The Great Oyster Heist of 1876
Two hungry gentlemen vanish into thin air, leaving their tab and their fried oysters to a couple of unsuspecting strangers.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Two young gentlemen of this city went into a beer hall last night and drank six bottles of Bremen beer, after which they dispatched the landlord to Piper's for two slates of fried oysters. On returning, he could not find those two hungry gentlemen, they having retired—under the table. So two of his other customers ate the oysters, which the first party had paid for. One of the victims remarks that he 'never did like oysters, anyhow.'
“One of the victims remarks that he 'never did like oysters, anyhow.'”
While the 'dine and dash' has evolved with digital payments and ride-shares, the spirit of the Seattle tavern prank remains remarkably consistent. Even in 1876, the local press found more amusement than malice in the chaotic nightlife of a growing frontier town.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.