Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-09-13
sharking at Nantucket.

The hunting of the shark, by its ex-
cltement aud colossal dimensions, about
corresponds to the noble chase of the
buffalo or the grizzly on shore. and Is
an experience well worth travelling to
Nantucket for. Every self-respecting
tourist carries home a sharks jaw or
some of the sharks curved teeth as tro-
phies, and small boys have their wonder
full pockets filled with assorted teeth
and scraps of sharks skin, on which
they sharpen their jack-knives as on so
many whetstones. To catch shark you
stop the boat while out blue-ishing and
drop the line down in those shoal places
off shore where the sharks chiefly lie in
wait. but the blue-fishing company gen.
orally object to this and prefer to stay
by their original spot. A better way,
and one partaking more of the typical
island flavor, is to sail down the harbor
to the little peninsula of Wanwinet and,
crossing the narrow strip of sand, re-em-
bark in an old whale boat and, at
mile off shore, drop anchor ct the favor
lite summer resort of the sharks.
Hunting the shark is the nearest ap-
proach to ''sitting OF mountain to bob
for n whale" since the Norcross boys
present you with 200 feet of stout clothes
line and an iron meat hook for tackle,
and impale eight or ten perch on the
long barbed nook for bait. When our
nine lines were streaming out from the
boats side, and each one was braced
for the coming struggle, first one female
head and then second was bent in
pensive attitude by the gunwale. My
own head was swimming, and sea and
sky were rolling together, when a shou
from the man IN the bow drove every
such notion and sensation away, and We
all stood up and shouted with excite
ment The rope came slowly in, and
soon the big fish was fioundering on the
surface, churning the waters white all
around, and drenching us with the
spray. The Norcross boy seized a club
his brother held the line, and after a
succession OF blows ON his pointed nose,
the shark was hauled aboard, its jaws
wide open andits ravenous career ended.
After this first catch there was
subdued excitement all around and no
one thought of the ground swell again.
The Harvard prize man announced that
he thought he had bite, ana, hauling
II his line cautiously, found little yell
low crab clawing at the tempting bait.
The shout of laughter was drowned by
my own shrek of victory, as there came
a jerk from the other end of my rope.
1t NAV be cruel and murderous sport,
but there is savage excitement in wa
ging war against such wild beasts and
pulling in that shark was equal to hold
ing runaway horse. With braced feet
and taking it hand over hand, the line
guadually shortened and the body OF
the shark was seen dartIng around III
the water. Look out, or you'll land
him in your lap" cried the yachtsman,
''and if he comes III some of us will
have to get out" The boys danced. the
men shouted and the ladies stood uI
and shrieked in chorus with me, while
the shark lashed the mighty waters with
Its mighty taii and sent the spray al
over us ahd the boats seats. The Nor
cross boys took the lire and drew my
prize in, hammered ON the head with {
club, and putting another hook in hi:
back pulled him over and stretched hin
out. There he lay, his nose at one sid'
of the great whaleboat and his tai
hanging over the other, 9 feet lons
from tip to tip, a good-for-nothing luml
of q fish, weighing 800 pounds.