Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-05
MANY ODD OCCUPATIONS.
Famous Old Trades Have Deeayed,
While Others Prospered.

Now and then 1t happens that a trade
which Is not otherwise often heard of.
The town crier's calling is certainly
one Of these, for it Is only in quiet
places that the old-time cry "Oyez!
Oyez!" is heard echoing in the streets
of some country town calling upon
! habitants to listen in a way which
would be impossible in stirring city
where the traffic was more noisy.
Now and then we hear Of some tramp
or person of unknown abode who an
nounces some peculiar profession.
Sometimes 1t is some calling which is
merely an excuse for idleness or beg
ging such as that of the tramp who
sold smoked glass to see eclipses
through, but sometimes it is a more
constant occupation than the latter,
such as the man who gave his employ
ment as a manufacturer Of wooden
seeds for making raspberry jam or the
dolls eye maker.
Sometimes when certain expert Is
required it is no easy matter to find
such one. Thus 1t is not easy to find
a man good at polishing mother-of-
pearl, and there are few who follow
this calling in this country. Another
instance of dying profession Is that
of the country carrier, who in hand
cart, or perhaps a donkey cart built,
. hx, h aIo
for a penny or two each to the nearest
town or from one lonely farm or ham
let to another, a profession which is be-
coming rare in these days Of motors
and other conveyances.
Some trades are slowly dying either
from competition or some other cause.
Thus the wood gatherers who once
f1ourished in many midland counties
are now restricted to one or two, for
aniline dyes have killed the old blue
dye used by our ancestors, though
wood is still employed to fix dye In one
or two fabrics.
Many trades are gradually becoming
more and more prosperous as others
decay. Thus fifty years ago the col
lectors of rare insects were few and
far between and no one would have ex-
pected to build up an industry from
the produce of their fad. But there are
now no fewer than three caterpillar
farms in this country whose whole pro-
duce consists of rare caterpillars bred
for "the fancy" and this is said to be
decidedly profitable employment, as
collectors are becoming an ever grow
ing class
The culture of snails in this country
is also on the increase, and good
number of persons in the west Of Eng
land find employment in gathering the
snails, whose bodies are boiled for
small soup; while yet another trade
which has a future in this and other
lands is that Of the seaweed collector,
calling which until Of late years was
left to the poorest among the dwellers
upon the shore. But now sea-weed Is
coming to be more and more used for
variety Of purposes, and the gather
ing Of seaweed Is regarded as an ever
growing field for enterprise.
It was always known that seaweed
contained large quantity Of iodine,
but today It is used in the manufac-
ture of a certain kind of cloth, while
certain species are eaten under the
name Of "dulse," stoke" and "curra-
geen." Kelp is vurned seaweed and
Devonshire seaweed is used for large
number of purposes, therefore the sea-
weed gatherers Of today are in bet
ter position than ever before.-London
Lady.