Talk:Oyster pirate

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[edit] Suggest merging into Jack London article

This article says at the beginning that the term is virtually never heard except relating to Jack London. I searched Google for +"oyster pirate" and got 10,600 results. I then searched for +"oyster pirate" -"Jack London" and got 552 results. A lot of those include the term John Barleycorn so I searched for +"oyster pirate" -"Jack London" -"John Barleycorn" and got 446 results. Many of those are either random phrases or company names that have nothing to do with this definition.

If this topic is so tied to Jack London, it probably doean't deserve a separate article. Obviously, it doesn't take a genius to understand that "oyster pirate" has something to do with stealing oysters. Anyone who needs more information will probably want to see the Jack London article anyway. Probably a redirect page would be adequate. Just because an obscure term exists doesn't mean it deserves a separate article.

• I have no strong feelings one way or the other. There were also Chesapeake Bay "oyster pirates" but I haven't bothered to try to find out much about them. Dpbsmith (talk) 21:47, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

• I don't really care either way. But I think it would muddy up the Jack london article. If you want me to I will research oyster pirates and try to make a legitamite standalone article.

• • I think I'd object because it apparently is something that existed outside of Jack London's life. That it's not of interest to anyone today, except for connection to London, is worth mentioning but I don't think really decides anything. Oddly I think I'd favor delete over merger.--T. Anthony 04:41, 14 January 2006 (UTC)
    • I disagree, an article on real oyster pirates would be very helpful. just because it isn't relevant today, doesn't make it not notable. There are lots of articles like that. Then a Jack London note could be added to the article. 12.220.94.199 02:44, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

Given that oyster piracy is part of history and not just literature and that it provides an interesting glimpse at competition and the affect the transcontinental railroad had on one portion of a local economoy, I think this topic deserves its own article. Lastly, a Google search isn’t (yet) definitive. I suspect period newspapers not yet indexed by Google covered this topioc periodically. Rklawton 18:34, 7 February 2006 (UTC)