Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-03-03

Facts About Tortoise shells.
The importation and manufacture Of
tortoise she'll into combs, hairpins and
other articles Of that nature has grown to
be an immense business.
II have had forty years, experience In
the trade. said the proprietor of an up
town tortoise shell comb factory. to q
reporter. ssand have during my career
bought enough shell to ill the Great
Eastern
Where do you get it fromG''
cit 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"
fare there many varieties of shell2'
s'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, degen-
crate, which furnishes q very inferior
quality and cannot produce those beau
tiful colors like the eagle. Last the
green turtle, which for she'll purposes is
almost good for nothing. The real tor
toise has thirteen distinct and separate
pieces of shell distributed over his back,
designated as follows: Four kite pieces,
one head piece, four backbones, two
hips and two tailpieccs. The extreme
edges of q tortoise shell are called cali
pers 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."
Cant the shell of a land turtle be
utilized in a comb factorv?"
1t is considered worthless for comb
purposes. Yet it is susceptible OF beng
highly polished. and MANY fine iewelry
boxes are made of it. Carbuncles
frequently get on real tortoise-shell, eat
through and produce faulty shell, just
as knot in a 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 SO a pound. The caliper
and toe nail shell sells from seventy five
to $3.50 pound. But when it is worked
up, polished, etc., it is worth treble the
original cost"
Can shell be dissolvcd2n
No, it cannot be dissolved or melted,
although Frenchman once asserted that
il could. 1t is put together being welded
as iron, only with this difference, the air
is excluded. Shell can be no more
melted than person could make, a beauti-
full red, yellow or green color bv mixing
all the colors of paint together. Shell
can be burned or destroyed by certain
acids, otherwise it is indestructible. Shell
is conductor and not porous, because
it cannot be dissolved. Dark colors
usually predominant in all specimens of
shell. 1t is considered the healthiest arti-
Gle yet to come in contact with the hair
and scalp. It is boon to womankind
and is manufactured specially for their
use.n
What is the process of manufactur-
ing9"
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
temperature until worked into the shape
or design desired. The final polish is
then given and armor of the rough
saurian of the sea is sold to adorn the
head of some fair woman. "-Nes0 York
Nail and Express.