The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-02
STRANDED ON A SAND BANK
FOR A WHOLE NIGHT


from "The Dog World, a pub
LEGATION for Everybody Who
Keeps A Dog, and was written
by Phyllis Robson, the editor,
who spent several delightful days
in Key West last March. 'The
Dog World, read. by dog fanciers
all over the world, is. published
in London, England: s :
"Once more Mrs CRIES. and !
have figured largely in the local
paper. This time we got, a big
double column heading and were
the first item of news on the front
page of The Key West Citizen.
We caught huge turtle. and our
headline ran as follows: Gulf
Stream Catch of 35O-Pound Log
gerhead Turtle Brings Thrills. "
II should think it did bring
thrills. We'd been out in the At
lantic fishing for the elusive sail
fish and had a good catch of large
fish such as amberjack-my first
-groupers, etc, when about a
quarter. to three we sighted an
enormous turtle swimming along.
All was excitement and we
meant having that turtle at any
price-apart from the sport the
meat is very valuable, so the
captain of our boat, the renown-
ed jake Key, and his brother,
were as keen on bagging the crea-
ture asfwe were. Whenever we
got near him he submerged, and
twice the harpoon missed him.
In the excitement Oh retrieving the
harpoon pole Mrs, CRIES. nearly
went over the boat, and I grabbed
her by the seat of her shorts.
Finally the harpoon went through
the vulnerable spot in turtles
shells and we gradually drew him
in, but he was so huge and cum
bersome it was impossible to lift
him on board, so, securely roped,
he was attached to the bow. We
kept on peeping over to see that
he was safe, and discovered he
was SO angry he was attacking
the bottom. of the boat with his
powerful jaws.
ut appears that loggerhead
turtles are quite different to the
other kind, which is harmless,
but our catch can bite a mans
arm or leg off easily. So we had
a consultation, and much as we
wanted to land our catch alive
we decided. to prevent further
damage to the boat that he must
be given the happy despatch, SO
his throat was cut. After such
marvellous luck we thought we
would finish fishing for the day.
| never saw such excitement on
the pier as when we landed with
our monster, whom Mrs. sGriess
Wittily nicknamed, Barnacle Bill
the Sailor, SO many shells did, he
have on his back. Of course
wanted to take his photograph,
but the block and tackle available
were not strong enough to haul
him up on to the derrick, so 1 had
to be satisfied with his hanging
over the end of the pier, which
did not really show him up prop
erly. And we were simply in
undated with congratulations,
and felt very proud, for such a
catch is very rare. The boys,
as we call Capt. jake and his
mate, cut nim UP that night, and
the meat from him was valued
at IL pounds.
A Turtle Schooner Arrives
Next day, Feb. 10th, proved
another Of excitament, though
nothing to do with us. The Brit
ish turtle schooner, "a. M,
Adams, arrived. The turtle ships
come in twice a year and their
arrival is. quite ore bf the events
of the place and both natives and
visitors flock to see the turtles
brought ashore. The schooners
go off to near Nicaragua and
come back with their catches
alive, They come ashore in flat
barges, laid on their backs, and
they have their flippers tied to-
gether with thatch cord, and
these are cut as the turtle are
pushed in the water called a
turtle crawl. This, alas, is next
door to the turtle canning fac
tory, and after "a hours in the
crawl they are turned into soup
and other things. The turtles are
caught by spreading nets close to
the bottom of the sea, and the
schooner we watched unloaded
some $40. Naturally. after our
catch, I was interested in the
weight, so asked, the man at the
scales if he would. tell me the
number of pounds the turtles
were making, and, ], found the
average was round about 90 to
100 lbs. Turtles seem to be, very
useful creatures as their meat is
shipped to Florida markets,
where the steaks are delicious
(alleged-I thought it was like
tough veaD, soup is made of the