The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-18

Heretofore the principal uses made
OF the skins of sharks and allied fishes
have been for covering jewel boxes
desk ornaments, cardcases, sword
sleaths. sword grips and a wide vari
ETY. of small articles for which the tu-
berculous markings peculiarly adapted
them. But to leave the Rsthetic and
to come to more homely applications,
1t seems that the unmodif1ed skin Of
the shark can be tanned and made
into an exceedingly durable sole
leather. the shagreen side Of the hide
being turned out AS result the
wearer walks upon a surface composed
of horny nodples which wear away
very slowly and virtually give the
same service as the familiar hobnail
boot of the soldier. Shoes soled in this
fashion should command a ready mar
ket. BECAUSE there are various fields
of activity where footwear of that kind
would be especially desirable.
So much for the strictly leather side
of this growing industry. CONNER
cially. enterprise along these lines
would be uneconomical and only mod
estly profitable II the aquatic animals
were caught for their skins alone. AT
the fishing stations on the Carolina
and Florida coasts there are also es
tablished reduction plants, where every
! part of the creatures captured l,
turned into some marketable product
| In the case OF the sharks one by prod
/ uct we'll worth while is the fms, which
are dried and sold TO the Chinese as 6
delicatessen. Sharks I'm soup is on
of the delights of the Oriental epicure
THE porpoise yields an oil from the
body fat for which there is ready
demand and still another oil from the
Jaw pans, which is the lubricant par
excellence for watches, chronometers
and other delicate mechanisms. This
OIL at its best, sells for as high as
$50 a gallon. Again, the livers OF the
shark, the ray. &c, yield oils that II
pays to recover. These are OF value ir
dressing leather. In the manufacture OF
soap, In the making of paints and fol
medicinal purposes. The yield varie;
from less than pint in some of the
4 small sharks TO quite 125 gallons il
some of the larger sizes.
The blood from certain of these
creatures Is convertible into n produc
that has numerous applications anC
from this source is obtained the basic
material for a superior sort of water
proof glue. Indeed, It was an adhesive
of this nature that was developed
during the war to bind together thir
sheets Of wood and thus to form the
built up stock from which airplan,
propellers and many other parts OF fly
ing machines were made.
Sharks as Food.
Such of the intestines and othel
internal membranous tissues which do
not lend themselves to conversion into
leather can be manufactured int
strings for musical instruments
sausage castings. coverings for bottle
shoppers, glue. &c. Where the fiesl
cannot be utilized for human food 4
can in most cases be ground and drieC
for the feeding of chickens and cattle
and in this form It is rich in certain
constituents which make 1t OF value
The shark. however, has meat which
is decidedly palatable and susceptibl,
of table use. About n year ago tn,
United States Bureau of Fisheries is
sued n pamphlet dealings exclusivel,
with sharks as food, and IL presented
thirty different recipes that read ap
petizingly, II nothing else.
According to this bulletin: Many