The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-04-13
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as other folks here, and one day
Eseen ae how q man up East had caugh
whale. That set me. aeeing again
I went up to New Bedford and soor
after brought the young whale down
here. j Il.planked the mouth of the
creek so he couldn't get out and then
let him loose. BY the time | had fin
ished fencing the creek-for | did il
all myself had tanned the creature
so that he knew me, and would do any
thing wanted him to- 1 christened
him 'Brandy, and every day I played
with him for hours in the water, the
same. as you city folks would with q
kitten. He would let me ride on hi.
back, and he used to pull my boat and
play with me As long as / wanted.
then wrote to a paper in New Bedford
advertising for live whale cube, and
soon found l could get as many ol
them as wanted. 1 bought four mere
which L called. Gin, Sherry .Port
and Rum keeping them all in the
tank at first, and playing with them
until they were as tame as Brandy,-
Well, time went on, and Brandy il
81 feet and ever, and the others are
not much below that figure. Then
made kind of harness, and hitched
up one after another Of them, and
made them pull me around. About
Christmas time I thought my pet,
were trained enough for me to make
a grand trial. so went to Port Jeffer-
son to look about me fort bigger boat.
I couldn't find one exactly to my taste
so l concluded to build one. and, tho
1 amt much on a brag, but if [ don't
land in Liverpool three days after
leaving here, I will eat them up my.
self" -. -. :. -. - d"
On asking the Captain to show his
sea coach and -four, he commenced by
showing some huge collars hanging
on the wall. You see," said the Cap
tain, "sthe Greenland whale is the only
one I can use the head 10 so much
larger than any other kind, and they
have notch just back of the head,
which fits the collar SO as not tointer-
fere with the working of the. fins.
When the collar is on them L just
hitch on the traces and the harness is
all right. On each side of their jaws
l have fastened a ring, and can drive
them as easily as any farmer can their
old horses. The thing that bothered
me most was that the 'creters', would
dip and go way down under water,
but remedied that by attaching a
straight bar of iron to the bottom OF
the collar. The iron bar has a knot
at the end; on this bar l fixed a fiat
round piece of thin copper, with plen-
'ty Of sharp nails pointing upward
making it SO the plate would Glide up
and down easily. You see, when
they go along the weight Of the cop.
per keeps it down to the knob, but az
soen as they go to dive the pressure
of the water forces the plate up, and
pricks them to the surface. 1t took
some time to make them understand
il, and when they were stuck they
kicked up darnation. Now, however,
when in harness they mean business
all the time, and just scoot right along
only raising their heads now and then
to blow. l am gong to. hitch the
traces SO far down as not to Interfere
with their tails" ~-t. i. -la4,i
The Mermaid-the name given by
the Captain to the vessel-is almost
finished, and as she appears OH her
shores looks very much like am fordi-
nary vessel. She is two hundred and
tifty tons burden, very sharp forward.
and has straight up-and-down cut
water. She has no bowsprit, and her
keel projects about two feet, ending
in an immense iron hook. Her deck
slants down forward from midships,
the chanting part having no bulwarks ;
from the middle forward there is a
covered passage that leads to the steer
ing house, which is Immediately over
the cutwater, and through this the
whales will be driven by long reins.
In this will also be placed the hosting
apparatus, which will hook and un-
hook the bwhiffietrees. 'From mid
ships aft the deck is covered with a
poop-deck, and on this promenade
will be arranged. The poop will be
arranged into gorgeous saloon, large
enough to seat comfortably tive hun
dred and fifty people under II at again
is the dining-room, which is as large
as the saloon above; this is further ex-
tended by a magnificent smoking
room, ladies' room, &C., and the hold
below contains $50 elegant berths.
Under the slanting deck are the pro-
vision room, galley, mems apartments
and store-rooms. The Captain in
tends only to carry passengers first.
class, and will only charge $50 in
gold, or SD for the round trip Cap
tain Williams then led the way to his
whale barn, which is a regular build
ing under water. with pine plank di-
disions and floors for the five mon
sters. The divisions are regularly
closed every evening, the whales go
ing out and returning before dark
brandy is, of course, the Captains
favorite, and occupies stall nearest
shore. On being asked why he had
gone to such expense in building, the
house under water, the Captain stated
that the whales had almost been blind
ed by the mud near shore, and that
he had built the barn 80 that no i'm
purities could enter. In the morning
as soon as the doors are opened, they
90 as far out as the fence, and remain