New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-07
SHARKS AT THE WATER FRONT,

THE MELANCHOLY POSITION OF THE SMALL BOYS
WHO DO NOT DARE GO A swIMNlING-THE LONE
FISHERMEN.
it Vas dreary day, for the small boy in the
melgnDorhood OF Washington Market yesterday
The thermometer was doing its best to score hun
dred the policemen were reposng in sheltered hooks
ana shady recesses and the flood tide gurgled and
splashed around the piles of the piers with de-
ligihtinily cool and refreshing sound. But not a
solitary urchin was found bold enough to commit
ms customary violation of the ordinance against
bathing. Live sharks little too much even for
the New York street boy.
Two sharks still exhibition yesterday
behind the canvas curtain of the exhibitors,
kctchum and Powers. Ketchum, who seems to be
OF good "staying qualities" sits at the door and
ieyies contribution of cents on all who pass n
while Powers, the orator of the firm stands on the
ice-box and dscourses to tho visitors. Yesterday
when TRIBUNE reporter visited the place it was
crowded to sutiocation. The two sharks were
repOsing in box filed with ice their heads toward
the spectators and their mouths propped open in
such a manner as to give them the appearance of
smiling blandly on the company.
," Don't crowd, gentlemen! Give everybody a
chance to. see the whales" said Powers. Here
y.are now! two whales, male and female. caught
by ine and my partner, ten feet and two inches in
length weighing six hundred and ten pounds, and
hlme ieet three inches in length, weighing four
mrnt' and watch ia ken from the inside of one of
the whales" Then he displayed an old-fashioned
silver watch and dilapidated prayer book. If
You don't believe it, here is the articles and there
is the whales"
Leaving the museum of natural history, the re-
porter attempted to down to the Veseyst pier,
but found the way guarded by two policemen, one
of whom said that the shark fishing had been
stopped and that was allowed on the pier:
but the reporter could 90 and look if he wanted to-
1t seems that since the catching of the first shark
the pier has been crowded. and yesterday two land
sharks" were among the crowd and stole two
watches. While one policeman was telling all this,
his companion, policeman of great rotundity of
body and redness OF face, rolled up and shouted at
the top ct his voice. You can't go down there,
don't want to-" meeky replied the reporter
49, wen, you can't anyhow" said the guardian of
the peace in a loud voice.
This colloquy had the effect of collecting a largo
crowd around the reporter which viewed him with
many manifestations of interest, evidently under
the Impression that one of the pickpockets had
been caught. When matters had u measure sub
sided the reporter took his way to the pier of the
Anchor Line OF steamers, just below. At the en-
trance OF the pier sat man who in reply TO the in
uurlGS OF constant stream of visitors monotonously
CALCULATED, q" Pier above" The reporter was al
lowed, however, to walk down to the end of this
pier, where he found youth of about sixteen pay
ing out rope an inch in diameter. 1--WE had two
bites this morning. sad the youth, " but have not
landed any yet. When the tide went out saw Il
whole school of them going down. They hang
good deal
DO you expect to be able to land orc all alone if
you get good bite y asked the reporter.
Oh, no. When catch sharks / have the line
tea at one end 30 the wharf this is. and then let
HIM out and pull him in till he gets tired ont
some people pull Their heads above water aud then
SHOOT them put two bullets into one for fellow
the other day, but the shark got away, went over
to jersey, and went ashore and died. lie was thir-
teen feet long believe"
Along the river at several points were other lone
FISHERMEN lohbng for sharks, but far as learned
they had been unsuccessful. The sharks which
have been caught are apparently of the kind known
as the duSky shark, aVarety very often seen in
warm weather on the coast of the Eastern and
Middle States. They belong to the same gems M
the white or man-eating shark, but seldom attain
length OF more than ten or twelve feet. They are
carnirorous. aud would, no doubt be ANYTHING but
pleasant companion for Il BATH