living on oysters and clams. They must have 

 done that for many years, for I took many scow loads of 

 oyster shell from there rotting with age, and spread 

 them on the oyster beds. They proved to be good cultch. 



I have already given the story and life of the early 

 pioneers of O^^ster Bay. It would not be a complete his- 

 tory of the Olympia Oyster without mention of others, 

 who from time to time, have come into the picture; the 

 younger generation. For instance, J. J. Brenner took his 

 son. Earl G. Brenner, into his firm, after he returned from 

 service at the end of World War I, about 1918. Earl 

 gradually assumed his place of leadership. In turn Earl's 

 two sons Earl R. and John, also took their place in the 



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