The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-06
He RAISES TURTLES
Louisiana Man Who Follows
Industry On Large Scale.
KEEHS EN- BUSY LAYING
Shipped Turtles Recently Thai
Weighed $50 Pounds.

A. Pavell lives on an island that he
owns. on the Louisiana side, ct the
ries OF shellbanks, some OF them includ-
Ing several acres. floating upon the up
per crust Of a deep marsh that is held
together by the matted roots Of. sea cane,
which stands thicker than the teeth of
/ fax hackle and grows ten to fifteen
/ feet in. height. on these shelibanks can
be grown as fine plums, peaches. figs,
grapes and vegetables as are produced
on any soil IN the coast country. The
marsh affords fine winter range for cat
tie. Hogs thrive upon the crayfish and
dubious roots and soft shoots that spring
from the cane Horses do moi. take kind
Iy to the marshy foting. and, on account
of the myriads of redbugs that harbor
in the shell mounds, they do not fare
well on the ridges.
Mr.. Pavell has been paying taxes on
these shell banks and three or four thou
sand acres o liquid soil for more than
forty years. Formerly ne manufactur-
ed hand made shingles, cordwood and
split cypress fence posts at his landing
but for the past four years very little
cypress came down the Sabine river, and
his occupation was gone until it occurred
to him TO build some board pens in the
marsh. dig down eighteen inches, and
floor these pens with slabs, that cost only
the hauling, and open UP a turtle arm.
The floor is not for the comfort of the
turtle. but to prevent his escape, for a
medium sized one will excavate a hole in
the mud several feet deep in a single
night.
Mr.. Pavell matches turtle in all months
except in the laying season, for he wants
them to multiply. Frequently they viii
lay as many as a hundred eggs, over
them up and hide in the mud near by
until the young come out.
Loggerheads are disposed to venture
further from deep water than the check
cred back-a species of the diamond back
OF the Atlantic coast-and often deposits
its eggs on ground above the highest
overflow. AS the marshes are wide and
deep ne lives on orayfish and the sucu-
lent roots of the marsh cane; to hunt
after a loggerhead is not always one of
comfort. he often burrows ten feet down
twenty feet. To fish him out boys take
a pole thirty or forty feet long. made of
STRIPS o wood Tapped and spliced togeth-
er. on the end of which is fastened
stout hook. This is worked down and
along the hole until the turtle snaps it,
and then the tug of war begins Often
the silk or pole gets pulled in two. but
the turtle has too little intelligence to
learn from this experiene. Not appre-
ciating his danger he Will snap again
when another pole is pushed down the
hole, and as long as the hunters pull he
viii hold on, and if the timber is strong
enough he can in this way be hauled
from his hiding place, slowed in box |
and delivered at the farm uninjured. |
Now and again the hunters find they |
have an alligator at the other end of the |
pole, and as he is as stubborn as turtle |
they usually land him on top of the |
ground, take of his hide, leave the flesh |
for coons and buzzards to feed upon, |
while the pelt is sailed down and mar |
heted.
Hundreds OF loggerheads are fshed out |
IN this way, but the heckerback is easier /
taken with the seine. By watching for /
the nesting grounds about the lake shore /
a pretty good idea is had of the most /
profitable inlets to drag. and with a horse !
and few men, oftener with only half |
4 dozen men, several hundred medium
sized turtles are aptured within a few /
lousr, but fifty is a low average for one
nan. When landed upon the shore they
are plaed in boats and carried to the
ral inc
% size. and those too small for market
ire put where they are expected to re-
main until large enough TO ship. Others
ire placed in pens with those already on
land. but larger, and at the proper time
ire taken rom their feeding grounds,
,laed in barrels or boxes that admit an
mundane Of air. and SHIPPED to New Or
ans, where Mr.. Pavell has always found
eady sales for them at prices very
profitable.
He has shipped turtles recently that
weighed as much as $50 pounds. but pre-
rs to handle the small ones. as the meat
: regarded as more debate, and the
rice for which they sell on the market
5 proportionately higher. He gives
hem as much room as they require in
COL plae. but they can not be shipped Car
q hot weather. OF several thousand sent
rom this depot during tie past season,
sss than twenty died in transit, but they
% by express, and are quickly unpaked
], arrival at the othe- end o the route.
Those left in The pens must have nud
o hide in and an sbUndane Of movirg
-ater. yet they enjoy the sun bath in the
ottest weather, hit car not live lCns
D stagnant water; hence every pen is
o. arranged that the tide flows n and
ut every day He has kept turtles as
,nS as three years. at the end OF which
me they were healthy. frisisy. and as
eadv 10 snap at q stick placed II their
-ay as were those fresh from the water !
- they show no disposition 20 fight
mong themselves. and II Is a rare thing
, end dead one in the pens Logger
eaas and checkerbacks seem TO frater-
lie in captivity. and both live harTno-
Iouslv with alligstors, though they VIII
~ the flesh az the latter after the skin
a. been removed. and take eagerly to
asd fish. but seem 10 preer crayfish and
,e soft roots Of the marsh grasses
The price paid for alligator hides OF
.verai years past have not been suiti-
lent 10 tempt hunters 70 devote much
me 10 killing them. 50 that three and
are booming more nuu'eT-
Is lately than they were tive OF three
ears axo. A ew old ones. nine 70 twelve
,et long. are stnl met with far out n
IL swanps. where they are Compare
vely sac. from the fact that men are not
lined 10 wade through slush waist deep
I'd carry hide weighing 80 or =.
ouuds several miles To- the psitry SUN