Behind the Apron Project: Christine Gray Interview, 1997

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Shelia Montague Parker: Who taught you how to shuck clams? Who learned you?

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Christine Gray: Some of the other workers, that were there ahead of me.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. And how long did it take you to catch on?
Christine Gray: Oh, not long.
Shelia Montague Parker: Not long?
Christine Gray: No, just a few minutes.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. When people ask you about your job now, what do you usually tell them?
Christine Gray: That I have a job that I love, I only work part time. And I can go in and make a decent amount and come on home for the rest of the day and get my work done if I choose to.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What's so unique about shucking clams?

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Christine Gray: Well, [[pauses]] I don't know.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay [[pauses]]. What's your secret for being fast or--I understand you're a fast shucker. What's your secret for the pacing what you have?

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Christine Gray: Well, the main thing is just concentrating on what you're doing and just doing it. Just giving it all that you have. It's a little, it's a way to get it out of the shell. And if you keep your hand close to the bucket where you don't have to reach out so far, all that will help you with your speed.

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But the key thing is just working and not getting too involved in conversation or staying away from the table a long time.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Have you only worked at Denton's Seafood or have you worked at other oyster houses?
Christine Gray: I started at Larry's, that was the first clam house down there. Larry. Oh, I think his name was Orren Larry.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What do you wear when you shuck clams? Is there a particular uniform, or you just wear what you want to wear?

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Christine Gray: We can wear what we want to wear, but we wear the apron and a hairnet.

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Shelia Montague Parker: When you shuck clams with your knife is there a certain adjustment that you have to do? Sometimes people have to adjust their equipment. Do you have to adjust your knife or any part of your equipment?

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Christine Gray: No.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Are there mostly women or men that work at the clamhouse?

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Christine Gray: Well it's more women that shuck clams.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Who's usually faster, the women or the men?
Christine Gray: Women.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Women. How has it changed the environment since the Mexicans has came in, or is there a difference?

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Christine Gray: Well, the different is, [[laughs]] they're all very fast shuckers. They'll keep you on your toes. But there's no way that we can keep up with them.

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And one thing that I like about it, I think they saved our jobs because if it was just dependent on a few of the African-American [[?]] men he wouldn't have been able to fill his orders. So I have no problem with them being there.

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The only problem I have I can't talk Spanish![[laughs]]
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What's the age range of the workers?

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Christine Gray: Let's see I'm a think the youngest would be about 20 and the oldest I think is 80-something. There's one woman there who's in her eighties.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Is that Mrs.--Chase?
Christine Gray: --Sorelle, Hannah.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Are there many young people there?
Christine Gray: No.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Why do you think there's not a lot of [[tape cuts out]]
[SILENCE]

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Okay, you ready Denzelle?
Denzelle: [[little child]]Huh
Shelia Montague Parker: You ready?
Denzelle: [[little child]] Aha.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay

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Christine Gray: She says sit still.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Who's the fastest shucker at the oyster house?
Christine Gray: Oysters? On oysters?
Shelia Montague Parker: At the oysters or clams.

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Christine Gray: Well, now, now that the Mexicans are there, the fastest girl went back home. She gone back to Mexico.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Why's that?
Christine Gray: She got to at home, back there in the winter.

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And she got married in February. So her husband sent for her to come back home. He need somebody there to cook and clean for him.

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And she made $25,000 last year shucking clams. I guess with clams and picking crabs together. And. But it's now that some of the other girls are--beginning to be just as fast as she was.

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They all very fast. I don't know how they move their hands so fast.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Who taught them how to shuck?
Christine Gray: Norman.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. He taught one and they just taught the others,or--?
Christine Gray: No, he came round and worked with each one of them.

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Shelia Montague Parker: What other types of jobs are there besides shucking oysters or clams? What is the day hands or anything?
Christine Gray: There's picking crabs.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay

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Christine Gray: So we are doing crabs, oysters and clams.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Not all at the same time right?

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Christine Gray: Yeah,

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Shelia Montague Parker: All at the same time?

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Christine Gray: Yeah, he takes about six girls and put them all on clams everyday. And then they and rotate. And uh but most of the men, but oyster season is really out. But since he can get the oysters from down south he'll shuck probably 'til the end of may.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, what places are you bringing the oysters in from?

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Christine Gray: Uh, Louisiana. As far as I know of, Louisiana.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, does he have his own drivers or is another company bringing the oysters in?

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Christine Gray: It's another company, they come in on truck and trailer, I think, most of the time.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Do men and women usually do the same type of work there?

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Christine Gray: Yes, we have uhm -- Course all the women, no men shuck ah pick crabs. We have a couple of the women that shuck oysters and clams.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Are these just the Mexicans or --?

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Christine Gray: No, some of the old shuckers are still doing it.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Oh. So you guys do crabs in the same house as you do oysters?

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Christine Gray: No, he added on a new room for the crabs. They have to be much more sanitary.
Shelia Montague Parker: Oh, okay.
Christine Gray: Than if you've been picking crabs. So we can't even go in there.
Shelia Montague Parker: Oh all right.

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Shelia Montague Parker: What other jobs are there besides I mean manager positions, is there another job that you personally would be interested in?

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Christine Gray: The only other job they would have would be in the skimmer room. And I prefer shucking clams. I make more money, I'm sure, shucking clams than I could working by the hour.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, do most of the folks that work there at Denton live in the area?

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Christina Gray: No, not really I guess I live closer to it than any, other than Velvet and Bunty.

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Christina Gray: Some new family loves me. And that's the farthest, than down, that's the farthest they can hold. Oh wait. Less of course. [[?]]

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, is there any type of union or trade association?

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Christine Gray: No.

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Shelia Montague Parker: What's your hours now?

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Christine Gray: Well, presently, I go in at 5 and I work until 8 and then come home and babysit.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Was 5 O'clock always your hour for going in or--

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Christine Gray: Yeah, he changed it about a month ago, I started going in at 7. But now that the its time for the business to pick up we starting again at 5.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. I think I asked you this before, but what do you like most about about your job?

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Christine Gray: Yeah, I told you before.

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[[laughs]]

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Christine Gray: I like it because basically we're our own boss, and as long as we go in, do our work, and sometime we, because most of the time we have no contact with the boss at all. We just go in and go to work and come on late. [[?]]

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Who usually opens up or he just come in to open up and just?

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Christine Gray: Yeah, Norman opens up, he brings the boys down to get us started and then he go around and pick up all the girls. And after that he in his office all day long on the telephone most of the time.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. How has oyst-- clam shucking changed over the years? What changes have you seen?

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Christine Gray: Money, we are making more money now than we used to for Pam.

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[[background noise, shushing]]

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Has anything changed in the last few years that, that makes your job a little easier? Any changes to the way you get your clams or anything?

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Christine Gray: Yes, since we been doing it at Denton, they are allowed to dip the clams in hot water and they dip them in the hot water and that'll loosen that skin up. But that's the hardest thing about shucking clams you got to get the skin off.

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Christine Gray: Once they dip them in the hot water then they dip it in ice water, some pound it, its alright with the health department that they can do that and that make it much easier to shuck, much faster.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Are the oysters and clams usually packed right there on sight?

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Christine Gray: Yes

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, how has the management procedures changed over the years?

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[laugh]
Shelia Montague Parker: but you work under, um, Denton [?] or have you always worked under Norman Derrell [?]
Christine Gray: Oh, Norman because when Denton had it they didn't have clams, Denton only shucked oysters, since Norman did that then no. So he started out with oysters and then he started with the clams, and now he's doing crabs.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Mm hmm, okay. Is there a difference to the taste Hey, Gail [?]
Gail: How you doin'.
Christine Gray: I can't remember, I can't really remember how much we made a pound, with Larry. That long ago, and you know as you get older your mind starts to deteriorate [laughing]
Shelia Montague Parker: You're not old. Not yet you're not talking about old! [laughing]
Christine Gray: But uh, now he promised that he would start us at a dollar an hour and we kept him to it, and that's what we've been doing, we've been shucking for a dollar an hour which is not that bad, course it's time it's due for a raise now. [laugh]
Shelia Montague Parker: I'll suggest that when I go to a meeting. [laughs}
Christine Gray: Good.
Shelia Montague Parker: Have the quality and the availability of the oysters changed over time?

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Christine Gray: I couldn't tell you about the oysters
Shelia Montague Parker: Oh clam, I keep forgetting you're a a clam shucker not oyster
Christine Gray: Certain time, it's a certain time of the year when a clam will go through a process of spawning, they turn red, but they're... but then they're fat then. But it's a certain, I'd say from September up until the last of November they get very poor, just skin and water.

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Shelia Montague Parker: That's spawning, what spawning is?
Christine Gray: Well that's, I don't know why they, no, they're spawning I guess, I don't know what that is but they turn red, they get real bloody, nasty looking when they're spawning.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Didn't your children shuck oysters or clams?
Christine Gray: Oh, I think all of my children have shucked clams

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Christine Gray: They shuck fast, I think... Debbie shucked clam I don't know if Debbie shucked clams or not. But most of them have shuck clams, yeah

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What do they think about it, are they still, are any of them still shucking or?

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Christine Gray: No, no... they-they like the money but uhm they do get very tired. Its very tiresome and I think everybody that shuck clams goes through backache and the shoulders and all but uhm of course they prefer working somewhere else. But they did alright when they were workin.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What do people generally think of, what's their impression when you tell them that you're a clam shucker or oyster shucker?

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Christine Gray: Well most people think, I think they, it's a thing of like the oyster think because it's damp and you're gonna catch pneumonia or go into bad health and die. I'd love to have a bed. [[?]] You know a bed [[?]] because it's damp down there but we wore classic apron you don't get wet
Shelia Montague Parker: Mmm hmm

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Christine Gray: And so there's nothing to really put you in bad health.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Mm hmm. Where do you usually get your equipment from and stuff, your boots and your... [00:13:4o]
Christine Gray: Well we buy our boots, you know, you can get your boots at any department store. But uh, he sell the apron and the knives right there.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. What's the usual fee and how often do you have to buy each item?

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Christine Gray: Well an apron, it depend on how you take care of it and my apron would last me I know two years, and of course your knife until you wear that out, that lasts a long time too

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Shelia Montague Parker: Why has the, why is there a difference in the, the oyster handle, oyster knife handle now, it used to be a wooden type handle now it's a different type material. Why is there a difference?
Christine Gray: Oyster?
Shelia Montague Parker: or clam, It's now a white type?
Christine Gray: Okay, oh alright, a clam knife it used to be a steel handle. And um, I think some people had started complaining about it making their hands sore. But I used the steel handle until I wore the blade right down to nothing and it never gave me a problem. So I guess, I don't know, this plastic thing that they have now, I guess it's supposed to be better for your hand.

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It's bigger. So you can hold it, you know, better.
Shelia Montague Parker: Okay. Um, how has working at the oyster clam house benefitted you and your family?

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Christine Gray: Well, for the past, I'll say um

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Christine Gray: [[Well it is has just done what I need, it has given me the money that I need to make, I'll put it that way. That's, that's good I pay my bills and I can buy food.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, okay who is the, even though you shuck clams, who is the fastest oyster shucker?

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Christine Gray: I think Wilson Barnes Junior, I think he is the fastest oyster shucker.

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Shelia Montague Parker: Okay, not excluding, including the Mexicans, who is the fastest clam shucker?

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Christine Gray: Um, well, I was one of the fastest and um Velvet, Velvet um Wallace, and Doris I guess I better put Doris' name on

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Shelia Montague Parker: [[laughs]] Doris? Fast?

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Christine Gray: Yes, she's, Doris can shuck fast. She talk a lot but she can shuck fast.

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Shelia Montague Parker: oh, okay. [[laughs]] Thank you.

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[SILENCE]