The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-13
OUR FISH STORY.
The PerpoIses vindicated ami Names .
Veterans Published.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Luscious
Red snapper.
CITIZEN.

protested scientist writes y critical Ietts
questioning the facts related in our article few
days ago on pompanos and porpoises, and tries
TO demolish at blow the authenticity Of our mar.
rative by styling ID fish story, as If our reputa-
ton could BIO scaled down in that summary way.
The substantial facts in our story we again 10.
peat, and hereby tender our correspondent q
pompano dinner NJ Boudros IL we do not bring
to tho book competent Witnesses TO prove the
same and expose the limited extent Of his knowl-
edge and observations in the pisoatorial line.
| MWe reafflrm that porposes do volunteer their
services to aid the fisherman to drive near the
shore tho schools OF pompano on tho coast Of
Florida thai they serve the same uses ~ hounds
In driving deer, that they watch and c1t off the
retreat Of their joint prey and they catch and toss
into tho air and finally land In their mouths, tho
escaping pompano who leap over tho corks
Of the seine. We will further add that this habit
ia 30 well known TO tho fisherman that they have
established an intimacy with tho leading chiefs OF
battalion Of tho largo corps Of porpoises which
range around Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa island
These chiefs are we'll known by certain mar ks,
snd have their names and titles. One OF them, a
very large and ancient specimen OF tho family,
recognizable by his broken fin, bears the proud
title Of Uncle Bob, the familiar cognomen in the
Confederate army for the great Virginia chief
tain. Uncle Bob is q celebrity all along tho
Florida coast and his presence 10 indispens abe In
great movement against porpoises.
Now, IL our unbelieving Thomas is Of such hard
and narrow faith in regard to pompanos and por-
poises, perhaps he will be like incredulous OF an
other veracious statement, equally incredible to
people who stay ashore ell the while, and do not
mingle familiarly with the class who spend their
time in familiar intercourse with the denizens OF
the sea and the gulf and bays.
And this story relates to the manner in W hich
red snappers are caught. How few, who daily,
or, at least, every Friday, regale themselves on
this splendid fish, know that they are caught in
water twenty fAthoms deep. and that when
drawn up from that depth they are so distended
with wind that when they are thrown into the
wells Of the smack they are unable to sink, but
float on the surface and soon expire, and that
thus it was found impossible for many years to
make the red snapper a commercial fish and sup
ply the demand for it. 1t is now, however, one
OF the most plentiful Of our fish contributors, and
is never absent from our ish stalls at all seasons
of the year.
How was this change effected and these album
dant supplies OF red snappers, fresh and rosy,
obtained? When they were caught long dis
lance out in the Gulf, and died on the surface OF
the wells, instead OF sinking and disporting with
the other fish in the water provided for them AID
thereby reaching our city fresh and alive. This
was done by very simple, process-the sugges-
ton Of Dago-of which the evidence will be OBJ
tanned by any OF our readers who attend market
this morning, if they will raise the side
fas OF the red snapper and there observe
distinct puncture OF an awl, producing
sufficient valve for the discharge
Of the superfuous air inhaled by him in his as
cent from the deep reeesses OF the sea. Thus
it was By this simple expsdient the present gen.