The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-03-09
BIG MONEY In FROGS.
The Old Man Who Digs $50 Day 0us
of the Meadows.

of the Meadows.
Two colored men have been spending
considerable time during the past few
days in the meadow land at West Ber-
gen, near the Hackensack River. digging
for frogs. which they sell TO the restau-
rant keepers in New York. who tickle
the palates of the rich New Yorkers with
''fried frog legs" The frog hunters are
well paid for their trouble. They receive
as much as s. dozen for the frogs and
capture on an average ten dozen day.
The machine used In digging for the
frogs is queer looking affair, not unlike
q miniature dredge- II is fastened to q
wooden handle about ten feet long
which is pushed down in the soft earth<
The operator then pulls the iron chain
which closes the dredge. at the same time
scooDing up about square foot OF EARTH
When the operator opens the dredEe all
that remains 70 be done is to sc liter the
mud and pick out the frogs
One OF the hunters, when Questioned by
q NEWS reporter. said that as far rs he
knew, he was the only one VINO was en-
gageQ in the business of digging for
frogs. He pays his help twenty dollars q
week, and is making fortune for HIM
self
Few people know" he said, s'that there
is SO much money in frogs. and II they
did, they would not know how to get
them have been following this busi-
ness for nearly ten years. and during that
time have saved s., 900. / only work dur
ing spring. During the summer and
winter take things easy at my home in
Port Richmond, Staten Island, where /
keep trim little yacht. and on pleasant
days / take an occasional spin about the
bay. / own the three-story cottage In
which / live. am married and haye two
sons, one ten years old and the other 1T
n a
studying at Princeton College. I intend
TO make minister OF HIM"
why DO you not dig for the frogs in
Staten Island5'' asked the reporter
Because" he replied. more frogs are
found in New Jersey than any other place
in this part OF the country. ! have dug
for them in Staten Island and in other
parts of New York State, but nowhere
have feen so successful as in West Bsr-
gen. They seem 70 like Jersey mud bet
Ter than any other kind
This machine. he continued, pointing
to the dredge, 81 made myself, and is
patented. 1t took me three months 10
make it, aud is the only one in existence
1t is far superior TO shovel and is pro-
ductiEe of better results. The frogs are
liable TO wake up from their sleep and
escape when we use shovel Ny dredgs
holds them. so that none can escape, and
takes less time TO bury itself into the
mud than a shovel would. / can dig
ten foot hole with the dredge in less than
five minutes. 1t would take at least nf-
teen minutes with shovel.
"Do you not fear competitionf" asked
the reporter.
..Compeuticn, - he replied, mo; several
OF my friends have started out but they
soon gave up. You see" he continued,
sit takes time ana is hard work, especial
ly so when one has 70 work with shovel,
so they grow tired of the business. l
work from eight o'clock IN the morning
until dark This season has been an uii-
usually prosperous Cne / nave enough
money now 10 keep me through the rest
of nv DAYS. and this is the last season Of
work for me. will settle down at home
in Port Richmond and spend the rest OF
nv DAYS there. ] viii turn my dredge
and the rest Of my property over 10 my
helper. who has been working for me for
the last five years AS for my boys, VIII
see them through college. after which
thev will be able 70 earn their own liyelt-
hood