The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-30
How Turtles Are Caught and the Uses
That Are Made Of Them,

Here comes a%man," said a savant.
VINO collects more turtle shells than
any other man in the country"
"Mornin' gents" said the turtler re-
ferred to, putting down hamper, and
wlplng his forehead with a many-hued
bandan. He was short, round-Should-
cred man IN half-sailor toys, with shirt
color low IN front, showing brawny
CHEST haired like gorilla. His ears
We're pierced with silver rings. and on
his thumb was an enormous crabwood
! ring with the operculum of some mol
lusk set IN, brazen imitation of 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 a skeleton of hawks
bill, he said, addressing the profess
sional man, las ye ever clapped yer
eyes onter, and I'd jest like to show it
to ye. He's a judge, he is" said the
old chap, winking at the reporter. He
knows wots wot, he does, and haul
ing out the specimen, he placed it on
the table.
A fine one it 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
that they would serve as mirrors, and
the breast-plate lin place, though ar
ranged on gilt hinges, so that it opened
and shut just like door having latch.
When swung open all the interior was
exposed, showing the curious manner in
which the backbone, ribs and shell were
all welded together.
Amt bone nor nothing missin', F"
continued the old turtler; ''it's lest as
natral as life, and twice as handy"
is there demand for this sort of
thing?" the reporter asked.
''Sartin, there is, was the reply.
''All the museums want this kind O.
work for stuyin' Schools take EN-,
too. 1e see, everything is rec lar and
shipshape; nothing to affect the sensa-
tive natur 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 l. This ere
piastrOn is made Jest for this class Of
trade. Ii the gals don't want to look at
the critters ribs and backbone, keep it
shet. and turn it about, and thar's =
pictur wot's wot.'
| ooh NO | ,,.J l,l.,rz No, :
fix EN-. I'm only the catcher. | gifts
the turtles, and friend O mine sets EN-
up, and then goes round sellin' of
EN-. Yes, | do right smart business
Every spring, about, | gits down on the
south size o Cuby, and oversees the
catchin' myself, Ye see if We leave it
to them niggers they'd punch a hole
through the shell, and that finishes it
for me. All these turtles of mime is war
ranted sound and fish caught
| Fish caught questioned the re-
porter,
Wall, its this ere way, explained
the turtler The catchin's all done by
fish. The fish is called sucker .
Its the re'nOra, put in the savant.
Yes, that's the chap" replied the
other. Has long, flat head with a
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
kind o turn over an fasten on ter the
critter and ride along. A heap of these
TemOraS is caught and kept in tubs
aboard the boats, and when fshin a
leather strap is kept about the tail with
loop in it for a line Everything
shipshape. we souls along, and when
hawksbll is sighted line is hooked
onter the fish and he is tossed over
board, and, seem his old friend, off he
goes and fastens Onter it, and then the
turtle is hauled in and he amt hurtet
! a Bit. Fust they re good for food; ther
the skeleton, complete like this ere,
sells to museums and 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 4 bio pricY
DO turtles have any enemies W
asked.
Sharks. was the reply. I've
caught green turtles and loggerheads
with flippers 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 Icy tn,
flipper Then it was nip and tuck, ant
the way the water was tossed arounC
was caution. | reckon the turtle Got
grip on one of the sharks fins, a
they was roIlin' over and over like E..
ball, and the water about EN- was a
bloody as if an OK had been killed there
We pulled up to EN-, bur they wen
down afore we got near enough 10 pin
'em.
Yes, loggerheads will bite, but they IT
so clumsy that its easy to git out o
the way, Green turtles never try it
N. / Sun.