The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-17
THE TURTLE EATERS.
MOST OF tHeM ARE JEWELLERS IN
NEW YORK AND LONDON.
How the "Big Fish" Are Captured and
Transported to Market-Turtles Live For
Month In Captivity without Food-vi-
tally In Snapper's Head.

Month In Captivity Without Food-vi-
tally In snapper's Head.
1t takes about 5000 turtles "A year 10
keep New York in turtle soup. This city
and London are the great turtle eaters
! All the rest of the world together would
not equal either one of these cities in tho
amount of turtle meat consumed, and New
! York consumes 1000 more Of the "big
! fish" than London does. Nearly all the
turtles received in this city come from Key
/ West.
They are caught on the coral reefs sur
rounding the Florida keys, and, after be-
\ ing taken into Key West, are brought to
this port by "A Mallory line steamer. The
/ turtles are laid on their backs in "A COM
/ partment below decks The compartment
! is kept warm, and that is all the care the
creatures receive. They are not fed at all.
Strange to say, in large shipment it is
rare that more than one turtle dies in the
four days trip up the coast
A few turtles arrive here at odd intervals
from Jamaica, but they do not arrive in as
good condition as the Key West turtles and
are not considered such good eating.
Londoners, in spite of all that has been
said about aldermanio turtle SOUP do not
really know what good turtle soup is.
Their turtles come from Jamaica.
The turtle trade, both in London and
New York, is in the hands of few men.
L. X. Bells controls nine-tenths of the
London trade and Eugene Blackford at
least two-thirds of the New York trade
Up above Mr.. Blackford's place in Full
ton market he has room TO which the
turtles are hoisted and laid on their backs
in mild temperature as soon as they are
received from the steamer. In summer,
when the market is full of turtles, they are
placed in pens in the East river, back of
the fish market, and fed on chopped cab
bage. In winter, however, they get only
a warm room.
Turtles have been known to live for a
month after thor arrival without food,
just by being kept warm. In winter the
dealers are careful, as IA rule, not TO order
too many turtles. They order just about
the number for which they have de-
mand
Sometimes, when there came q sudden
and unexpected demand, turtles have been
sent up from Florida 10y express, but that
makes a turtle cost so much that it is only
In emergencies that he travels that way.
For the New York market the turtles
required are from 10 to 325 pounds for
IuIluSS. JdlllulCd turtles are DOU
good when they weigh more than $50
pounds. Kingston is the place where most
of the turtle fishing for the London mar
ket is done. The great sea turtles with all
their possibilities of steak and soup, swarm
over the coral reefs north of Jamaica, and
over 100 men work on from to 10 small
schooners catching them.
Strong nets are stretched from rock to
rock of coral and against these nets the
fish, as the turtles are called by their
hunters, swim and cling with their flip
pers. Then the fishermen gather them in,
each schooner carrying back to Kingston
from the reef as its catch from 80 to
$50 turtles. They are put into Enclosures
filled with sea water, fed on turtle grass
and taken out as required, either for ex-
port or home consumption.
Nearly 5000 turtles year are sent to
London, and, in spite of rumors to the con-
trary, they are not all consumed by the
lord mayor and the aldermen. Turtles
bound for England get liberal supply of
sea water, are fed on a diet of oatmeal and
lettuce, and are comforted with beds of
warm straw.
Nevertheless the death rate among them
while on the voyage is large. Those which
survive the voyage sometimes die in the
train from Southampton to London. Out
of one lot of 1870 shipped to the principal
London dealer some time ago, only 20
were alive when the steamer arrived at
Southampton, and of those 30 died before
they reached London.
A turtle will stand decapitation better
than cold. A turtle whose head had been
cut off "a hours previously knocked down
a man cook in IA Newcastle hotel, and it is
Al
nailed to the decks of a ship to prevent
their swarming all over it, They don't
seem to mind it at all
Yet any temperature below 40 degrees
kills turtle out of hand.
A turtles head will retain its vitality
for long time after being severed from
the body. 1t is well attested fact that
sometimes turtles head which has been
off for hours will bite at a piece of wood.
A turtles heart cut out and laid on a mar
BILE slab will sometimes go on beating for
two hours after it has parted company
with the body.
The green turtle, which is the kind the
New York market requires almost exclu-
sively, is a patient and peaceful creature,
and there is no danger in handling him.
But his cousin, the Swapping turtle" Il
creature which largely affects the land, is
of different temper. In the handling of
swapping turtles considerable care has to
DO exercised, for they cannot only hit stun
ming blows with their flippers, but their
powerful beaks are capable of doing seri-
GUS injury.
A man was once carrying largo turtle
into a famous restaurant, when, as he
went to place it on the floor, the creature
snapped his nose clean off. When snap
ping turtle is sold, piece of wood is
placed in his beak and tied there with
strong cords running around his head.
Otherwise he could not be handled with
any sort of safety. Only about 900 pounds
a month of swapping turtle are sold In
New York.-New York Press.