From the August 3, 1934 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

Peter J. Taeger, Oak Bluffs contractor and builder, sounds another cheering note with reference to the business come-back that the Vineyard is staging.

“This is the best season I have had for a great many years,” says Mr. Taeger. “I have fifteen men at work at the present time, with work enough ahead to keep them all employed until the first of October. Besides, there are some houses to be built this fall, which will add to the force and prolong the employment.

Norman L. Pratt, proprietor of the Oak Bluffs bathing beach, is equally pleased with the returns from his establishment. “I am checking everything carefully,” he says, “and I find by actual comparison that only the best of seasons in the past have equaled this one, thus far, at the beach.”

“There are only three empty houses at West Chop,” says Henry Cronig, Vineyard Haven realtor. “Suppose there has been a decrease in rents, a year ago you couldn’t hire anyone to come and live in them.”

“There is a fifteen to twenty per cent increase in my business over last year for the same period,” says Sam Cronig of the Vineyard Haven Public Market. “Things are looking good.”

“People who ordered one quart of second grade milk now order three and four quarters of the best,” says George Day, manager of the Whiting Milk Co.

“Two weeks ago I had the biggest Saturday’s business that I have ever had since I owned my establishment,” Paul B. Banks, proprietor of Bangs Market, Vineyard Haven.

“Things are going fine,” Guy Southard, Arcade Market, Oak Bluffs.

“One ad in the Gazette keeps my force busy for at least ten days.” Joseph Penney of Penney’s Beauty Salon, Oak Bluffs.

“We have sold just twice as many cars this year as we did last year up to this time,” Leland Renear, Ford Sales and Service, Vineyard Haven. “And we have no used cars at all.”

“We are running well ahead of last year.” Frank Connors, Connors Market, Edgartown.

“So far I am eighty-odd per cent over last year’s business.” Gardner Fassett, Athletic Equipment Co., Oak Bluffs.

“There is no comparison between last year and this in the number of rentals, this season is so far in advance of last.” Avery & Co., real estate agents, Edgartown.

“We find a fifteen to twenty per cent increase over last year in both our departments.” Fred G. Rudolph and Leo Pepin, First National Stores, Vineyard Haven.

“The Vineyard is one of the few fortunate places in the country so far as the rental business is concerned. Ninety per cent of the houses have been rented.” Edward F. Silva of DeLoura and Silva, Edgartown.

A fine demonstration of hydraulic mining was presented by Merle Washburn at the Oak Bluffs bathing beach on Wednesday afternoon. No, there was no search for gold-bearing quartz, or silver lodes. The fact was that Mr. Washburn had taken the contract to fill in between the sidewalk and the new seawall. The dump trucks tilted their loads off the sidewalk, thirty feet above the level of the beach below, and quickly amassed a great quantity of soil on the bank which refused to slide down to its destination against the retaining wall.

Shovels in the hands of energetic workmen could do it, and did, but Mr. Washburn and Francis Sellew, district engineer, had other ideas. A section of fire hose was coupled to a nearby hydrant, and the water turned on. Directed against the great pile of loam, the water loosened the earth and sent it plunging downward in a foaming stream to lodge against the wall. The work of more than a dozen men was accomplished by using this stream of water, which was an important item in this contract job.

Crowds lined the railing to watch the progress.

Somewhere, probably within the boundaries of Dukes County, there is a clam hunter who is liable to have lost faith in human nature. Or perhaps he inclines to the belief that clams are not the bivalves that they used to be. Said clam hunter showed up at Menemsha Creek bright and early a few mornings ago and with a great show of business, asked for the loan of a bucket, boat and clam rake of Cap’n David Butler. When he had been properly and thoroughly outfitted, he asked just how he might locate the clams when he had arrived on the ground.

Cap’n Dave blinked his larboard eye a couple of times and replied in this vein: “You pull up alongshore until you strike a place where there are a few rocks. Land, and sit down on one. Take a good look around to see if there are any clams in sight and if you don’t see any, whistle once or twice. Keep this up for a spell and directly you will see the clams popping their heads out to listen every time you whistle. Just mark down the places where they show and dig there. I’ve been clamming a good many years and that’s the way I get ‘em.”

The clam hunter sailed and at last reports he had not returned. No anxiety has been felt for his safety, however, as he announced that if the clams struck on heavy and would stay right with them.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

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