Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-04-18
A Professional Turtler.
How Turtles are Caught and the Uses
That are Made OF Them.

How Turtles are Caught and the Uses
That are Made or Them.
From the New York SUM-
''Here comes q man. said savant, ''who
collects more turtle shells than any other
man in the country"
''Mornin, gents" said the turtler referred
to, putting down hamper and wiping his
forehead With many, hued bandan-a. He
was short, round-shouldered man, in half
sailor togs, with shirt collar low in front,
showing brswny chest haired like gorilla.
His ears were pierced with silver rings, and
on his thumb was an enormous crabwoed
ring with the operculum of some mollusk set
in, brazen imitation of a cats eye. His
other fingers were adorned with rings of In
dia Ink, while on his wrist, out from under
the sleeve, peeped the head of an impossible
Goddess of Liberty. Altogether he was
what is generally known in novels as an old
sea dog.
'T'ye got as fine skeleton of a hawks
bill, he said, addressing the professional
man, tsas ye ever clapped your eyes onto,
and I'd jest like to show it to ye. Hes
judge, he is" said the old chap, Winking at
the reporter. HE knows wots wot, he
does" and. hauling out the specimen, he
placed il on the table.
q
feet, abouG two feet in length, arranged on a
stand upright. The back or scales were pol
ished on the shell SO that they would serve
as mirrors, and the breastplate still in place.
though arranged on gilt hinges, SO that it
opened and shut just like a door having
latch When swung open all the interior
was exposed showing the curious manner in
which the backbone, ribs and shell were all
wedged together.
"Ain't bone nor nothing missin';' con-
tinued the old turtler; Its Jest as natral as
life and twice as handy"
'Is there a demand for this sort of
thlngs?" the reporter asked.
"Sartin, there is" was the repIy tAlI the
museums want this kind O. work for study
in. Schools take 'em, too. Ye see every
thing is reg'lar and shipshape nothing to
effect the sensitive natur and esthety feelins
of the pupils. as one O. these ere principals
of fashionable young woman's school let
on to me the other day. That's jest the
pint, num- says I. This ere breastbone
- tPlastron,' says she. L stand correct
ed says 1. This ere plastron is made jest
for this class O. trade. If the gals don't
want to look at the critters ribs and back
bone, keep it shet, and turasit about, ana
thars pictur wot's wot.'
''Oh, no, Lord bless ye, no; don't fix
em. Pm only the catcher. I gifts the tur-
ties, and friend o. mine sots 'em up, and
then goes round a sellin OF 'em. Yes, 90
right smart business. Every spring about.
gifts down on the south side o Cuby and
oversees the catchin' myself. Ye see, if ye
leaTe it to them niggers they'd punch hole
through the she'll, and that finishes it for me
All these turtles of mine is warranted sound
and fish caught
Fish caught ?" questioned the reporter.
"Wall, it's this ERE way" explained the
turtler. THE catchins all done by fish |
The fish is called a sucker"
Ff1ar - ,1r,k ir,f vaV1E
ayes, that's the chap replied the other
HAS long, fiat head, with regular sucker
on it, with flaps rigged jest like blind like
Wall, these are alIus follorin' sharks and tur-
ties about, an when they git tired they kind
O. turn over an fasten on ter the critter and
ride along heap of these remoras is
caught and kept in tubs aboard the boats
and when fshin leather strap is kept about
the tail, with loop in it for line Every
thing shipshspe, We sculls along, and when
hawksbill is sighted line is hooked oDter
the fish and he is tossed overheard, and see
in his old friend, off he goes and fastens
onter it, and then the turtle is hauled in, and
he amt hurted bit. Fust, they're good for
food; then the skeleton, complete like this |
ere, sells to museums and the like ; then the |
best and most valuable part O. the business is |
the big shells, that goes to make combs, |
watch chains, pins, bracelets, furniture, and |
about everything. Only the biggest and old |
est pieces is wanted for these, and they bring /
a big price"
'tDo turtles have any enemies ?'' We asked. |
Sharks" was the reply. '''ve caught |
green turtles and loggerheads with fippers
eaten short Off, and once 1 see a fight betwix
'em. The old Ioggerhead was asleep, a-lyin'
on the top of the water, when along KEN an
old man-sater shark and grabbed him by the
hipper. Then it was nip and tuck, and the
way the water was tossed around was eau
ton. l reckon the turtle got q grip on one
of the sharks fms, as they was rollin' over
and over like ball, and the water about 'em
was as bloody as if an OK had been killed
there. We pulled up to em, but they went
down afore we got near enough to pin 'em.
eyes, Ioggerheads will bite, but they're SO
clumsy that it's easy enough to git out of the
way. Green turtles never try it."