The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17


about TO begin. No doubt. many
who read this will wonder what
nt1t~M Is meant by the word in quota
ton marks, but did they live near
the Ohio river it's meaning would be APP
parent 1t refers to the catching of mus
sci shells for the manufacture of pearl but
tons.
The season for "nusseling'' usually begins
about the middle of April and lasts until
the first OF December. During this period
a great many people living along the Ohio.
White and Wabash rivers make a livelihood
at this interesting occupation.
The mussel fisher, like other fishermen,
must have a boat. This boat is the
dingy order and Is usually about four feet
wide by eighteen feet long. His equipment
also includes two drags. drag is made
on this order: A common gas pipe about
twelve feet long is procured. To this pipe
come thrty-six chains, eighteen inches in
length are attached by wire. Three hooks
six inches apart are fastened TO each chain.
The hooks are made OF heavy wire and are
made on the order of common grab hooks
used in getting buckets out of cisterus
and wells. Each hook has four prongs.
Fifty feet OF rope three-quarters of an inch
thick. to which the whole is attached, COM
pletes the drag.
The mussels lay in beds, usually on gravel
bars. The immensely OF the shell deposits
in some places is almost beyond belief AT
Cloverport, ten miles above here. a bed of
mussels extends for distance of two miles
up and down the river This bed is prob
ably fifty yards wide and the mussels lay
three feet deep, packed as closely as sar-
dimes in a box How the lower strata of
mussels subsist is not known. On this bed
last season thirty boats were at work and
over one hundred tons of shells We're OBJ
tanned yet the bed is not nearly exhausted.
A bed of mussels at Leavenworth. this
State. is said to be seven feet deep.
The worker rows 20 the head of the bed
and drops out of his drags, first see
ing that the rope is attached to one of the
!. row locks. The mussels lay in the bed with
shells open. ready to close down on any
morsel of food or anything else that the
current carries in its way. AS the drag is
slowly pulled along the bed by the boat
above the hooks on the chains come in con-
tact with the mussel, who instantly closes
down on the hook and is carried along by
the drag Nothing whatever could per-
suade the unfortunate mussel that the bit
of iron he clutches between his capacious
shells is not a bit of choice food, for he
holds on for dear life. Indeed, il is well es-
tablished that If not taken off mussel will
not relinquish his grasp n hook for
twenty -four hours When the fisherman
II fisherman he may be called-thinks he
has his drag full he pulls il up and drops
out his remaining drag the opposite
side of the boat Thus while he is taking
the mussels off the hooks in the boat he
has drag working for him in the water
beneath.
During the months Of July and August
the water in the river usually gets very
low, and the current has not sufficient pow
er to pull the heavy drag and boat. When
this condition exists it is necessary to
utilize mule Now, this mule does
not bear any resemblance TO the traditional
army mule. but Ii answers the same pur-
pose. since il pulls the boat. This mule
consists OF two box frames, covered with
heavy canvas. hinged together in the shape
of large V. The mule" is tied TO the
boat and sets low in the water. The cur
rent striking the angle made by the two
frames, carries the boat along with suffi-
Gent force.
When the fisherman thinks he has enough
shells he rows TO the bank and the process
OF cooking out begins. The cooker" is
nothing but an ordinary box frame with a
sheet-iron bottom. Boiling the mussels for
half an hour is usually sufficient TO open
the shells and loosen up the meat. The