Arizona silver belt., 1899-11-16
CHINESE SHRIMPERS.
Odd Occupation Which Supports
 California Colony.
The MonEcIinns Dance on the Crusta- ceans to Separate Them from Their ShcIls-An Important
 Industry.

"Shrimps, shrimps." is familiar cry in San Francisco, itinerant traders hay- ing stands where these pink, many legged creatures are sold as peanuts are retailed elsewhere. The shrimp mer- chants are generally Portuguese or Italians, who by temptingly displaying their wares have created a demand for the succulent mGrsels.
 The capture of the shrimps consti- tutes an important industry around San Francisco, and an investigation made by curious American some time ago showed that the fisheries were in the hands of the Chinese, who were engaged in supplying the Canton and other Chi nese markets with shrimps.
 The Chinese shrimpers, or shrimp dancers, as they are called, constitute q colony by themselves, and in the main represent as low type of aliens as can be found on American shores. One might sail around the harbor of San Francisco fordays and not see them, es their camps are concealed in certain out-of-the-way hooks for reasons best known to themselves. At one point where the hills dip down to the sea a settlement was found. Here were a number of shanties of the poorest de- scription, and leading out from the beach several small wharves to which were anchored nondescript fishing boats. Leading up from the shanties were two squares of parallelograms, about 90 by 300 feet, which were per fectly distinct from the rest of the soil and delicate pink color. On this strange flooring were a score of China men, gravely hopping about in what was apparently a dance. They held their arms close to their sides; hopping now on one foot. again leaping into the air; moving forward in a direct line; some following the sides, others cross ing; in all presenting to the observers a ludicrous appearance. Yet the con trast Of the blue blouses of the dancers and the delicate pink of the floor was not inartistic.
 Coming out of the bush and walking down the hill the ground was found to be covered with pink shrimps. There were hundreds of them drying in the sun, while with them were many young fishes.
 The dancers were stamping on the shrimps to crush the shells. They did not resent the visit in words, but their looks suggested that the visitors were not welcome. The shanties were squalid in the extreme, containing rude hunks about which were hung thc oilsllins of the fishermen, from which a peculiar odor rose and mingled with that of stale opium and old fish. In the corner of one of the shanties was pagan temple. with some attempt at the splendors one sees in San Francisco. An odor of punk filled the air, and a Chinaman was rear ranging the sandal sticks while another prostrated himself before the shrine. This was the abode of the fisherman's god, and before they went out 10 break the American law the shrimpers in- yoked this god to bring them good luck.
 In taking shTimps the fishermen use various nets-sturgeon travis, fyke nets, bag nets and others of fine mesh.
  The bag net is about 40 feet long-a huge cone with an opening 20 feet wide, grading down to point. Near the mouth is two-inch mesh: following this for ten or twelve feet it is reduced to one inch, while the bag has a mesh of but one-quarter to half an inch. These traps are set between poles on the flats nln fhn hnffnr,N shrimp and fish that appears. The nets are set mainly al night, often being hauled between midnight and sunrise. The shrimps are brought in in large numbers, rolled in baskets and the fol- lowing morning placed in vats of boil ing water. In fen minutes they have assumed the delicate shrimp color. They are then taken out and placed on the level cleared spots and spread with brooms. Here they bake or dry for five or six days, after which the men with the wooden shoes begin what has been referred to as the shrimp dance. The shoes are so heavy that the wearers cannot move with much agility, so a cu- rious shufile and jumping up and down is the result--a dance which, if seen. might find place on the melodramatic stage.
 The object of the shrimp dance. as has been described, is to pulyerize the crustaceans; and pestles ard hammers are also used to loosen the meat. From here they go to the basket shakers, who, by placing the crushed shrinps in bas- kets, quart at q time, dislodge them from the shells. Some use machine which winnows out the shells. thc meat and the shells being shipped 10 China; the shells are used as 2 fertilizer about tea plants. The Chinese in China de- pend entirely on the San Francisco mar ket for them, and a decade or so ago the amount of the yearly shipment was 7CoGG0 pounds of shrimp meat. valued at S76,Oo0, and nearly 4,OC0OOO pounds of shells, valued at about S4O,OOO.-Phil- adelphia Press.