84 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Connecticut laws regulating steam-deedging. — The existing law at the time of this controversy was 

 the "Compromise Act". It allowed sailing-vessels only to dredge on natural oyster-beds west of the Bridgeport 

 bed, and permitted all classes of vessels to dredge npou Bridgeport and other beds. This law was accepted as 

 Batisfactory to aU interested, and was regarded as finally settling the controversy in this business between steamers 

 and sail-vessels ; and, acting npon that assumption, investments have been made in steamers by various persons 

 who asserted that they would suffer greatly if steam was prohibited in dredging. Nevertheless the legislature of 

 Connecticut, at their spring session in 1881, adopted in place of it the following, which is now the law : 



AN ACT regulating tho dredging for shellfish and shells. 

 Be it enacted, etc. 



Section 1. It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to use a boat, or any other contrivance, dragged, operated, or propelled by 

 steam in taking up or dredging for oysters, oyster-shells, clams, or other shelltish in any bay, river, or other vraters within the boundaries 

 or jurisdiction of this state ; Provided, however, that this section shall not be so construed as to prevent the use of steamboats in taking up, 

 or dredn-iug for, oysters on private, designated grounds in any such waters, by the owners thereof. 



Sec. 2. A:iy person who shall violate the provisions of the preceding section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be 

 puni.shed, in the discretion of the court, by a fine not exceeding the sum of one hundred dollars, or by imjirisounient in the county jail not 

 exceeding six months, or by such fine and imprisonment both. 



Sec. 3. Prosecutions under this act may be heard and determined by a justice of the peace, subject to the right of appeal by the 

 accused to the superior court, as in other criminal cases. 



Sec. 4. All acts and jiarts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. 



Sec. 5. This act shall take etfect from its passage, but shall not affect any suit or prosecxition now pending. 



Fkeshening oysters. — It is customary, on bringing the oysters in from deep water, to throw them overboard 

 into the fresh flood of the Qiiiuepiac and "give them a drink", as the oysterman expresses it. To this purpose some 

 planters devote wholly their liver lots. Others have small areas near their shore-houses where the bottom is 

 X)lanked ; while some put the oysters in large floats which are moored by the wharf or shore. 



New Haven prices. — Diuing January and February of 1880 the following prices were asked at Fair Haven : 



For Virginias, clear, per gallon ' 75 to 85 cents. 



For Virginias, mixed, per gallon 90 cents to §1 00. 



For n.atives, clear, per gallon 91 OOtoJil 25. 



For natives by the bushel $1 00. 



Oyster-opening and oyster-openers. — As nearly all of the trade in Virginia oysters is carried on at Fair 

 Haven, so to this locality alone is confined the business of opening the oysters for shipment to any considerable 

 extent. The openers or "shuckers" are mainly women of all ages, though some men are constantly at work. 

 They are mainly American in nationality, and many of them are in good circumstances and only work to provide 

 themselves with pin-money. It is an occupation no refined girl would choose, nevertheless, for the whole person 

 becomes at once spattered with mud and water, and the hands are inevitably bmised and lacerated beyond repair. 

 The method used in opening the shell originated here, but has siu-ead elsewhere, and is kno^\ni as "breaking" or 

 "cracking". The shiicker stands or sits before a stout bench (which may be a long table partitioned off into 

 working spaces for each one, or may be an individual bench that can be moved about) and has her oysters in a pile 

 before her. Immediately under her hand is a block of wood into which is firmly inserted an ui)right piece of iron 

 abottt two inches long, one inch high, and a quarter of an inch thick, called the "cracking-iron". The shucker is 

 also provided with a square-helved double-headed hammer, and a stiff sharp knife in a round wooden handle. 

 On her left hand she wears a rough woolen, rubber, or leathern half-mitten, known as a "cot", to protect the skin. 

 Seizing an oyster in her left hand, vriih the hinge in her ijalm, she places it npon the cracking- iron, and with one 

 blow of the hammer breaks off the "bill" or growing edge of the shell. In the fractirre thus made the strong knife 

 is inserted and pushed back between the meat and the shell until it cuts off the attachment of the addtictor muscle 

 to the flat "upper" valve, after which, with a cpiick, dexterous twist, the other "eye" is severed, the meat tossed 

 into the receptacle, which stands handy, and the shells are dropped through a hole in the bench into a barrel or tub 

 placed underneath. Practice teaches extreme celerity in this operation. The knife and hammer are held in the 

 same hand when the oyster is cracked, which does away with the expense of time and trouble in dropping one to 

 pick iij) another ; and the knife hilts very soon have a long spiral groove worn in them by the chafing of the 

 hammer-handle. The oysters, as fast as opened, are flung into a tin receptacle called a "measiue", holding five 

 quarts. Much of the liquor of the mollusk also goes in with the meat, and when the measure is full it is taken to 

 the foreman and poitred into the "skimmer", tlie shucker receiving in exchange a tin or brass check, entitling him. 

 to a shilling or 12.J cents, at the rate of 2| cents a quart. Tliere are also "half-measures" of 2^ quarts. This is 

 called " liquor" measurement ; if all the liquid was strained out only about two-thirds of the measiu'e would be 

 filled. One shucker told me that five quarts of large-sized oysters counted about 175 in number. 



