﻿MUSSEL 
  FISHERY 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOX 
  EIVER. 
  7 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  shells 
  involved 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  tends 
  to 
  

   render 
  the 
  figures 
  inexact, 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  showing 
  shells 
  obtained 
  

   at 
  different 
  points 
  along 
  the 
  stream 
  indicates 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  compara- 
  

   tive 
  numbers 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species. 
  

  

  ABUNDANCE 
  AND 
  VALUE 
  OF 
  THE 
  SHELLS. 
  

  

  The 
  price 
  of 
  shells 
  paid- 
  by 
  local 
  buyers 
  varies 
  from 
  $18 
  to 
  $21 
  a 
  

   ton; 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  prices 
  direct 
  to 
  factory 
  were 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  $24. 
  

  

  Estimates 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  thi-ee 
  years 
  of 
  the 
  shipment 
  of 
  the 
  Fox 
  River 
  

   shells 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  1909, 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  carloads; 
  1910, 
  25 
  to 
  30 
  carloads; 
  

   1911, 
  22 
  carloads. 
  The 
  catch 
  for 
  next 
  year 
  is 
  expected 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  bare 
  

   third 
  of 
  that 
  obtained 
  in 
  1911. 
  More 
  than 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  

   taken 
  this 
  year 
  from 
  the 
  bed 
  extending 
  from 
  Five 
  Islands 
  to 
  Elgin; 
  

   several 
  carloads 
  were 
  caught 
  above 
  Elgin, 
  and 
  the 
  rest 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  

   river. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  shipped 
  to 
  Iowa 
  factories, 
  and 
  some 
  are 
  sent 
  

   to 
  Germany 
  every 
  year. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  blank 
  factories 
  along 
  the 
  

   river, 
  one 
  at 
  Yorkville 
  with 
  16 
  machines, 
  and 
  one 
  at 
  Samonauk 
  with 
  

   10, 
  which 
  form 
  the 
  market 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  carloads 
  each 
  year. 
  

  

  Apparently 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  mussels 
  were 
  scattered 
  quite 
  evenly 
  over 
  

   the 
  whole 
  Fox 
  River, 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  as 
  far 
  down 
  as 
  Serena. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  

   reason 
  to 
  doubt 
  that 
  shells 
  were 
  as 
  plentiful 
  near 
  Sheridan 
  several 
  

   years 
  ago 
  as 
  in 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  stream. 
  The 
  shelling 
  of 
  recent 
  

   years, 
  however, 
  has 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  nearly 
  exhausted 
  the 
  mussels, 
  

   and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  difference 
  in 
  those 
  remaining. 
  On 
  the 
  river 
  

   north 
  of 
  Carpenters 
  viUe, 
  where 
  little 
  shelling 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  previous 
  

   to 
  this 
  year, 
  15 
  to 
  20 
  tons 
  of 
  shells 
  were 
  the 
  usual 
  catch 
  per 
  man 
  in 
  

   1911; 
  below 
  Elgin 
  on 
  the 
  Five 
  Islands 
  bed, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  worked 
  

   for 
  two 
  years, 
  the 
  catch 
  averaged 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  tons 
  per 
  man; 
  farther 
  

   down 
  below 
  Yorkville, 
  7 
  tons 
  per 
  man 
  were 
  considered 
  a 
  good 
  yield; 
  

   on 
  the 
  Millington-Sheridan 
  bed, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  oldest 
  and 
  hardest 
  

   worked 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  but 
  4 
  tons 
  a 
  year 
  per 
  man 
  could 
  be 
  caught. 
  

   It 
  was 
  the 
  general 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  shelling 
  for 
  1911 
  was 
  50 
  per 
  cent 
  

   less 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  year. 
  The 
  only 
  cause 
  for 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  

   ravages 
  of 
  man. 
  As 
  far 
  as 
  could 
  be 
  determined, 
  but 
  little 
  loss 
  is 
  

   caused 
  by 
  animals 
  or 
  by 
  natural 
  conditions. 
  

  

  