Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-25

Of artificial incubation. William Jen-
nings Bryan journeyed to the farm and
Mr.. Barbee placed an egg in his hand
just as the youthful terrapin strolled
forth, to the delight and amazement of
the statesman. The infant terrapin is
precocious and appealing mite. Mr..
Barbee sells them for fifty cents
apiece as pets. Society women have
been known to keep them in mahogany
boxes with brass trimmings. They
display good deal of intelligence, and
become very tame. One young lady
terrapin by the name of Toby has
spent her entire life of two years in
Mr.. Barbee's pocket. She has been
handled by thousands of persons, and
is known to everyone in Savannah.
Her chief accomplishment is wiping
her eyes with one forfoot when told
to do so.
The sale of these young terrapins at
fifty cents each just about pays the
expenses of operating the plant, leav-
ing the returns from the sale Of the
greater part of the stock at three dol
lars each as clear profit.
The demand for diamond-bac terra
pin is not large one; but it is much
larger than the supply. Mr.. Barbee
asserts that the younger generation
does not appreciate terrapin, and sell
dom eats it except for the sake of
splurging. The heyday of the terra
pins fame was before the war, when
these toothsome reptiles were abund-
ant all over the south. Today they
are chiefly appreciated by persons who
learned to eat them long ago. Very
conservative clubs, where elderly col
onels and majors foregather, and very
expensive hotels, which must have
the most expensive foods on their
menus, are Mr.. Barbee's best custom
ers. and they take all that he can
produce. He does something OF
business in canned terrapin, and a
mysterious Chinaman in Philadelphia
buys all the old males that are too
tough to be eaten. What he does with
them, nobody knows.
The life habits Of the terrapin are
most peculiar, but make him very
inexpensive creature to raise. Every
year in October he buries himself in
the sand, and remains until the fol-
lowing spring in dormant condition.
OF course he eats nothing during this
period, and furthermore, he comes out
weighing exactly what he did when he
retired. His life is fine proof of the
benefits Of abundant sleep; for he has
practically no diseases and lives to a
very old age.
Three times a week the sandy floor
of the shed where the terrapins are
kept is flooded, and they are fed with
fiddler crabs and bits Of fish which are
thrown upon the water. The fiddlers
are caught in great numbers by little
negro boys, and are fed to the terra
pins alive. Occasionally crab sue.
ceeds in burying himself in the sand
If he is not wanted Immediately; but
his escape is only temporary. The
terrapin always remembers exactly
where the crab went, and when he
becomes hungry, he patiently camps
at the mouth of the hole until the crab
chooses to come out.
The sand is arranged in mounds,
with little streams of water running
between them. From April to Sep
TENDER the females deposit their eggs
in these mounds. They are then gath
cred and placed in the sand incuba-
tors, where they hatch out in Feb
ruary. The young terrapins, with the
exception of those intended for i'm
mediate sale, are sent to fourteen
acre marsh, enclosed by palisade of
palmetto logs; and here they spend
their early days without any cost to
their owner. They grow only about
fourth of an inch during the first
year, and it takes them six years to
attain a length of six inches. Terra
pins of larger size are seldom seen
Barbees establishment at the Isle
of Hope, which grew from his first
speculation in terrapins when he was
street car conductor, is now an
estate Of many acres and buildings,
including a hotel, dancing pavilion,
restaurant and a strangely assorted
zoo-for Mr.. Barbee's fondness for ami
mails is not limited to terrapins. He
insists upon driving blooded trotter
instead of an automobile. The flnan-
cial evolution of the terrapin trust is
sufficiently indicated by stickpin
which he wears in his necktie. 1t is
large golden terrapin, the back Of
which is set with diamonds.
OSKALOOSA WANTS