The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-22
Uses Of Shells.

The trade in shells is growing to such
proportions as to form one of the lead
ing branches of industry in not few
Quarters of the world. I'll Ills are the
growth of animals. being exuded from
their bodies and hardened by the action
of the air or water, are always in lay
ers. and in shape, size. color and char
acteristics. are o. endless variety. The
shells of the strombus aud triton are
used for horns. trumpets, lamps. vases
and general ornaments; other shells
are used by fishermen for ladies and
spoons, othe still in the manufacture
of boxes and bangles. The painters
mussel is used to hold gold and silver
colors, while IN China the shell OF pa
cuna placenta serves as a substitute for
glass. Cowries are still used for money
in parts of Africa and India, while In
Europe many kinds are used for but
tons, and some even for jewelry. In
commerce, shells are divided into those
used for making pearl buttons. rides
cent shells for ornamental work, those
used for shell flowers and for ladies
bracelets. tho .e used for cameo jewelry,
tho OF which knife handles and SINH
lar articles are made, thOe used for
lime ard those used for enamel. The
bull 's-mouth is one of the most COM
monty employed for cameo jewelry,
and the extent of tn S business may be
JUDGED of from the fla t that in faris
alone there are over 500 cameo cut
tiers who work in the shells alone.
Cowries are still considerable articles
of trade, one Hamburg house sending
out fourteen ships annually to Zanzibar
for oowries, with which they purchase
cargoes of West African produce. The
value of the shell depends on the local
itv. In british India 1000 of them are
wo til shilling, and near Calcutta a
church which cost T. 900 was paid for
entirely with cowries. In Western At
RIGA .e market price of a tirst-ciass ar
ticle of wife is 100000 cDwrics, orabout
IL 10. while a cheaper article may be
had for 10000 cowries. The tiger
cowry is often handsomely engraved
and made into inkstands, snuff boxes
and the like. The common mussel
shell is often used for ornamental pur-
poses. and the Maories ais, use a pair
of them as tweezers, while the Bashee
Islanders make pipes from several kinds
of spiral shells. Some years ago q
sailor presented Queen Victoria Che
shell of nautilus. on which lie had
engraved the royal arms. the Prince OF
Wales arms, the images of two steam
ships and a number of verses from
Pope, amounting altogether to 1,5oJ
words. the lettering being so minute a,
to require the aid of microscope to
decipher it, all the work having beer
done with a jack-knife. Formerly q
number of valuable DIVES were obtained
from shellfish, but the mineral ant
vegetable dyes are SO numerous and
beautiful as to have completely sup
planted the shellfish produce. Marine
silk is seldom heard of, yet 1t is a real
itv, too, obtained from the Meditcr
ranes Peima nobIlis, or sea wing. Il
is really the bunch Of filaments by
which the shellfish fastens itself to tn,
r cks, but when pr, perly treated be
comes pretty fair article OF sill
capable of being woven and spun int
cloth; and robes have been made of ii
more. howe ;er, As curiosities than fo
any real use they might have.-a
Louis Gi0bs.DemOcrdt,