Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-07-01
Shark Leather.

mics, the shark, into his serviceable
friend" according to a bulletin from
the Washington, D. c.. headquarters
of the National Geographic Society.
ALREADY sharks are contributing
food, gelatnes and oil for many pur-
poses, TO appease the ever more COM
pick needs of mankind, and now they
are being exprimented with as a prob
able source of shoe leather.
mot many years ago the cattle on
the Western plains and on the farms
averaged about one animal to each
person in the United States, but today
there is not much more than half a
beef animal for each inhabitant Of the
country, and the import of hides is
negligible.
The United States Bureau of
Standards has completed arrange
ments to test the comparative dur
ability of upper leather made from
sharkskin as compared with that of
calfskin and cowhide. The co-opera-
ton of the shoe manufacturers has
been obtained in the making of the
necessary shoes for the tests.
Sharks are regarded as the most
rapaciouS, bloodthirsty and cruel of all
the inhabitants of the sea, all of the
known species, with four exceptions.
being flesh-eating. They are long and
cylindrical tho nod, -, =,
sharp snout in front and a long and
flattened tail behind. The mouth is
placed crosswise and usually is on the
lower surface of the head, some dis
lance behind the tip of the Snout AL
most all sharks are marine, though
many occasionally follow their prey
into the mouths of rivers Their teeth
are arranged in formidable triangular
tiers, the first or outer row alone bcinf
used while the rest are turned bach
out of the way. When those of the
first row are lost, those of the mex
row take their place.
"The fins, with their abundant car
tlage, form the basis of the supply of
gelatine in China.
The liverS are taken for the oil
they contain. They are placed in water
and cooked either by steam or by fire
and then the oil is skinned off.
former times they were sun dried,
placed in water and allowed to stand in
the sun for several days The quality
produced by this method (Which is
still pursued in Labrador and New
foundlandj is much better than that
obtained by the more modern methods,
but the difference in quantity is con.
siderable. Quantity and quality vary
considerably with the season. The oil
is of value in dressing leather, soap.
making, fish glue, paints and for
medicinal purposes.
AT one time large quantities of the
hides, cleaned but not tanned, were
used for polishing wood, ivory and
metal. With Improvements in meth
eds of preparation of sandpaper and
emery, these have largely replaced an
imal hides. Small quantities of GER
tain classes of skin are still in demand
among cabinet-makers, and have other
special uses, as in the manufacture of
opticl fittings Peculiar markings.
such as transverse bands or elongated
spots, and the character Of the small,
close set, variously sculptured lime
like PARTICLES which cover the skin,
have adapted some to use for sword
grips, card cases, jewel boxes and
other novelties. The demand TO-.
sword grips is at present unusually
large and difficult to supply with salts
factory material
"Within the last year American tan
ners have experimental in the produc-
ton of feathers from these hides with
excellent results, and there now exists
demand for large quantities of law
materials. In tensile strength, lcath-
erS tested compare favorab.y with
those made from mammal hides, and
the market for these products appear
assured SPECIAL seines, 600 feet long
and rs feet deep, with a four-in"n
mesh of extra heavy Irvine, are con-
Structed to capture these fish. One
crew, fishing off the southern coast,
has captured 200 sharks in a day. A
hide will produce from ten to forty
square feet of leather suitable for
shoes Five hundred skins a week are
said to be handled at one tannery, the
output of which is to be greatly in
creased during the next year
"The meat Of the shark is white am
edible. resembling halibut 1t is