The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-09-26
Facts About Tortoise Shells.

N. Y. Mail and Express
The importation and manufacture of tor
toise shell into combs, hair pins and other
articles of that nature has grown to be an
immense business.
81 have had forty years experience in
the trade, said the proprietor of an up
town tortoise-shell comb factory to a re-
porter, "and have during my career bought
enough shell to fill the Great Eastern.
"Where do you get it from ?'>
at is found in several parts of the globe,
viz: Florida Keys, Bermudas, Honduras
and across to Africa, around the globe to
the East Indies and China, and on the
Pacific coast at Cape ST. Lucas Notice it
is confined to the same longitude in different
countries, which is called the shell belt"
care there many varieties of shell ?"
''There are three varieties The real or
genuine tortoise, from which the finest
specimens of shell are obtained, is called
the Hawkbill, or eagle of the air Next
comes the Loggerhead turtle, a degenerate,
which furnishes very inferior quality,
and cannot produce those beautiful colors
like the eagle Last the green turtle,
which for shell purposes is almost good for
nothing. The real tortoise has thirteen
distinct and separate pieces of shell dis
tributed over his back, designated as fol-
lows: Four kite pieces, one head piece,
four backbones, two hips and two ailpieces
The extreme edges of tortoise-shell are
called calipers or ages, and from these the
finest amber-colored shell is produced
The shell taken from the bottom of the
foot, just beneath the toe-nails, is also
amber-colored.
"Can't the shell of a land turtle be util-
lied in comb factory ?"
"It is considered worthless for comb
purposes. Yet it is susceptible of being
highly polished, and many fine jewelry
boxes are made of it. Carbuncles fre-
quently get on real tortoise-shell, eat through
and produce faulty shell, just as knot
in fine piece of pine timber ruins its
grain. The price Of the real shell, select
quality of cliff (the hips are considered the
best pieces and always called cliff }, is 50 a
pound The caliper and toe-nail she'll sells
from seventy-fve cents to $3.50 pound.
But when it is worked up, polished, etc,
it is worth treble the original cost. y
'Can shell be dissolved p
"No, it cannot be dissolved or melted,
although Frenchman once asserted that
itcould Its put together by being welded
as iron, only with this difference, the air is
excluded. Shell can be no more melted
than a person could make beautiful red,
yellow or green color by mixing all the
colors Of paint together Shell can be
burned or destroyed by certain acids, other
wise it is indestructible. Shell is con-
ductor and not porous, because it cannot be
dissolved Dark colors usually predomi-
nate in all specimens of shell. 1t is con-
sidered the healthiest article yet to come in
contact with the hair and scalp 1t is a
boon to womankind and is manufactured
specially for their use.
"What is the process of manufacturing ?"
"The shell is first placed in cold water
and allowed to soak for some time. Then
it is placed in boiling water for several
hours, After this another soak is given in
cold salt water, and final boil in pure fresh
water prepares it for the workman. 1t is
now kept pliable and at certain tempera-
ture until worked into the shape OF design
desired The final polish is then given,
and the armor of the rough saurian of the
sea is sold to adorn the head of some fair
woman