The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1913-11-07
HOW BILL CATCHES TURTLES.

In all the creeks and rivers in Missouri tur-
ties are abundant-in all except one, the Blue
river near Kansas City. There the turtle is
rapidly becoming extinct and all because Of
Bill Settles, who follows, perhaps, one of the
strangest trades in the world For Bill Set
ties, according to his own admission, makes
his living through the fact that he is the
"champeen barehanded turtle-catcher of
America"
Just where Bill first came from even he
himself does not seem to know, but about two
years ago he arrived at the Blue river, built
himself small, ramshackle shack, and has
lived there ever since, earning his living by
selling the turtles he catches out OF the river
by diving.
Settles's method of turtle catching is easy
for him. Clad in rough shirt and trousers,
with his shoes split from the mouth to the
toe to let the water out, Bill roams the banks
of the stream until he sees his victim on log
near the bank. The game is in sight. Bill
creeps up as close as possible.
AS soon as the turtle sees him and begins
to slip in the water Bill dives in after it..
Tail, flippers or head, it makes no difference
to the turtle hunter; he founders around in
the water until he grasps some part OF the
turtles anatomy and then the fight begins.
squrms. Bill puffs and treads water. The
turtle is patient. So is Bill. The turtle final
" becomes exasperated- that's the term Bill
uses-and sticks its head out from under ITS
shell to bite the intruder. And that's what
the intruder has been waiting for. With his
right hand, upon which he wears husking
glove, Bill grabs the turtle by the neck and
starts for the shore.
It's all over then. The turtle can't pull
its head back under its shell and it can 7 bite
The nail bound glove interferes with all
those things, and the rest of the turtle S life
consists Of being thrown into a glnnysack
hauled to the city in pIshcart with dozen
other turtles, and sold to restaurants and
private families.
The price of turtles ranges from 80 cents
on up, and on a good day Settles will make as
much as $40, $3.50 of which he saves that he
NAV have sinking fund for the winter
Bill and his pushcart are familiar on the
downtown streets of Kansas City. Always
he has n following of small boys-and some
men-and always he may be counted upon
for street corner lectures of the genus turtle.
"Don't they ever bite you2" some one
asked, as Settles pushed his little cart
through the streets the other day. The
answer of Settles was accompanied by look
of contempt.
"Whoi Met" he asked finally "Do I look
like I'm maxim bait outen myself for them
varmintsl How kin they bite7 Don't |
grab 'em by tn neck1"
eyes; but what's the turtle doing before
you grab himl"
"Tryin' to git away, that's what just
like a snake; run like house afire till You
Git 'em cornered Then they'll scrap. Say,
| sure got a mighty fine one this mornin'
Biggest one ! ever caught Looky! Worth
So if he 3 worth cent
Settles pointed to a gunnysack containing
a turtle almost ms large as a bushel basket
clad an awful scrap with kim he an
nounced. Had to call for help to git him
outen the water But, Lordy, he's wuth it''
Besides the restaurants, the chief part of
Settles's trade is in the more fashionable
parts Of town-among the "high livers "
They are the ones who have learned TO eat
the fresh water turtles and who say they are
really delicious. either as soup. or fried,
when they have a taste and tenderness equal
10 that of spring chicken And they, too are
the ones who are willing to pay the price Set
ties asks Chicago Tribune.