The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-11-06
low Turtles Are Caught and the Uses
That Arc Made OF Them,

NitiiL MS iOItuCdO Mibh ~ man -huSN
bandan. He was a short rOund-should-
cred man in half-sailor togs, with shirt
color low in front, showing a brawny
chest haired like gorilla. His ears
were pierced with silver rings, and on
lis thumb was an enormous crabwood
ring with the opercalum of some mol
lusk set N, braZen imitation Of q cats
eye. His other fingers were adorned
with rings of India 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.
I've got as fine skeleton of hawks
BILL" be said, addressing tie profess
siunal man, las We ever claTped Yer
eyes oDter. and Id Jest like Ia show it
TO We. He's a judge, he is said the
old chap, winking at thu reporter. He
knows wot's wot. he does. and haul
iny out the specimen, be placed it on
the table.
A fine one il was. hawksbill and
perfect, about two feet in length, ar
ranged ON a stand upright. The back
or scales were polished on the shell. so
the breast-plste still in place, though ar.
ranged on gilt hinges, 50 that it opened
ana shut just like door having latch.
When swung open all the interior was
exposed, showing the curious mannerin
which the backbone, ribs and she'll were
all welded together
Amt a bone nor nothing missin',"
continued the old turtler; ''it's jest as
rairal as life, and twice as handy"
lis there a demand for this sort of
thing?' the reporter asked.
''Sdrtin, there is, was the reply.
al! the museums want this kind o
work for stGyin' Schools take EN-,
too. Ye see. everything is req lar and
Shipshape; nothing to affect the sensa-
tive patur and esthety feelinS of the pu-
pills. as one o these ere principals of "A
fashionable young woman'S school let
on to me the other day That's jest
the pint, num-. says |. This ere
breastbone--' 'Plastron,' says she,
4 stand corrected, says |. This ere
plastron is made Jest for this class OF
trade Ii the gals don't want to look al
the critters ribs and backbone, keep il
shet. and turn it about, and thar's q
pictur wot's wot-'
oh. no. Lord bless We. no; | don't
fix EN-. I'm only the catcher. | git.
the turtles. and friend o mine sets 'er
up, and then | goes round sellin' OF
'em. Yes, | do right smart business
Every spring, about, gifts down on the
south side O Cuby, and oversees the
catchin' myself. Ye see, if We leave il
to them niggcrs they'd punch hole
through the shell. and that finishes il
for me. All these turtles OF mine is war
ranted sound and fish caught.
Fish caught?' questioned the re,
porter.
Wall, its this ere way" explained
the turt!er The catchin's all done BY
fish. The fish is called a sucker
''lt's the UeiHor0," put in the savant
YES, that's the chap replied the
other. Has long, fiat head with 8
regular sucker on it, with flaps rugged
Jest like blind like. Wall,
these are allus follerin' sharks and tur.
Ties about, an when they git tired they
kindro' turn over an fasten on ter the
critter and ride-along. A heap OF, these
f'emOraS is caught and kept in tubs
aboard the boats, and when fishin' a
leather strap is kept about the tail with
loop in it for line. Everything
shipshape. we souls along, and when
a hawksbill is sighted line is hooked
oGtey tue fish aad he is tossed over
board, AMI, seein' his old friend. off be
goes and fastens onter it, and then the
turtle is hauled in and he amt hurried
bit. Fust. they're good for food; then
the skeleton, complete like this ere,
sells to museums ard the like; then the
best and most valuable part O the bust
ness is the big shells, that goes to make
combs, watch chains, pins, bracelets,
furniture and about everything. Only
the biggest and oldest pieces is wanted
for these, and they bring big price
''Do turtles have any enemies?' we
asked.
Sharks was the reply I've
caught green turtles and loggerheadS
with tlippers eaten short off. and.once
see fight betwix 'em. The old logger.
head was asleep, allyn on top Of the
water, when along KEN an old man
eater shark and grabbed him by the
tlipper. Then it was nip and tuck, and
the way the water was tossed around
was a caution. / reckon the turtle got
n grip on one of the sharks fins, AZ
1hev was rollin' over and over like 8
ball, and the water about EN- was as
bloody as if an OK had been killed there.
We pulled up to EN-, but they went
down afore we got near enough to pin
'em.
Yes. loggerheads will bite, but they re
so clumsy that it's easy to git out OF
the way. Green turtles never try it,
N. Y. Sun.
Northern Georgia has peculiar in
siitution in conjunction with the spring
terms of the courts. 1t is horse swap.
ping. The meeting of the court is the
signal for all the professional horse
Swappers in the vicinity to hasten to the
scene of their favorite business. Long
before the hour of the cart to convene
they will be seen to come in on every
kind of an animal. from a ten dollar
horse to two dollar mule. The fun
soon begins. and continues from day to
day while the court sits. One man, who
is reported to have made eighteen swaps,
had twenty-five dollars in money, three
pocket-knives, two brides, and horse
worth just about as much as the one he
brought. - Chicago Journal
- -
In appointing a Christian Governor
for Crete, Turkey has taken the first
necessary step toward handing the island
over to Greece, to which it properly be-
4 81 Al 80