The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-12-11
Capture OF a Sawfish.

J
When riding on the beach at Calves
ton, Tex, during a visit there I mo-
ticed some Mexican fishermen drawing
q seine to shore to which was attached
a large sawfsh (Pristis apstiQaSoTstn1).
The animal was not inclosed within the
net. but some of the meshes had be-
come engaged with the teeth the
saw, and by this attachment it was.
drawn several hundred feet toward the
shore, the large dorsal fin alone showing
above the water, suggesting that q
shark was entangled in the net; but if
a shark it must have been dead one,
for not the least effort at resistance was
made, nor even signs of life, for the OBJ
ject drifted in as ifeless as a log till it
touched the bottom; then. indeed, it
made a few spasmodic efforts showing
terrific power, in which the head and
saw were thrown high into the air
and swung around in a fearful way,
while the tail was lashed about, show
ing that a bullock could not have with
stood the blows.
z This demonstration did not last five
seconds, but it had brought the mon
ster considerably nearer the shore and
into about one foot of water, where she
lay perfectly quiet. The Mexicansthen
cautiously approached and slipped q
moose over the tail, which was very
broad, though the body just above it
was but . few inches in diameter.
When an attempt was made to pull her
- IL hn IA Of,
though but for an instant, when she
quickly resigned herself to her. fate:
After she was nearly clear of the water
eight men could not pull her more than
one foot at time, but she was finally
landed we'll up on the beach. / did not
venture near enough to measure her,
bat judged her body was eleven feet
and her saw four feet long. At the
shoulders judged she was eighteen
inches broad; thence it gradually ta-
pered to the tail.
The extraordinary feature was the
immobility of the animal under the cir
cumstances; she was drawn in several
hundred feet by a twine not larger
than knitting-n and she suffered
herself to be dragged through the sand,
tail foremost, without the least effort at
resistance, or the least motion to show
that she was suffering. I would like to
know if this is usual with this fish when
capturedi
I learned that three well-grown fetal
sawfish were found in her.-Jatdge Ca
ton, in american Naturalist.
Railroad Speeds.
The daily express mail train from
London to Holyhead makes the dis
tance, 26S miles, in four and a half
hours, being at the speed of little
over fifty-nine miles an hour, stoppages
included. The distance between New
York and Washington is 228 miles, and
the fastest train makes it in six hours
and twenty minutes, or thirty-six miles
an hour, stops included. But most OF
the trains occupy from eight to nine
hours. In this wide country, where
railroad engineering exhibits such great
triumphs, it would seem as if we ought
to be able to run trains between our
important cities as fast as the Britishers
do. If we had Holyhead express be.
tween New York and Washington the
time of transit would be reduced nearly
one-half, to wit: to three hours and
forty minutes. This would enable pas.
sengers to leave New York in the morn.
ing, have an entire official day for bust.
r.ess before the Departments in Wash.
ington, or attend session of Congress
and still be at home in time for evening
tea.-Scie7atiic american.
A GERMAN, the proprietor of Colo
RADIO line of stages, was collecting s.
apiece from the passengers, by way o
fare. All had paid except one, and he
drawing alarge revolver, pointed it a
the head of the collector and hoarsel,
asked: won't that pass me?' Per
tectly unmoved the German said: Oh
no; we eats dem tings here. Two dol
lars, please s35n9 7a
HANDS have they, yet feel not
clocks. Legs have they, yet walk not
tables. Eyes have they, yet see not
needles. Teeth have they, yet chey
] not combs.