Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-14
LOVERS OF LOBSTER.
Chicago's Expert Says that Crusta-
ceans Are Popular Food With
Americans.
Conditions Under Which the Salad
Ingredient Grows Best and How
They Are Caught.

have the worlds fair" said w. B. Booth,
the oyster man, with winning smile yes
terday morn, sis to be found in the fact
that Chicago consumes a great many more
Holsters than the alleged metropolis just
east of the Jersey line. Now an appetite
for lobster salad is a convicting proof not
only
What is the daily consumption of lob
sters in the city,"
From % to 100 barrels, depending en-
tirely upon the season. Though this pop
ular crus tacean is never out of the market,
it is protected by law for period of eight
or nine weeks, beginning Aug. l. During
this close season the supply is drawn from
a surplus that is stored away In the fisher
men's lobster-cars during the fishing sea-
son. The Holsters shell does not grow
with the rest of his anatomy, so his only
way to increase his size Is to get rid Of his
outer covering, which he does once a year.
The process is evidently very labOriOus
one, for the lobster grows thin, sicBly, and
unfit for food Besides, in his unprotected
state, while the new shell is forming, he is
very easily injured, and is obliged to hide
himself to avoid being eaten up alive by
his numerous enemies. Some cynical fish
ermen have been heard to say that the lob
ster law was framed for the benefit Of the
canning companies and not the lob
sters. These canning companies also put
up sugar-corn, working the same men in
both the corn factories and the lobster fac
tories Hence the law is very useful in
keeping out competitors while the corn
crop is being taken care of. .
"Where do the Holsters come from?'
1--WE get the greater part of our supply
from Boston and Portland. The lobster
prefers a rough, rocky bottom for his feed
ing-ground therefore the New England
coast affords the best lobster-fshing in the
world. Europe's chief supply is drawn
from Norway The European lobster is in
ferior in size and flavor to his American
cousin.
Us there any danger OF the supply be-
coming exhausted?'
mo, j guess not. Though the demand
always seems a trife in excess to the supply
good care is taken that the species shall
not be exterminated Besides they are
very prolific; - 444 eggs have been found
attached the tail of single female
1.-The standard size for marketable lob
ster is gradually diminishing. A few years
ago the usual weight was from two to four
pounds; it in now from one to one and half
pounds. We have received specimens
WEIGHING twenty-five pounds >
Though Holsters formed prominent arti-
Gle of the New England colonists' diet it
was not until about 1910 that lobster-fshing
became an industry Of importance. Now
American canned lobster is to be found
wherever civilized man has gained foot
hold. Four thousand fishermen now catch
30,000,000 Holsters annually, the net profits
amounting to nearly 81 100000 This is In
New England alone.
HOLSTERS are found in all salt waters of
the habitable globe, though those from
northern ATTITUDES are of superior flavor. In
winter they retreat to water Of a depth OF
about thirty fathOms, where they will not
be disturbed by storms. Some bury In the
mud and In manner hibernate. Though
the most pugnacious of created beings they
suspend hostilities by tacit consent upon
the approach of warm weather and seek
their summer feeding grounds in shallow
water in company, often advancing In I'M
mense solid columns, with the stronger
ones in front. They are of slow growth
and live to an age of 60years or even more.
At the age of three years they are about
four inches in length. The shell is first
shed in the fifth year, by which time they
have attained a length of eight or ten inch
es and are first found in a soft condition
At naturally they weigh from four to ff-
teen pounds often more. At South st.
George, Me-, | preserved the claws of a
lobster that in life weighed forty-three
pounds. They feed yoraciously upon CLAIMS,
praws, cunners, founders, and all animal
food that comes in their way. Their claws
Il ,,rrn 10 oolx ,.l,O
or to take off mans finger. Tradition
tells of Maine hotel-keeper who was
brought to an untimely grave by lobster S
deadly grip.
There are several ways of catching lob
sters, but they are commonly taken by
means of trap made of lath feet long by
2 feet wide and eighteen inches in height
The trap is Semi-cylindrical In shape: tine
ends are made of tarred cord woven into a
sort of funnel, with an aperture in the cen
ter six inches in diameter Bait, often a
Gods head is fixed in the center and the
trap is lowered to the bottom in two OF
three fathoms of water. The lobster enters
readily enough, but finds it impossible tc
get out his claws first. As it does not oc.
cur to him to back out he remains prison.
or until released by the fishermen. Sc
greedy are they that sometimes one is
found clinging to the outside of the trap
that will suffer himself to be taken into the
fisherman S boat rather than lose sight O.
the tempting bait. These traps are SCI
singly on a rough bottom and in travis o.
a half dozen on smooth ground. They art
examined once a day, their location being
changed each day. One man will atterd {
hundred traps. Twenty years ago TIT
fishermen made 81 and s. per day. bu
now, owing to the greater scarcity of lob
sters. they can not make more than from
IS cents to 1925 per day.
Two or three times week the fishing
boats are visited by smacks having a deer
well with a capacity of from 1000 to Is. 00l
Holsters The finer specimens are sent t.
markets in these smacks, and the poore
ones are gathered up once a week b,
smacks from the canning factories.
Seaport markets are supplied with liv
Holsters transported In the wells of thes
cruising smacks; towns moderate dis
lance inland are also furnished with liv
Holsters. while those destined for the ia
west are usually boiled.
The boiling is performed in watts of
capacity of sixty gallons. The water
brought to the boiling point by means &
steam pipes at the bottom, a peck of salt
added. and then crate loaded with 80
pounds of wriggling. swapping crustact
ms is lowered into the vat At the end {
thirty minutes the contents of the crate al
of the familiar bright-red color and read
for shipment.
THE EYES OF POETS.
How the Genius-faming Orbs of FamoT
Men Appeared to Observers.
Emerson used to say that each man ca