28 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



of oysters in cargoes from Virginia, by Atwood & Bacon alone, will show. Besides these there were eight or ten 

 other dealers in the city. Atwood & Bacon received — 



Bushela. I BuBhels. 



In 1846 32,575'ln 1853 123,097 



lu 1850 90,354 



In 1851 90,587 



IQ 1855 105,752 



In 1857 83,000 



These were by their own nine vessels alone ; they had occasional cargoes otherwise. The largest lot (1853) cost 

 them $41,85.3, which gives an idea of values. Freight in those days was 17 cents. 



At i^resent very few oysters, indeed, are bedded in the vicinity of Boston, while of propagation there is none 

 whatever. The grounds in the harbor were never very excellent, and became less so as the city increased in size. 

 The encroachments of the building and filling in along the water-front over-ran the old limits of the bedding-grounds, 

 and even the ancient natural beds. Where the Boston and Maine railway's car-house stands, a leading dealer not 

 many years ago laid down -42,000 bushels in a single season. It was known as White isUuid at that time. The 

 South Boston flats are being graded up into streets, and the Charles, Mystic, and Maiden rivers. Bird island, and 

 other places were long ago abandoned, because the wharves or the sewerage of the city has destroyed their 

 Hsefulness to the oystermun. Instead of bedding in his own harbor, therefore, the Boston dealer, as a rule, now 

 rents ground in Buzzard's or ISTarraganset bays, and lays down there (the principal gn.nTrJs being about the mouth 

 of Providence river) the Virginia oysters he proposes to use for his summer- and autumn-trade, or else he has 

 abandoned the i^ractice altogether. The process of bedding will be dwelt upon in the chapter upon the Khode 

 Island fisheries. 



The oyster-trade during the Eebellion. — The coming on of the war of secession found the Boston 

 oyster-trade in its niost flourishing condition. More cargo-oysters were brought then, than ever since; prices were 

 high and profits large. The shipping interests fostered by it were large, too, for the competition of railways and 

 steamers had hardly made itself felt. Most of the large dealers ran lines of vessels of tlieir own, as well as chartering 

 additional assistance in the spring. In the demand for fast sailers which the oyster-business created, is found the 

 origin of that celebrated model of sailing vessel that made America famous on the seas — the clipper-ship. The first 

 of these were made by Samuel Hall, a noted shipbuilder, at his yard in East Boston, and were named Despatch, 

 Montezuma, Telegraph, and Express. They were from 90 to 120 tons, old measurement, and carried an average cargo 

 of 2,500 bushels of oysters. Six months in the year these clippers were devoted to bringing oysters from Virginia. 

 There were thirty-five or forty of these "sail" running, and in the summer they would go fishing. The freight 

 tariff on oysters was then 20 cents, and during the war it went as high as 25 cents a bushel. 



The war interfered sadly with the business of oystering. Often the military operations did not admit of the 

 cultivating and raking of the beds in Virginia and Maryland, or of the schooners from northern ports going where 

 they wished to buy. A period of higher costs and shortened sales was in store for the dealers, and they have not 

 yet quite recovered the prosperity of 1860. The greatest period of depression was 1874-'75, when the business was 

 almost a failure. I think none of the dealers " suspended ", however. 



Attempts at oyster-culture. — In the course of this business, as long ago as the traditions of the trade go 

 back, a few bushels were now and then laid down in various parts of the harbor to keep them from spoiling. But 

 this was not at first a regular and systematic thing. The bedding-grounds were usually in the Charles, Mystic, 

 Maiden, and Pines rivers, often above the bridges, or on the Winthrop shore. Later all the dealers bedded on the 

 South Boston flats, which are now being wholly filled up by the New York and New England railway. There was 

 a large, oval, bare space here, occupied by all the dealers in the city, who had it regularly divided. Mr. J. H. 

 Wiley's father's portion was at the extreme end, and was bounded by eel-grass. He experimented by putting oysters 

 over, upon, and among the eel-grass, and found that they did far better than those on the open flat, which had been 

 occupied for a long time, and ebbed dry. Mr. Wiley supposed that the reason was, that it was new ground, from 

 which fresh and plenteous nourishment was to be derived. The grass afforded so much j)rotection, also, that many 

 oysters used to survive the winter. 



The Boston oyster-fleet of 1878-'79.— At present (1879-'80) the only vessels, so far as I could learn, 

 registered in Boston and engaged in the oyster-carrying trade, are the following schooners, all the property of a 

 single firm : 



Name. Tons. 



William H. West 68 



Eddy Pierce 96 



Alice 89 



Barty Pierce 95 



Name. Tods. 



J. M. Ball 87 



Neponset 74 



Long wood 66 



Leona 100 



Opened oysters in the Boston market.— Another great change from ancient methods of conducting the 

 business has been caused by the introduction of opened oysters from Norfolk. These are received twice a week 

 (Tuesdays and Fridays) by steamer direct from Norfolk, and on other days, to a less extent, by steamer from Norfolk 

 to New York, and thence by railway. In the neighborhood of 250,000 gallons were thus handled in Boston during 

 the winter of 1879-'80, lor they come only between September and April. They are shipped in barrels and kegs. 



