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Transcription: [00:15:15]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
—and the awards is what I got when I was going over to Leonardtown over at the, uh, fairgrounds, uh, participating in the contest.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Mhmm.

[00:15:28]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
You know, they just came with a plaque and an oyster knife and my name and my time and everything on it.

[00:15:35]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Ok, uh. I understand, did you shuck in other areas or do competitions in other areas or states?

[00:15:44]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
Yeah, I went to [[ ? ]] three years straight, 'cause I won it in Leonardtown. I went to [[ ? ]], three years.

[00:15:53]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Ok. What type of uniform did you have to wear or use in shucking oysters each day? Is there a particular uniform, or what type of equipment did you need?

[00:16:03]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
Well, all we needed was the shucking knife, and we, we had a rubber apron to put on, because on account of the water, the juices, the stuff from the oysters.

[00:16:14]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Ok. Where did you buy your equipment that you needed or the items that you needed for shucking oysters?

{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
Uh, Denton Oyster House.

[00:16:25]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Who runs or owns Denton Oyster House?

[00:16:29]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
Ok, during the time that I was working there, uh, when I first started, it was Warren Denton, and he passed, and his son Charles took over. Uh, several years then, Charles passed, and it's another name there. I haven't been down there since he was there.

[00:16:51]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
When did, uh, you stop shucking oysters?

{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
Oh Lord, it's been about, mmm, almost 11 years.

[00:17:04]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What did you like most about shucking oysters?

[00:17:09]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
The surroundings, the people, and it was like that you wasn't on a job, working. It was just like, a great big family having fun and working.

[00:17:25]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Ok. Uh, what did you dislike about working at the oyster house?

[00:17:31]
{SPEAKER name="Ruth Smith"}
I didn't.

[00:17:33]
Ok. Uh,