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WEALTH IN TURTLES.
Promising Minor Opening for North
American Enterprise.
ryplcnl Turtle Flnhtnir In .Inmnlcn
How the Ucptllcrt Are Cunuht and
Marketed IronicvtN of
the Industry,
Special Kingston (Jamaica) Letter.
Ah an adventurous sport turtle hunt
ing Is simply "not in it." Tar moro ex
;itcmcnt is to be got out of even eeling
tir crub ditching. But when it
comes to interest interest of the
right sort, nmteriul Interest, that is
Df all the tropical enterprises that
lurtakc of the nature of Held sport
rvhilst conducing to the accumulation
of wealth with a comparative mini
iium of initial outlay, commend mo to
Ihc catching of the humble turtle.
In this direction there is an almost
rirgin Held open to go-ahead American
nterpriae which might be exploited
with no little advantage. Now that the
Attention of American enterprise is be
ing so extensively centered on West
Indian lands (and waters), it would be
& distinct loss, at once to the national
pocket and palate were the turtle indus
try overlooked as 1 hhall proceed to
demonstrate.
How many people, either in America
ar Europe, outside the more wealthy
slasses, really know anything of the
wide possibilities of the turtle as they
ire tentatively exemplified in the tur
tle factory and shop in Kingston? In
northern lands turtle soup (with a basis
of beef at that) and steak are all that is
known about it and are expensive lux-
THE TURTLE MARKET
nries. Yet this almost unknown trop
ical "luxury," in all its forms, could
readily be put on northern tables in ns
prime a condition and as cheaply as or
anges, bananas and pine npples.
Under the circumstances a descrip
tion of the conditions and prospects of
this promising industry cannot fail to
prove timely and of interest to the gen
eral reader. And having just made a
little "voyage of exploration" among
the Caymanas turtlers, 1 am in a po
sition to furnish the information.
Turtle fishing is carried on through
out the West Indies and on the Central
American and Floridian coasts, but it is
probable that Jamaica is the chief
source of supply lo the world's market.
Such as the market is, however, it is
very limited, being kept at the luxury
standard for the reasons above stated.
Bo far as Jamaica is concerned, the fish
ing is altogether in the hands of the
Caymanas islanders, Jamaica itself con-
A MILITANT MOTHER.
tributing little, if anything. It once
did, but the mongoose made its Cau
casian debut among the fauna of the
island, and amongst its other conquests
practically wiped out the turtle by de
vouring the eggs.
rrevious to the Ten Years' war in
Cuba the Caymanas turtlers got their
supplies from the Cuban shores. Driven
thence, they resorted to the long
stretch of kays along the .Mosquito
toast. Now the Nicaragua!) govern
ment wants to claim a royalty in lieu
uf the usual ten dollars a year license
to each schooner, and the turtlers are
thinking of returning to Cuba. In view
of this, an enterprising Jnuinican-Cu-Imn
has just scoured a fishing conces
sion from lieu. Wood. In one sense,
therefore, the trade Is at present in a
transition stage. This fact ninkca it pe
culiarly susceptible to exploitation by
outside enterprise. Hut, further than
this, It is illvo in such an elementary
1W H Mil&iK iSMMm fmm "iiiiiiiiiiwiiiii'iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
-!' "
stage as an industry that it is actually
going n-begging to be properly devel
oped. Let us now briefly review the condi
tions. The Cnymanns flshers sail out to
the Mosquito cnys, operating from Mos
quito and Allargatc southward to Ty
ree and King cays. On these sandy
islets they build crawls and set out on
weekly hunts, capturing the turtles in
great nets set sereenwise between tho
mural coral reefs, to which the quarry
are enticed by wooden decoys. From
ten to one hundred turtles may bo
taken in a week by each schooner.
Many or few, tho booty is conveyed to
the crawl and another week begun. It
may happen that on a subsequent trip
the Ushers find that coast, Indians have
raided the crawls. For this there is no
redress. Hut if all goes well in six or
eight weeks cargoes are ready for
Kingston. The market price in Jamai
ca is six dollars per head for average
largeoncsof 1120 pounds or so, small ones
in proportion. The smaller turtles are
reserved for the foreign trade, the oth
ers being consumed locally, where tho
butcher price is 1'2 cents per pound.
Such are the present conditions of the
trade, and needless to say the supply is
far short of the actual demand, not to
mention the possibilities that could be
exploited. There is also a good demand
for the shell of the Hawksbill turtle
the turtle shell of commerce but this
is praetiaclly distinct from the industry
we are considering.
As may be inferred from this outline
sketch, turtllng is an exceedingly
monotonous business for one blessed
with a mental vitality above the stolidi
ty of a Caymanas fisherman. The only
possible alternative of excitement short
of a hurricane lies in the direction of
the Indian raiders, an armed guard to
AT KINGSTON, JAMAICA.
repel whom might prove fruitful in ad
venture especially if one were carried
off with the turtles and held for ransom.
But with aprudent view to international
complications the schooners are not
permitted to be armed and the turtlers
have to take their chances.
In shore turtling notably on tho
long sandy beach of Costa Kiea stretch
ing north from Port Union 40 miles
there may be more fun or at least less
monotony; but then there are also
more real hard work and physical in
convenience, such as mosquitoes, sand
fiies, etc., and less profit. This is the
primitive and well-known method of
waylaying the creatures in their haunts
and "turning" them while they are de
positing their eggs in the sand. They
are usually turned with poles; not be
cause of any aggressive or even resistive
characteristics, but for convenience and
dispatch. An aggressive turtle would
be an anomaly in nature. Yet 1 once
saw a gigantic despoiled mother actual
ly stand stiff on her flippers, swish her
tail, elevate her head and viciously snap
her jaws as depicted in the accom
panying sketch. And, in point of fact,
she did succeed in biting a negro boat
man who did the turning. The incident
was, however, as unusual as it was ex
cruciatingly ludicrous especially after
that darky got bitten.
Formerly the entire industry con
sisted of the shipping and home sale of
turtles and the preparation of "calip
ache" and "calipee," together with the
shipping of shell. Hut of late years an
enterprising colonist conceived the idea
of establishing a factory for the prepar
ation of the product of the turtle in a
compact, portable form. And this has
proved, in its small experimental way, a
great success.
In the principal preparation made
the flesh of the turtle is treated some
what after the manner of making the
beef extract of commerce. It is then
condensed Into tablets that occupy a
marvelously small space in proportion
to their virtue, from which any de
scription of dishes may be made by a
clever cook or by intelligently follow
ing tlte directions. Besides this there
are special preparations made, such as
canned turtle soup; the green fat (.to
much esteemed) prebcrvtd In bottles;
preserved eggs, etc. And last, but not
least, the well-known turtle oil. which
is found so useful in pulmonary
troubles, is prepared for export.
If left to themsehes, the Jamaicans
will never make much of the oppor
tunity. At an rate, they have failed to
do no up to the pro-cut time. It will,
therefore, be no more than they desene
if some "pushing" Ainerlennk come
down and push them tudde, realizing to
the full the rich, but now praetiuully
wasted, possibilities of thl. hidden in
dustry. T, I' I'OUTISK
TWO HISTORIC SHOTS,
They Will Always Be Identified
with Our National Life.
OneAVnn the Cnunon Shot Which llnnit
Out from Moultrie, the Utlivr
the rifttnt Shot That Killed
Ahnihnm Lincoln.
Spcclnl Washington Letter.
Great men and great events pass be
fore us so rapidly in kaleidoscopic re
view, like the moving pictures of n
kinetoscope, that men of modern
times must needs read rapidly, think
quickly and act with celerity in
order to keep pace with the acts and
scenes in the drama of human life.
There was a cannon shot fired from
Fort Moultrie at Fort Sumter in the
early days of 1801 which changed the
destinies of this republic. It rever
berated throughout the world. The
men and women who were heads of
families then have nearly all gone to
that bourne whence no traveler o'er re
turns. All readers of history know of
it, but there was another cannon shot
fired from a battery beneath a Palmet
to Hag, some weeks earlier, of which
few people have heard or read. It was
fired at a vessel called the Star of the
West, as it was bringing supplies to
Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor.
That shot did not precipitate civil war,
for there were commissioners and com
mittees selected and appointed after
wards to avert a war between the
states. IJut the shot which was fired at
the flag waving over Fort Sumter
caused an internecine struggle of four
years' duration.
The men and women born between
the years 1801 and 1805 have no personal
recollections of the tragic daily occur
rences of those years. To-day they are
the leaders and managers in the fore
front of nfTairs. They read of the civil
war ns they read of the Mexican war,
the Avar of 1812 and the war of the revo
lution; wars in which they took no
part, directly or indirectly. True, there
were boys and young men then, who are
fathers and grandfathers now, who tell
to families and friends incidents of
those days, thereby making more vivid
their reading of history. Hut the stal
wart men of to-day and the mothers of
the rising generation have no personal
knowledge of those events. The writer
is one of the mere boys of '01 who has
personal recollections of the trials and
triumphs of those days.
The people of the north and of the
Bouth eagerly bought the daily papers,
not merely to see which side had won
hi bnttle. but to see whether "our
John" or "our Jim" or others of our
families had fallen beneath the leaden
and iron hnil which the contending
forces were hurling against each other.
We suffered not only the joys of victory
or the sorrows of defeat, but in every
home nnd at eery hearthstone there
was a father, a mother, a brother or a
sister reading of loved ones who were
"dying to-night on the old camp
ground," far from the reach of loving
hands, writhing hearts and loving lips.
Yes, the shot which rang out from
Moultrie rang around the world and
convulsed this nation. It was followed
MRS. SURRATTS HOUSE.
(Where President Lincoln's Assassination
Was Planned.)
by volleys innumerable for four long
years until the end came: the end wel
comed by both north and south. Wel
comed by the north because of the in
sured permanence of the federal union;
welcomed by the south because it was
the conclusion of privation, suffering
and disaster. To-day the survivors of
the contending armies and their chil
dren and children's children all rejoice
that the end was as it was.
Hut the shot above all others which
outrivaled in tragic hypnotism all oth
er events was the shot from the pistol
of an assassin which rang out In Ford's
theater and reverberated throughout
tho world; the shot which, in a mo
ment, in the twinkling of an eye, took
from the republic its glorious presi
dent (on April II, 1H05) and took from
the unfortunate south the one life
which might hue been able to spare it
nil of the years of misery which fol
lowed, because of mistaken zeal and
partisan folly. It was the shot fired b
John Wilkes Iiooth, which canned the
death of Abraham Lincoln.
Paradoxical n It may seem, we are a
peace-loving people, and at the same
time a warlike nation. Seeking peace
with all mankind, we were forced into
a war for humanity's Hake Jimt one
yuar ago. Out of Hint war we have
come with glorv and honor, and with
international reputation for military
and naval prowess nnd skill. Surviving
veterans of tho northern and southern
armies and navies have fought under
one fiag. The sons of the federal and
confederate soldiers and sailors have
fought under onojlng, and the nation
is reunited. To-day we can look back
upon the four years of tragedy and
without sectional feelings recall the
two shots which stand out most promi
nently in memory, hb they will always
stand out most prominently in his
tory. The shots from Moultrie's can
non and from the pistol of the assassin.
After escaping from the theater nnd
after escaping from this city, llooth,
the assassin, was closely followed until
he was surrounded In a barn In Mary
laud and killed by a bullet from tho
rifle of llostoti Corbet t; a shot which
was fired witjiout orders, and against
the desire of tho commanding officer.
The body of the assassin was brought
to Washington and burled here. Never
theless there have been many stories
promulgated alleging that he escaped
Spg
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,iAiiiiuiiiiumiiiiiiiniiinmhii'iiiiiiiii)iiitiniii"i'iuMii,iiifiiM.
HOUSE IN WHICH LINCOLN DIED.
justice. One of those fables was to the
effect that lie was many years after
wards a preacher in Monumental
church at ltichmond. Va.
The houses in which the assassina
tion was planned ami in which Lincoln
died are still standing in Washington,
and their pictures are herewith pre
sented. The assassination was planned
in a boarding house kept by Mrs. Sur
ra tt, and she was hanged with the cap
tured conspirators.
Concerning the guilt of Mrs. Surratt
the writer lias always entertained
doubts. Nevertheless, public indigna
tion was so high, and every mind was so
inflamed with a desire for complete
vengeance, that the woman suffered
with those who were certainly guilty.
Father Walter, of St. Patrick's Catholic
church, received tlie confession of Mrs.
Surratt before her death. As a priest
he declined to give evidence concerning
her confession. Nevertheless, as a man,
he always expressed his belief in her in
nocence. Knowing Father Walter very
well, and having heard him personally
express his belief in her innocence, the
writer lias always inclined to that be
lief. "Many of the stories about John
Wilkes I tooth arc very absurd," says Mr.
Louis Dietrich, an old Wnshingtonian.
"I have heard people throughout the
country say that Hooth was never
killed or captured and that tho body
which was brought to Washington was
it dummy. 1 have seen such statements
in tho papers, as though the writers be
lieved the nonsense about which they
write. Hut T can tell you that I was one
of the very few who actually did see
and touch the. dead body of the mur
derer of Abraham Lincoln.
"When his body was brought here on
a gunboat 1 wanted to see him; but it
was almost impossible to get a chance.
I thought of all schemes to get on board
and at last went to my friend, Dr. Todd,
of the army, and asked him how I
should get to see the body. He said:
We are to make a post-mortem exami
nation to-morrow In the afternoon. You
come to the boat and tell the guards
that you have a message for me. I will
be on board and will tell them to send
you to me as I am expecting you. 1 did
so and was admitted.
"Just before the post mortem ex
amination Dr. Todd lifted the big tar
paulin that was laid over the body on
the upper deck, and showed me the face
of the dead man. It was calm and peace
ful as a baby's, and It was John Wilkes
Hooth. It is all nonsense to say that he
was not there. I saw him and touched
his head. It was cold and dead; and it
was Hooth. 1 know what I know, and I
saw Hooth lying there. The gunboat
was anchored between the arsenal and
the navy yard, but nearer the yard than
the arsenal."
"Among other absurd stories told
about Hooth was one to the efl'eet that
his body hail been sunk in the eastern
branch of the Potomac, at midnight,
and that no one knew where It was.
That was false as exerythlng else they
told. His body was buried in the old
penitentiary ground, where the arsenal
now is, together with those of the other
conspirators, Harold, Payne, Mrs.
Surratt and Aterodt. There the body
laid for ten years, until it was finally
disinterred and carried to Haltimore
and burled beside that of his father In
the family burying ground."
H.MITH D. KUV.
A Mnili" Itt'iiicil) .
When thu world look dura uml gloomy
Aiit hie mtuin a witl, mill nllftlil,
del up mat whmIi yuiir window o
Your noul I'Hti c th'UK rlitlil.
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CilUHgg P.evurd. j
HUFKINS DOCTOR BOOK.
Krc-r)- Itrnillnnr of It Itrluipi on
.m Ailment n tul DrtiR-
ffikt' IIIIIm.
Mr. llufklns, of Indiana avenue, como
home one night lately with a big book
under his arm.
"There, I reckon there'll lw an end of
doctor's bills In this family after tills,'
he said. "When the Ilufkinses get sick
after this we'll do the only sensible,
think diagnose the disease ourselves,
take some simple remedy, save $500 a
year in useless doctor's bills."
After dinner Mr. llufklns spent two
hours in reading about rheumatism,
gout, consumption, whooping cough
and Insanity. The next morning he got
up with a crick In his back.
"Louis," he said, briskly to his oldest
boy, "go over to the drugstore and get
me hair a pound of citrate of sulsoda,
and 12 four-grain tablets of phcanl
gamla," Louis came back In half an hour with
n bottle of citrate of magnesia and a
dozen phenacctln pills, and said the.
druggist, thought they would fill tho
bill.
"That's what I said; that's what I
sent jou for," remarked Mr. llufklns,
loftily, as he swallowed six of the tab
lets and took a teaspoonful of the mag
nesia. Hy night Mr. llufklns said tho
symptoms had changed, and he recog
nized in himself a victim of gout.
"No, thank you, Mary; no pic for mo
this evening; no more sweet stuffs; no
more wine, no more cigars. This gout,
is settling around my heart and even
withthcstrletcst precautions I may be a
dead man in Si hours."
He put on a flax seed poultice and sab
up in bed and read some more of hla
doctor book.
"II titii-m queer, queer," he mused,
after reading about, three hours. "
thought tills was the. most extraordi
nary case of gout 1 ever heurd of. Hy
jingo, I see now; It's lung trouble In tho
fifth stage."
He waked the servant girl up and sent
her post haste for a bottle of codliver
oil. When the girl came back she
walked on tiptoe, ran into a looking
glass and forgot to wind the clock. Mr.
Ilufkins Informed her, as he gulped
down the codliver oil, that she had pare
sis in an advanced stage, and that ho
would prescribe some simple remedy in
the morning. In two days Mr. HufUina
was not able to go down to his office.
On the third day, sitting in an easy
chair, lie perused the doctor book from
ten o'clock In the morning until 11
o'clock at night. Heforc the week was
over both the llufklns children had
stopped going to school to take treat
ment for whooping cough, scarlet fever,
measles and mumps.
Mrs. llufklns is living in hope that
the list of dibcascs in the doctor book
will soon be exhausted. Chicago Inter
Ocean.
A REINCARNATED DOG.
Towhit lliiiln't I.omIIIIm lliiiitfin Trnlti
In tho Pimmm-mm of
Chun urliiK.
"You can't tell me there is nothing
in the theory of reincarnation," re
marked a traveling man, "for I know
there is. I was down in Florida recent
ly, and in St. Augustine I raw a snob
dog an out-and-out snob. His name
is Towscr, and he is jiiBt a common yel
low dog lives in the street and belongs
to no one. In the summer, when no
wealthy northern people are in town,
he plays with all the middle-class chil
dren and dogs, and will greet patroniz
ingly the middle-class men and women
who know him. Hut in winter, as soon
as the season begins, he attaches him
self to some rich New York family
loafs in their yard, tags their footsteps
or carriages all about the city, attends
them to church and home again, and, so
far as he is able, makes himself one of
them. For his mess he has been forced
to resort to the back yards of a plain,
good woman who pities him and feeds
him regularly ; he is friendly with her
at his eating hours, but never so far
forgets himself as to wag his tall at
her on the street or when he is with,
more pretentious people. When socie
ty functions take place in St. Augus
tine there isTowser; golf matches, aft
ernoon teas, picnics or boating parties,
all arc attended by him with most con
ventional regularity. lie never greet
any ordinary acquaintance when thus,
socially e.ngagcd, and has even bcen.
known not to eat for several 'days,
when a fashionable wedding was. on his,
mind. With the swell dogs of St. Au
gustine Tow.ser never has any rows,
having, no doubt, studied the politic art
of being agreeable; but with common
curs lie Is irritable and defensive. That
dog has been human In his time, and I'd
gle a penny to know who he wav"-
Indianapolis Journal.
Illce OiiM-lt'tte.
One cupful of cold boiled rice, four
eggs, a dash of salt, pepper and mustard.
Heat all well together and pour into u
hot buttered skillet or shallow baking
pan. Coer ami cook on the stoe ten
minutes, or bake fifteen la a hot oven.
Ladies' World.
NrrlnilN,
Alice- What makes 3011 think Mr.
Perkins means business?
Hcrtlui- lie Jiiht askud me why L
didn't, attend uooMug hchool. Criterion.