THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 31 



Statisticai> recapitulation for Boston: 



Number of wholesale dealers aud shippers 10 



Number of vessels engaged 8 



Value of same $20,000 



Number of men hired by dealers — 



Annually — 125 



Semi-annually .■ 250 



375 



Annual earnings of same $85, 000 



Semiannual earnings of same , 35,000 



§120, 000 



Number of sailors employed (three months) 40 



Earnings of same $2,500 



Number of restaurant-servants 1,000 



Annual earnings of same* $500,000 



Total uumber of families chiefly supported 1, 500 



Annual wholesales of — 



I. Native oysters (Cape Cod) bushels.. 15,400 



Selling value of same $15,000 



II. Chesapeake " i)lants" bushels.. t457,500 



Selling value of same $340,000 



III. Fauey stock bushels.. 60,000 



Selling value of same $100,000 



IV. Baltimore and Noriblk "opened stock" gallons.. 3.50,000 



Selling value of same $250,000 



Total whole!«ale value of oysters sold annually $705,000 



10. THE OYSTER-TRxiDE OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, AITO VICINITY. 



Present condition of the oyster-trade. — The oyster-busiuess here, the nest place north of Boston 

 where there i.s any original trade, seems quite out of proportion to the importance of the town. The reason is found 

 in the fact, that a large surrounding region derives its supplies from this point, as well as the town itself, which 

 appears to be highly educated in the eating of all kinds of shellfish. Two schooners, the T. A. Newcomb, 130 tons, 

 and the Lizzie Smith, 118 tons, are engaged in the trade. They cost $22,000, but now are worth only about $5,000 

 each. In the summer they go on mackereling voyages, but in the winter dev^ote their whole time to bringing oysters 

 from Virginia. Ten years ago 25,000 bushels sufiftced for the demand, and a portion of these came from New York 

 bay ; in 1875 three vessels were employed, and Salem called for 45,000 bushels, all from the Chesapeake. At present, 

 however, the total annual importation by sailing craft does not exceed 40,000 bushels, with about 5,000 bushels by 

 steamer from Norfolk, in winter, added. About 500 bushels of "fancy" stock from New York are also sold. A large 

 portion of these oysters are sold at the wharf; another large portion goes into the storehouse; a third part are 

 opened ; aud the remainder (8,000 to 9,000 bushels) are laid down in Collins bay, near Beverly bar, where they are 

 dry at each ebb-tide. No opened oysters are taken from Norfolk or Baltimore. The result is as follows : 



Oysters imported in vessels 40, 000 bushels, costing, at 36 cents $14, 400 



Oysters imported via Boston steamer 5,000 bushels, costing, at 57 cents 2,850 



Oysters (fancy stock) 500 bushels, costing, at $1 00 500 



Totals 45,500 bnshels, costing 17,750 



Selling price of Virginia oysters, imported at wharf, 40 cents. 



Selling price of bedded oysters, iu summer, 90 cents (common), $1 20 (selected). 



Selling price of opened oysters (common). $1 per gallon. 



Selling price of opened oysters (selected), $1 20 i>er gallon. 



Selling price of opened oysters (in winter), 75 cents per gallon. 



Annual amount of business, $40,000. 



The firms engaged employ 43 men from November 1 to May 1 ; the rest of the year about 20 men. This 

 represents about 100 persons supported by the business, since many of the men are unmarried. The weekly salaries 

 will average $12, and shuckers are paid 20 cents for each solid gallon. 



The old shells are disposed of to the gas company of the city at one-half cent a bushel, the purchaser paying 

 , for the carting. This does not take all of the 1,500 or so bushels a week accumulating, which are used by the 

 proprietors to fill in water-lots, which they buy for the purpose of thus converting into land. To sell their shells 

 is more profitable, however. 



The Nbwoomb jiethod of itnlading cargoes. — The leading firm in Salem, Messrs. D. B. & J. Newcomb, 

 boasts an economic method of transferring the cargo from the vessel to the shuckers' broad tables, ranged around 

 the interior walls of their shuckinghouse down on the wharf This building is two-storied, and is flush with the side 

 of the wharf, so that the vessel moors alongside. A door in the end of the loft' opens upon a railless platform or 



* Somewhat mixed with o^ier duties. t Of these, 140,000 gallons opened are sold annually under the name of " Providence stock ". 



