Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-11

What the Dainty Fish DO 70 AmuSe
Themselves While In Captivity.
JAPANESE AMBASSADOR WHO STUCK IN THE
MUD-A FEW FUNNY STORIES.

About ten thousand domesticated trout board
in three ponds at Trout Valley, about mile
east of Spring Mill station, on the Norristown
railroad. Pa They range in size from the light
specklcd lingering to two-foot fish who is re-
puted to have made his home at the bottom of
one of the aquariums. Jerry Comfort, an old
man and a farmer, owns them aud he gives them
daily ratiOns of curds minced beef liver and
lights They seem to like him. Four or five of
the most intelligent trout will eat out of his
hand and nibbie his finger. When they do It
satisfactorily they get double shares of food.
They know this and fight for the privilege.
Jerry Comfort says that a trOuts philosophy OF
life is to look well and do credit to himself when
he makes his debut on the dinner table. Jerry
ought to know, for he has lived with the fish
about fifteen years and has rehearsed many
thousands for the last meal at which they are
present. Times reporter found the old man
digging holes In his garden yesterday.
oh, no. he cried, laughing. Pm not dig
ging for worms to feed my fish on. The best
food is a fly made OF unbiteable material. with
steel hook mixed up with its wings and
feathers
HAPPY TROUTLINGs.
A run over the trout farms showed many
thousands OF fish, complacently wagging their
tails and darttng about as if in perfectly happy
state of mind. They did not seem to have heard
Gathered down the side of the hill over stones
and mounds, finally Ieaping with great bril-
liancy, into the ponds. The trout, with their
noses to the stream, bObbed under the spOuts
and stayed until carried away by the current
Then others took their places and 80 the pot
was kept boiling" From information gathered
then and there it is clear that trout eat each
other. Comforts yellow and white dog put his
paw into trough where some diminutiye little
nnf0rtunates were diSpOrting themselves heed
less of the impending frying PAN and. picking
out short fat fellow. swallowed him. As soon
ts the paw was seen In the trough there was a
cCmm0t0n, and hungry fish, taking advantage
oil the excitement. sneak-thief like, gripped q
1eilow-creature by the neck and bit pieces out of
MIN until he died. Comfort said that this was
very often done. and pointed out another fish
roaming around. evidently wondering which of
his companions boosted the best flavor.
FISH STORIES
A pompOus Japanese visitor to this country
visited the pond not long ago, but accidentally
took header into the water. He was success
fully hauled out by the heels and ten trout
floated to the surface corpses. He had killed in
five seconds by this violent method more than
he had captured with the hook in as many
hours. Two of the three ponds are close to-
gether and Running water passes from a spring
through one into the other. In the height of
summer the pond nearest to the spring is of
coi &c iiie eooieSt. Inc DoluS are aOOuC TWO
feet apart and are connected by pipe. through
which the fish cannot pass. 1t is said. that so
anxious are the trout living in the warm pond
to get into the colder one, that they give skip
and clear the intervening two feet of terra
frma. The consequence is that early every
morning, in hot weather. the warm pond is
found tenantless. 1t takes some time to replace
the fish. How they discover that. by jumping
the barrier. they will be in peasanter quarters
Is beyond Jerry Comfort and he gives it up."
The writer feared that the story gave him
away"