Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-09-06

R T is only during very recent years
that common turtles. or logger
heads and the easily raised water
III terrapia have been fully appreci
ated as articles OF food that may
be commonly enjoyed, instead OF rel
egated to form the choice dish OF ban
quets. The northern former, with
drainage streams forming an impor-
tant feature of his land, and the own
er OF springfield ponds on suburban
gounds. may learn much from the tur-
tie industry of the south that win
prove interesting as well as practical
In the early days, when all that por
ton OF the coast OF Florida swept by
the Gulf of Mexico, afkordeA abundant
hunting ground for turtles, they were
such a common article of food that
they were little appreciated, but dur
ing recent years their commercial
value has Increased.
The most important commercially
are the green turtle, the turnkbacks,
the hawkbills and the loggerheads.
Though some OF them weigh only a
few pounds, there are some mammoth
specimens captured, the claim being
made, on good authority, that the
largest have been known to reach a
! weight of 1000 pounds. The green tur.
! Gle is also known as the Chelonia my
/ Gas, and 10 the variety most priced
by the natives of Southern Florida.
Captured by Nets.
AT the present day turtles are cap.
tured mainly by nets, and also from
the land by probing into their hiding
/ places along the banks OF streams
with a turtle-hook fastened to q long
stout pole. What is known as "tur
te-turning" is mainly followed as q
sport by boys. But the old residents
claim that ir the early days turtle
turning was made the most importan
manner OF capture. as well as sport
An early authority thus tells OF the
method used:
Here (along the southern coast oil
Florida) one can follow the most sar
/ donic OF all sports-turtle-ca itching
You walk along the lovely beach al
night, when the turtle has come up
from the waters to deposit her hun
dreds OF eggs. You see one. You
advance, and coolly turn 1t over on
its back-and that is ALL You leave
I 1t leisurely and pursue your stroll.
/ turn another on its back, leave It,
and so on until you are tired. When
! sou come again on the morrow there
they are. To walk up to a turtle in
the morning, having treated him in
this manner over night, and look
steadily in the eye thereof without
/ certain titillating sensations at once
In your diaphragm (where you laughl
and in your conscience (where you do
not laugh requires more grim rigidity
OF the former and more supple elias
ITCHY OF the latter than some people
possess. Nor can there be anything
in life. considered without reference
to your own act in making 1t SO, more
preposterous than an upturned fur
tie lying, poor innocent, on It's rniIdly
convex back, with It's mildly white
eyes staring weakly at heaven, and it's
t1ippers wriggling In fiabby helpless.
ness toward the four quarters OF the
earth
In these more practical days one
questions why they SHOULD have been
turned on their backs, thus TO remain
over night. Why there was not pos.
sibility Of some one else getting there
first in the morning and reaping the
fruits OF the turner's" labor. WHY
the.e was not considerable danger az
the @wriggling fippers" giving the
sudden twist that will send the aver.
age small tartle right side up with
care" after few effective struggles
and why 1t would not be Just as easy
and much more sensible, on going
a-turtling. to take along means of car
rying home the prizes when frst
caught. instead OF allowing them To
lie on their backs until morning
Only few years ago. when the
turtle industry first began to be an
preciated from its commercial starzd.
point the beef and turtle Markets ~
Key West stood side by eide. manv
preferring the latter as a revuIar
meat supply, and 1t then began 10 he
profitable industry to ship turtIa.
alive to the northern markets not
only from Key West. but from ali
along the southern coast of Florida
The turtle eggs are also valued as
food, and the pioneer settEers in the
far south found them very appreci.
able item in their provisioning. as tha
large varieties of turtles have been
known to lay from 100 to 300 eggs IN
each nest. What is known as the
Florida gopher" is species OF tor
toise Of terrapin, that burrows In tlta
sandy soil and furnishes very ACCEPT
able food. Gopher calipash is the
most popular dish made from this
SMALL turtle