The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-15

heading, such as fish. cattle or chich-
ems.
For the past several years the frog
industry has been growing in the
south and southwest. Thousands OF
pounds of frog skins are handled each
year from these frog slaughter houses
and sent east, where they are manu-
factured into ladies purses and other
delicate articles. Factories where these
articles are made have often complain
ed 10 railroads that too much freight
receipts were charged against. them.
and they wanted some information as
to why the goods were always billed
as double arst-class." says the Mem
phis Appeal
Local freight representatives OF
many of the roads took the matter up
with higher officials and we're informed
that frog skias would have to be ship
ped as double frst-class," just so
long as there was no special heading
for them to be figured under.
Then the trouble went back TO the
frog raiser. Down In the southern
part OF Arkansas and northern part
Of Mississippi there are millions Of
bull rogs raised and shipped to north
ern and eastern markets. Hundreds
Of them come TO Memphis, where they
are sold at good prices by leading
restaurant keepers.
II is claimed there has been no in
crease in prices by the raisers. It has
been caused by the exceedingly high
freight and express charges on a small
sack of frogs the local dealers would
have to pay. To aid in offsetting this.
both dealers and producers have got
ten 10 gether and asked that a special
heading be created or frogs and frog
skins.
These matters will in all progobility
not bother the lines east of the Miss
issippi, because the Southeastern
Freight Associations lines do not
penetrate much frog country. But 1t
Is different with the freight agents
governing the southwestern lines, for
they hit the very heart OF the great
frog markets in the country down at
Crowley, La, North Louisiana, SCUM
Arkansas and Texas
At several points in northern Louis
lana frog dealers have regular frog
slaughter houses, where millions are
killed, skinned and packed on ice, then
shipped to the north aud east.
Where there is no slaughter house.
the frogs are shipped by express alive.
and this is Just where the dealers and
producers claim they have a kick com
ing.
The matter was brought before the
last meeting OF the Southwestern
| Freight Association, but TO determine
whether a frog was an oyster, fish,
animal or something else seemed more
than the general freight agents could
settle, so 1t was left TO their superior
officers, for final decision, which Is
expected to be heard at the next meet
ing Of the association some time In
| March.
One OF the largest frog ponds in the
south Is located near Clarksdale, Miss,
This was established few years ago
by northern man, who came TO Miss
isslppi and bought small plantation.
He went out frogging one night and
caught so many that he sent some OF
them to Memphis to be sold. They
brought handsome prices and dealers
wired for more. lie saw an oppor-
tunity TO get into new business, and
at once took over an old swamp and
made it into a model frog pond. Il is
said that his frogs are the largest and
best in the country because hb takes
particular pride in feeding them good
clean grub"