News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-10-18
KNOCKED OUT BY A FISH.
THE ADVENTURES OF \ SKOWHEGAN
ATHLETE At THE SEASHORE.
Description of a Very strange Member of
the Fiuny Tribe.

unloading a doryful of mackerel in Deer
Island, Me-, to a lusty young man III
knickerbOckers anda white flannel shirt.
Eyes, replied the young man. I'm
called pretty strong in the Skowhegan
Athletic Club.
Did you ever lift much fish," asked
the old fellow, throwing a huge netful
of thinkers on the dock and looking his
companion over with a critical eye.
Il never saw the fish I couldn't lift. 5"
The fisherman thrust his hand into
his pocket, from which, after 4 violent
struggle and much invective, he hauled
out a very fiat, light leather pocketboOk
that was closed with a strap and piece
of rope yarn. He took out a clean ten
dollar bill and said: I'm going on
eighty-one year old next muster day,
but I'll bet ten dollars even you can't
lift fish that 1 can"
'Where's Your fsh?' asked Skowhe-
gan.
"Wel, I'll tell you. Here's fish,
and he pOked among the mackerel, and
pointed TO a large, solid, skate-like fish
in the bottom of the dory. Lets see,
it's about five foot up TO the dock. I'll
bet Won the ten dollars you can't toss
the fish up there"
81 don't want to take your money, ="
replied the young man, magnanimously,
as a number Of spectators drew around,
"but if you've got half a dozen of the
fish, string EN- all together and give me
something worth doing. I've lifted five
hundred pounds before breakfast.
"I'Il stick to it that you can't heave
the fish up to the dock. and there's the
money"
The Skowhegan athlete, thus called
upon, deposited SO with the owner of
the mackerel canning shop, who had
Joined the party, and went down the
ladder into the boat, while the old fish
erman climbed upon the dock to watch
the feat.
''Stand back there p shouted the fish
tosser, rolling mp his sleeve. "This fish
might hit you, old man, and knock some
of the blow out of you.
''Heave away" said the man in oil
skins, tipping a wink at the crowd in
general.
The young man now stepped into the
dory and poked away the thinkers (small
macIlere) that were sliding about.
Standing on the edge of the boat, he
stopped down, grasped the skate-ike
fish, and lifted, raising it about a foot.
Then, uttering a yell, he staggered a
moment and fell with a resoUnding
splash into the water, nearly capsizing
the boat in accomplishing the feat, which
was received with shouts of laughter
from the dock, the old fisherman fairly
dancing a hOrnpipe on the rail.
whats the matter with yOu?' he
shouted, as the unfortunate athlete
scrambled into the dOry again, swearing
like a pirate. Trying to upset the
boat, are you p
''Who struck me Some one gave me a
knock on the neck Just as / was lifting.
Nonsense" said some one III the
crowd. you wasn't touched"
''I'II take my oath I felt something
hit me. If this is a skin game l want tC
know it" Bracing himself firmly in the
boat he again grasped the fish IN boil
hands and raised it three feet, and theI
fish. athlete and all went over backward
among the tinkers. Man, fish, oars and
baIers were mixed up for a moment. AT
last the Skowhegan litter made a break
for the dock, and once upon it, sank
down on a pile of boards. He was as
white as a sheet, and covered with scales
from head to foot.
"Send for the apOthecary," he gasped,
as the men crowded round.
"Why, what's the matter with you ?
Give had a stroke" whispered the
victim. ''The minute [ stopped to lift /
felt it a-runnin' all over me. It's in our
family, but I've got it bad, and here he
rubbed his arms and legs. ct knocked
me clean off my feet" he added, ''and
my limbs felt like sticks. Send;
but here a roar of laughter broke from
the men, and one of them, seizing him
by the arm, ierked him to his feet.
you're all right, my lad; only next
time don't go fooling around old Amos.
He's a hard nut.
Here's yer money, sonny" said the
old man, holding out the bill, you've
earned it.
"What do mean? ?" he continued
"Why, iast this: You haven't had 8
shock of paralysis. You tried tew heft
one of these torpeders. They'll KNOCK
horse if You take EN- right.
The athlete looked vacantly ahead
took back his money, and left amid the
renewed laughter Of the crowd.
Hell have q yarn to tell the Show
hogan folks, said the Perpctrator of the
joke, ''but / do hate to hear a MAJ
blow and thought I'd take him down
Injured? No, stree. He'll feel stiff
for an hour or SO, but it won't harm him
I've been struck by EN- hundred time
and it's no fun I can tell YOU. It's jus
like being struck by a mild stroke O
lightning. l don't generally touch 'em
but a man gave me dollar to fetch on
in, so l kept it in the boat. They
shock you right through the net Whel
/ was hauling in the tinker seine thi
morning, | knew / had a shOckfish fror
the Jerking Of my arms. The shock
come right up the wet cOrding, so tina
sometimes you can't hang on anyhow
I've seen a man who struck one with a
iron harpoon, thinking it a skate
knocked down so quick he never kne1
what hit him.
''What's the use of the shocks? Why
reckon they kill fish with EN- or driv
'em off. "
The latter assumption is probably COZ
rect. The electric apparatus of the tor
pedO is its defence, and certainly is
good one. The electric organs may b
compared, to some extent, to the vOltal
pile, and consist Of two series of layer
of hexagonaI cells, the intervening space
between the plates being filed with
trembling, jeIly-llke substance, so tina
each cell can he compared to Lcyde
Jar. Each torpedo carries about $50 c
these batteries, the whole being equal
power to about fifteen Lcyden jars, max
ing 800 square inches charged to tn
highest degree. The upper side of tn
fish Is positive and the lower negative
the shocks seemingly being entirely a
the will of the strange electrician.
DR.. Atwood, of Boston, in making ez
periments with powerful fish, was sew
eral times completely flOoreG, and whe
at a distance of twelve feet he struck
fish with harpOOn the shock was s
powerful that he could not release hi
hold.
Quite a number of electric fishes ar
known, of which the South America
gvmuotus is undoubtedly the most pow
erful. 1t is said that they are caught b
driving wild mustangs into the water
the fish exhausting their powers upO
them, often fatally The tOrpedoes N
then captured by the natives. In al
nine different species are known, thre
Of the curious electricians belonging
the raw family. One is a sword fish, al
other catfish, called In the Nile cOU
try "thc thunder fish, " and the third
the TTfrnOdOH cfCctricJts, from COmOrC
Tie latter gives a faint shock, but stron
enough to probably form a protectlo
from various animals.-N j. S"l
COMPARISON, more than reality, make
men happy, and can also make then