Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-19
Total ~, -, 49,, ,.,,.,,,., $500
GOOD LEATHER OUT OF THE SEA-
Fish Skins Used In Making Many
Things,


The Canadian Harness and Carriage
Journal "A great deal OF good leather
comes out OF the sea--not the kind OF
leather that comes from the backs OF
walrus, seal and otter; everybody
knows about that There Ia a queerer
leather, which comes from the bodies
OF fish, An extremely fine quality of
green leather made In Turkey Is manu-
featured from the skin of an ugly tlsh
called the angel fab, This Ia n kind OF
sharl--a shark with thick, winglilto
fms that have earned for him the name
OF angel, though he doesn't look a bit
like an angel, but rather the opposite
The sword grips of the officers Of tho
German army are made from shark
leather too They are beautiful In pat.
tern. being marked with dark diamond
shaped figures, This skin comes from
n North sea shark. German leather
manufacturers have tried 10 produce n
leather from animal hides that shall
supplant the skin, but In vain. Unlike
animal leather, fish leather Is absolute
~ imperylous to water and never gets
soggy from dampness, Therefore II is
ideal for sword grips, as no matter
how much the hand may perspire. the
grip remains hard and dry.
Tho sturgeon despite his lumpy ar.
NOR. furnishes valuable and attrac-
tive leather. When the bony plates
are taken or their pattern remains on
I,. al Ia inat no ~ ha ~
gator scales remains ON alligator
leather The Pacific coast sturgeon
and the sturgeon Of the great lakes
produce tough leather that Ia used to
make lnces for Joining leather betting
for machinery, and the laces often out
wear tho betting.
The strange garilsh, nm American
fresh water fish, with long toothed
jaws like those of tho crocodile, has
skin that can be polished smooth until
I 10 has n finish like ivory. II makes
beautiful jewel caskets and picture
frames The skin OF the gartlsh used
10 be converted into armor by some
tribes of American savages, The hide
il SO tough and hard that II makes n
breastplate that can turn knife or
spear Some OF the finer specimens
/ that have been found are hard enough
to turn even n blow from tomahawk.
The Savages who were this fish ar.
NOR also used to wear fish helmet.
II WIS made from the skta Of the
prickly porcupine Ash, and besides pro.
tecting the wearers head II was used
as n weapon Of offence. The warriors
butted their enemies with II. and as II
had hundreds OF ironlike spikes. the
operation was ominently painful TO the
object of attack
In Gloucester the king town" OF
fish. the humble cod has been utilized
with success for making leather for
shoes and gloves. In Egypt men walk
on sandals made from the skins OF Red
sen nsh In Russia certain peasant
costumes are beautifully trimmed with
the skins Of fine food fish, the turbot.
Bookbinders In Europe are binding
books with eelskin The eelskin serves
another and less pleasant purpose. II
Is braided into whips. The writer was
the unhappy member or European
private school whore one of these eel.
skin whips was prominent instru-
fent Of discipline. and he has never
cared for cells since then.
Along the big salmon rivers OF 81.
IBERIA the natives often wear brilliant
leather garments dyed red and yellow
They are made frcm salmon skins. In
Alaska beautiful waterproof bags are
made from all sorts Of fish skins.
The queerest use Is that to which
the intestInes of the sea lions are put.
They are slit and stitched together to
form hooded coats which are superior
to India rubber as waterproof gar.
mcnts Walrus lntestlnes are made
into sails for boats by the Esquimaux
Of Northwestern America.
Even the frog does not escape. Sew.
eral factories in France and few In
America make card cases and other
small leather articles from his skin