Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-12-22
TORTOISE SHELLS
Where They Come From aud How They
Are Polished and Made Up.

Are Polished and Made Up.
The importation and manufacture Of
tortoise shell into combs, hairpins 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
uptown tortoise she'll comb factory to
reporter, land 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
.he globe to the East Indies and China
and on the Pacific coast to Cape ST.
Lucas. Notice it is confined to the same
latitude in different countries, which
is called the shell belt"
"Are there many varieties of shellsp"
"There are three varieties. The real
or genuine tortoise, from which the
finest specimens OF shells are obtained,
is called the IIawkbill, or eagle of the
air. Next comes the Loggerhead tur-
tie, a degenerate, which furnishes
very inferior quality and can not pro-
duee those beautiful colors like eagle.
Last the green turtle which for shell pur-
poses is almost good for nothing Tho
real tortoise has thirteen distinct and
separate p Gees of shell distributed over
his back, designated as follows: Four
kite pieces, one head piece, four back
bones, two hips and two tail pieces.
The extreme edges of tortoise shell
are called calipers or ages. and from
these the finest amber colored shell is
produced. The bottom of the foot,
just beneath the toenails, the shell
taken therefrom is also amber colored." :"
"Can the shell of land turtle bo
utilized in comb factoryp"
at s considered worthless for comb
purposes. Yetit is susceptible of being
highly polished, and many fine jewelry
boxes are made of it. Carbuncles fire..
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 clilf) is nine dollars
pound. The caliper and toe-nail
shell sells from seventy-iive cents to
three dollars and fifty cents pound,
But when it is worked up, polished,
etc, it is worth treble the original cost" !"
"Can shell be dissolvedp''
"No, 1t can not be dissolved or
melted, although Frenchman once
asserted that 1t could The late DIR.
Chiffon and the noted Dr. Quimby arc
my authorities on the subject. 1t is
put together by being welded as iron,
only with this difference, the air
is excluded. Shell can bo no
more melted than person could
make beautiful red, yellow
or green color by mixing all the colors
of paint together. II is said DR..
Quimby possesses valuable secrets in
regard to tortoise shell and its capa-
biltics 1t would be a calamity if he
should die without telling all he knows.
Shell can be burned or destroyed by
certain acids, otherwise it is indestruc-
tible East India shell and Honduras
shell can not be welded together,
owing to some difference in their tenn
peratures, Florida Keys and West
Indies she'll works better than any
other. The African and East Indies
shell is harder and possessed of q more
brilliant color, but has the fault Of
being too brittle. Shell is conductor
and not porous, because it can not bt
dissolved. Dark colors usually pro
dominate in all specimens of shell. 1t
is considered the healthiest article yet
10 come in contact with the hair and
scalp. II is boon to womankind and
Is manufactured specially for their
use"
"What Is the process of manufacture
! ingP"
"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 aud final boil in pure fresh
water prepares 1t for the workman. 1t
Is now kept pliable and at a certain
temperature until worked into the shape
or design required. The final polish is
then given and the armor Of the rough
saurian Of the sea is sold to adorn tho
II some fair woman.n-M Y