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Transcription: [00:07:39]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What do you like about shucking clams?
[00:07:44]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Why'd you decide to do the work?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Well, because, I said, you know, doing this makes extra money.
[00:07:53]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Mm-hmm. Is this a full time job for you?
[00:07:57]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
No, it's a part time.
[00:07:59]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay, what other jobs do you do?
[00:08:03]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Um,houseclean.
[00:08:07]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay, here in the area?
[00:08:10]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Well, yeah, it's in Maryland, yeah.

[00:08:13]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. Um, do you have any other family members that shuck clams or oysters?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
No,mm-mmm.

[00:08:27]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
No, okay. Have you always shucked at Denton's?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Yeah.
[00:08:37]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. Okay, what do you usually pay for your oyster knife, your glove, your apron?
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What do I pay for them?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Yeah, and do you usually get them there at the oyster house?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Get them at the oyster house.
[00:08:53]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Mm-hmm. What's the usual price for those items?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Let me see, it's been so long. It's three dollars for the apron, how much for the knife? Been a long time since I bought a knife. I believe two dollar for the knife, I think.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Mmm-hmm.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
I'm not sure, cause been a long time since I bought one.
[00:09:21]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
How long does a knife and apron last you?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Oh, it lasts forever, I mean, not the apron, but the knife will last forever if you take care of it.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Uh-huh.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
But the apron, you know, it weighs a, cause it gets hard as, you know, spots,you know.
[00:09:42]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay, do you have to do any type of adjustment to your knife or anything, to, in order to use it? Some people have to adjust their knives or redo their gloves or aprons or something?
[00:09:54]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Nuh-uh.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
You don't have to do any adjustment?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Nuh-uh.
[00:09:57]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay, um, who's the best shucker at the oyster house? Do you know?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
She's, it awful hard to say, I don't know who [[laughter]].
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
They're all fast, huh?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Yeah. [[laughter]]
[00:10:10]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What are some of the other jobs there besides shucking oysters and clams?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Other jobs?
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Mm-hmm. Day hands or, you know.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
No other job I know.
[00:10:26]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. Have you ever been in any competitions? Oyster shucking competitions?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Have I ever been to one?
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Been in any?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Oh, no, no, no, no, nuh-uh. [[laughter]]
[00:10:37]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
But you have been to one?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
I have been to one, mm-hmm.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Tell me about the competition.
[00:10:42]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Well, I wasn't that close to it, I tell you the truth. I saw, it really, I can't say too much about it cause I wasn't that close to them.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Were anybody you know in the competition?
[00:10:53]
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Conroy.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Conroy.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Mm-hmm, that was a long time ago, hon. [[laughter]]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Yeah, if it was Conroy.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Yes.
[00:11:01]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
How has oyster shucking changed over the years, over time? What do you see that has been done to make shucking clams a little easier than when you first started? Or is there anything different about?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
About?
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Shucking clams?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
In the same business?
[00:11:21]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Yes.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Nuh-uh.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Any adjustments that the oyster house make getting your clams easier or anything? Or nothing has changed?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
No, nothing had changed.
[00:11:34]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay, what about the management procedures? I mean, how is your relationship with the boss? Is he a easy person to get along with or?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
Well, I don't have no problem with him.
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay.
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
I don't know about the rest of them I know. [[laughter]]
[00:11:54]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
I can't imagine you have a problem having [[laughter]]
Oh gosh.
[00:12:02]
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What do you think is unique about shucking oysters?
{SPEAKER name="Mary Washington "}
What is it?
{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
What do you think is unique about shucking clams?