The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-30
A CRUEL OPERATION.
THE PROCESS BY WHICH TORTOISE
SHELL is PROCURED.


rate the Bony Layers of the House In
Which He Lives A business That
Struck an Observer as Heartless.
There are many articles of daily and
hourly use constantly passing before
our eyes and through our hands about
the production Of which we know COM
paratively little or nothing. An inter
esting example of this is tortoise shell,
from which combs and hairpins are
made, besides a multitude of trinkets
for the dressing table, the desk and
the pocket. Fierce crusades have been
instituted in recent years against the
slaughter of birds for the procurement
Of their plumage for hat trimmings,
and yet venture to say that the proc
sss of procuring tortoise shell is cru
city to animal life which far exceeds
that to which birds are subjected.
In the eighties happened to be down
in Bluefelds, on that awful Mosquito
coast, and at the invitation OF one
Manuel Latona, who was the owner and
captain of small schooner, went with
MIN to the cay lei Roncador for tortoise
shell. This cay gets its name (Which Ill
English would be the Snorer) from the
exceedingly angry surf, which can be
| heard for long distance breaking over
the reefs. This is the cay on which
couple of years back the historic old
ship Kearsarge was wrecked and bat
tered to pieces. Ell Roncador is nothing
| loco tlnt fNf &
land, such as is found throughout the
southern seas, three-quarters OF mile
long, perhaps, and not more than
quarter of mile across its widest part
Surrounding the island is a reef, inside
of which the water is smooth and rath
er shallow, and at the bottom OF thu
shallow water there grows peculla
kind of sea grass which is dalnt.
food for the turtle tribes. There is ais
found on the top of the water inside tn
reef q sort of small blubber fish, calle'
in Spanish dedalcs, or thimble fish
. which is perhaps the greatest dellcac
of the entire turtle menu.
The turtle whose shell is valued Il
commerce is "a small species known
| the hawk bill. There are other varit
5 ties which come to FL Roncador
spawn, but they are not molested. Dul
I. ing the night the turtles crawl up o
the shore to lay their eggs, each fema
: depositing Oh an average about ~. i
do this they dig holes in the sand abo'
. two feet deep and after laying the eg'
= cover them over so deftly that 1t Is a
v most impossible for novice to Ill
: them. These eggs are really delicio'
when roasted, but the turtle fishers a
careful not to destroy those they 90 II
take for food, SO as to promote as mu'
: as possible the increase of this valuat
IS sea reptile. At night the fishers conce
l. themselves along the shore az well
t. possible, and when the turtles come
ont of the water ON the beach they ru
forth and turn them over on their bac
with iron hooks, leaving them secure
10 this position until morning.
J. The tortoise shell of commerce is n
y. as is generally believed, the horny Gov
e, :, ing or shell proper of the turtle; 1t
ID the scales which cover the shield. In
r, scales are ID in number, 8 OF them
Cd ing fiat and the other somewhat curv
~ Four of those that are fiat are gu
IS, large, sometimes being as much as
I'd inches long and inches broad, nea
81 TRANSPARENT and beautifully variega
y. in color with red, yellow, white
sh dark brown clouds, which give the
sh fects so fully brought out when the 81
"a is properly polished. A turtle OF az
IT. ace size will furnish about eight pou
= of these lamine, or scales, each pl
being from an eighth to quarter OF
inch in thickness.
". 1t is the method by which these sc;
or are loosened which is the repulsive
,oI of the business. The turtles are
me- killed, as that would lead to their
he termination in very few years. A
O@ canturing them the fishers wait Tor
ss light to complete the work. The TUT
,e- are turned over again III their nat
rs, position and fastened firmly TO
rS. ground by means of pegs. Then bu
100 of dried leaves or sea grass Is spl
RS, evenly over the back Of the turtle
mo set afire. The heat is not great enc
'fb TO iniure the shell, merely causing
So separate the joints. A large blade,
similar in shape to chemists spat
, is then inserted horizontally betV
m the lamine, which are gently 7
Y, from the back. Great care must be
b raS en- not to injure the shell by too n
and heat, and yet it is not forced of uni
'ers is fully prepared for separation
,ers sufficient amount of warmth.
40 The operation, as one may req
$50 imagine. is the extreme OF cruelty,
fat MANY turtles do not survive It, Mo
u liz them do live, however, and thrive,
81 in time grow new covering, Jul
and a man will grow Il new finger Ma
1oG Mace of one lie misnt lose. The
ows iarity of the second growth OF
800 though. is that instead Ct reprodt
i;oo. the original number CT Is segments
xed. restored in one solid piece.
$50; To see the Cr,railon o1 tahlh
leep she'll from Tic living turtle on
ms. about all nan Of LoriLoin bre'
nbs. wants of it, and if the helpless rel
.oC@ had the power Of >Ci,lng their $
! u s5. ings under 1t their cries would I
- hoartless a nuSlnCgs as man II;