Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-09
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
SHARKS n SHOES

SHAhhS AMI SHINES
Modern science is helping 70
convert another of mans traditional
enemies, the shark, into his service
able friend" according to a bulletin
from the Washington, d. c., head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society.
Already sharks are contributing
food, gelatine, and oil for many
purposes, to appease the ever more
complex needs of mankind, and now
they are being experimental with as
a probable source of shoe leather.
mot many years age the cattle
on the western plains and on the
farms averaged about n animal 10
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 U. S. Bureau of Standards
has completed arrangements to test
the comparative durability OF upper
leather made from ~sharkskin as
compared with hat from calfskin
and cowhide. The cooperation OF
the shoe manufacturers has been
obtained in the making of the neces-
sary 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 excep-
tons, being fiesh-eating. They are
long and cylindrical, the body ter
minating in a sharp snout in front
n a long and lattened tail behind.
The mouth is placed crosswlse and
usually is on the lower surface OF
the head, some distance behind the
tip of the snout. Almost all sharks
are marine, though many occasion
ally follow their prey into the
mouths of rivers. Their teeth are
arranged in formidable triangular
tiers, the first or outer row alone
being used while the rest are turned
back out of the way. When those
of the first row are lost, those of the
next row take their place.
THE fins, with their abundant
cartilage, form the basis of the sup
ply of gelatine in China.
1.-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. In former times they were sun
tried'-placed in water and allowed
to stand in the sun for several days.
The quality produced by this meth
cd (Which is still pursued in Labra-
dor and Newfoundland is much
better than that obtained by the
more modern methods. but the diff
ference in quantity is considerable.
Quantity and quality vary consider
ably with the season. The oil is Of
value in dressing leather, soap max
ing, fish glue, paints, and for medic
inal purposes. The yield varies from
less than a pint in some of the
smaller sharks to about 125 gallons
in the larger sizes,
AT n time large quantities of
the hides. cleaned but not tanned,
were used for polishing wood, ivory
and metal. With improvements in
methods of preparation of sandpa-
per and emery, these have largely
replaced animal hides. Small guam
titles of certain classes of skin are
still in demand among cabinetmak-
ers, and have other special uses, as
in the manufacture of optical fit
tings. Peculiar markings, such as
transverse bands or elongated spots,
and the character of the small, close
set, ~yariously s%culptured lime-like
particles which cover the skin, have
adapted some to uses for sword
grips, card cases, jewel boxes and
other novelties. The demand for
sword grips is at present unusually
large and difficult to supply with
satisfactory material.
within the last year American
tanners have experimental in the
production of feathers from these
hides with excellent results, and
there now exists a demand for large
quantities of raw materials. In ten
sile strength, feathers tested COM
pare f~avorably with those made
from mammal hides, and the mar
ket for these products appears as
sured. Special seines, 500 feet long
and IS feet deep, with a four-inch
mesh of extra heavy Irvine, are con-
structed to capture these fish. One
crew, fishing off the southern coast,
has captured zoo sharks in a day.
A hide will produce from 10 to 40
square feet of leather suitable for
shoes. Five hundred skins a week
are said to be handled at one tan
merry, the output of which is to be
greatly increased during the next
year.
1.-THE meat of the shark is white
and edible, resembling halibut. 1t
is canned and dried for shipment to
the markets."