The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-07-21
BOYS EARN
GOOD INCOME
FROM CRAWFISH
Missouri Boys Market 1000
= "Crustaceans Each
10 49,, Week
Regarded AS DELICACl
IN ST. LOUIS RESTAURANTS
Ate Boiled Alive Like HOLSTERS
Meat Is Soft and
Flaky

SPRINGFIELD. Mo- July 21.-
Catching crawfish to supply the wants
Of 1Overs OF this delicacy in st. Louis
Is The business of two Greene county
farmer BOYS, Frank and Freddie
W0odsr They utilize a large pond on
the farm of their father, two and "A
ha3f miles north of Springfield. The
b6ys are believed TO have the only
craMfish farm in Missouri.
-Four thousand OF the crustaceans
are marketed each week. They have a
standing order with a st. Louis fish
homse for 600 crawfish TO be shipped
every Monday, Tuesday and Wednes
daY. and for 900 on Thursdays and
fridays. Last year the boys sold 30.
COD crawfish in st. Louis. for which
they received SIS. so per thousand. This
year they expect 10 ship between go,
000.and I00. 1000.
The propagating, catching and ship
ping%of ezra wdads,' as they are IA
miliaf1y known to every youngster
who knows anything al all about
them. rs interesting a large spring
supplies the water for the pond, COW
ering several acres This lake Is
grown tfftE With a peculiar moss
which is found IN no other part or
the county.
Feeding upon this moss is a she'll
Hsh of the perfwinkie species. Upon
the periwinkle and the moss crawfish
feediinf countless numbers
The Srawfish~, are, caught with a
small hand. seine. One of the boys
follows the edge OF the pond with
one end. OF the seine, while the other
wades out TO armpit depths with the
other end a single drag with the
seine will often reward the boys with
a catch or more than 900 salable craw-
fish. The market requirements are
for cr4fvhsh at least three inches in
lengtNt~t}dany of the crawfsh are
eigk(keE4 mine inches long.
Stna6ss the4s crawfsb- are raised In
sprinA WATER and feed upon vegetable
andssaye, animal foods. their flesh Is
very sweet and succul.nt The Woods
boys have received letters from the
st. Louis company 10 which they ship
stating that their crawlsh are supe-
rior TO any received In St Louis. and
for thai reason depend upon the boys
for their supply.
SEEMING the cravtish is done at
night An acetylene lamp is used by
the boys TO detect the presence or
thes'crawdads" feeding upon the moss
neAt the banks' or the pond There
they can be seen by the hundreds
feeding on the periwinktes and the
vegetation shat grows thickly In the
water Not more than an hour is re-
d,dred each night 10 All an order for
1000 of the creatures.
They are packed alive In baskets
wifh wet moss and they reach their
destination by express in good shape.
Cfawfish. like Holsters, are boiled
nlfve. but they are first thoroughly
ptffged In salt water After being
boiled. the shell is easily removed
leaving the white. faky aesh which
can be eaten AZ once or prepared IN
vasious ways for the table Many OF
tho restaurants in st. Louis serve
crawfish soup, which is said by cpl
cuEeans to be very appetizing
The crawfsh multiply In the pond
without being cared for In any way
and all that the two Woods boys re
ce1ve is clear profit The industry
taxes ub nttfe a. their time. and the
work OF catching the crawfsh and
shipping them TO market does not I'm
terfere with their school work ant
their chores about thu farm with
their. recent contract they are now
making $34 week