Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1882-10-12

A North Carolina Venice.
tFrom the New York News.l


Probably Morehead City is the only
city in the world without wheel in it.
l do not think there is a wagon or O
buggy horse in the town, and very few
in the country. Everything is done in
beats. There Is not house in the coun-
ty that boat cannot get within mile
OF. Not doctor or lawyer owns a horse
they practice in boats. The people
go to funerals in boats, and when they
arrest a man they carry him to jail in q
boat.
The main export of the town besides
truck is FISH, but the fish caught here
embraces everything from a whale to g
shrimp. Last year two or three whales
were taken off this coast, and a whale is
worth from 81, 200 to $1,000. 1t ia said
they get between the shore and the gull
stream, and i'll trying to beat out to sea
are sickened by the warm water. They
turn in shore again, and strand them
selves. Along the bays and inlets
mackerel are caught in large quantities
in nets, but this wholesale fishing is
neither picturesque nor interesting. A
pretty sport practiced along the shore ii
spearing founders. A small row boat is
put adriit. A man with O hambeau
walks alongside up to his knees in water
In the bow of the boat sportsmen stand
with slender gigs.
Along the bottom, by the reflection of
the light, can be seen white founders
half buried in the sand They remain
perfectly still while the gig is poised
above them, and never move until they
are either speared or missed. The only
drawback to this sport is that occasion
ally your torch bearer is stung by g
stingaree. A stirgaree is simply lone
buggy whip, broken out with smallpox
and filled with steel springs, aqua fortis
and needles. When he hits you, lock-
jaw is the mildest result. The little
niger" contingent about MoreheaG
makes its living by grabbing. With a
little boat, hardly bigger than tub, they
go out in the surf, and, Topping in and
out like amphibia, soon come in with a
bushel or so of the ugliest looking and
sweatest-tasting things that swim thC
water.
One other very important industry
OF this very interesting place is the rails
ing Of "marsh tackeys." The marsh
tackey is shaggy pony, hardly larger
than a Shetland, light built and hardy.
He lives in the water and will not eat corr
or hay. He is brought up on the marsh
grass, which he eats between the tides
They cost literally nothing, breeding il
droves as wild horses. Each drove has
its leader, who selects the eating grounds
and decides when the tides are going out
or coming in. Once every year the
owners have what is called "poney
penning," All the ponies along the
coast, running into the thousands, are
driven in by boats and either branded oi
sold. They bring from Sl5 to $50 apiece.
and it is tribute to their utter wildness
that broke pony-that is one that
can be ridden or driven, is called q
Grained tackey,' and brings $40.
They are in great demand in the mid
die of the state, eating little and doing a
heap of work. They run down to skin
and bone before they learn to eat corn oil
hay, but then fatten rapidly and lose the
ugly reddish color the salt water gives
them. There are men who buy them in
large numbers, tram them, and take
them to the mountains and get fancy
prices for them. As write there is 9
drove of tackeys marching in slow and
sedate procession against the horizon.
The leader, bearing his responsibility
with dignity, picks the way carefully, and
his company follow with blind sense ol
confidence. The water, as it splashes
about their legs Rlistens like showered
silver, and their red sides shine against
the sun like bronze. On they go, as
birds beat homeward in the twilight
growing smaller and more indistinct a.
they plod their steady way. At last they
are but specks above the water, moving
dumb and patient to some well-desired
goal.