The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-10-25
The Strange Fish an Athlete Could Not
Lift.

/
/ erel at Deer Island, to a lusty youngman
| in knickerbockers and white flannel
shirt.
:" Yes replied the young man. am
called pretty strong IN the Skowhogan
Athletic Club, Z
" Did you ever lift much fish?" asked
the old fellow
's never saw the fish couldn't lift. =
The fisherman took ont a clean ten
dollar bill and said: elm going on
eighty-one years old next muster day,
but Ill bet ten dollars even You can t
! lift fish that | can
where's your iishp'' asked Skowhc-
gan,
"Well, I'll tell YOU. Here's Il fish, 4
and he pokod among the mackcrcl, and
4 pointed TO q large, solid, skate-llke fish
in the bottom Of the dory. Lets see,
its about five foot up 10 the dock, I'LL
bet You the ten dollars You can't toss
the fish up there.
/ The Skowhegan athlete thus called
upon, deposited ten dollars with the
4 owner OF the mackerel canning shop,
/ who had Joined the party, and went
down the ladder into the boat, while The
/ old fisherman climbed upon the dock 10
watch the feat
"stand bnek there!r shouted the fish
1 tosser, rolling Zip his sleeve ..Ths fish
4 might hit You, old man, and knock somo
Of the blow out Of YOU. mt
" Ileaye away said the man in oil
skins, tipping wink at the crowd in
general.
The young man now stepped into the
4 dory, and poked away the tinkers fsmall
mackereD that were sliding about.
Standing on the edge Of the boat, lie
4 stopped down, grasped the slatc-like
ilsh and lifted, raising ii about foot
Then, nttering a yell, he staggered u
moment and fell with rcsounding
1 splash into the water, nearly capsizng
\ the boatin accomplishing the feat, which
was received with shouts of laughter
I from the dock, the old fisherman fairly
| dancing a hornpipe on the rail
What's the matter with youP' he
shouted. as the unfortunate athlete
scrambled into the dory again, swearing
like pirate. Trying to upset the boat,
are yoU?'
"Who struck mep Some one gavc mic
q knock ON the neck just as was lift
ing
4 sNoH9NilANt Shiu hpIllB one Ill Llt
crowd. "'You wasn't touched. Z
"INll take my oath felt something
hit me. II this is q skin game want
to know it" Bracing himself firmly IN
the boat he again grasped the fish in
both hands and raised it three feet, and
then fish, athlete and all went over
backward among the tinkers. Man,
fish, oars and bailers were mixed np for
a moment AT last the Skowhcgan
litter made break for the dock, and,
once upon it, sank down on pile Of
boards. He was as white rs sheet,
and covered with scales from head to
foot.
send for the apothecary,' be gasp
ed, as the men crowded around
"Why, what's the matter with youq"
'Tvo had stroke whispered the
victim. ''The minute / stopped TO lift
feltit a-runnin' all over me. It's IN our
family, but TvcFgot it bad, y and here
he rubbed his arms and legs
''It Knocked me clean or my feet :"
he added, "and my limbs felt like
sticks. Send --;n Int here u
roar Of laughter broke from the incn,
and one Of them, selling him by the
arm, ierkod him to his feet.
YOU'RE all right my lad only next
time don't go fooling around old Amos.
He's hard nut
Here's yer money, sonny" said the
old man, holding out tho bill, "you've
earned it. .
what do meanp' he continued.
'tWhy, jest this: You haven't had Il
| shock Of paralysis. They'll knock a
horse if you take 'em right
The athlete looked vacantly ahead,
took back his money, and left amid the
renewed laughter of the crowd.
"He'll have a yarn to tell the Skow-
hogan folks, said the perpetrator Of
the joke, ',but | hate to hear Il man
blow, and thoughtTd take him down
lnjtifedP No, stree. He'll feed stiff for
an hour or so, but it wont harm him.
''What'S the use Of the shocks? Why,
| Ireckon they kill fish with EN- or drive
EN- of.
The latter assumption IS probably
correct. The electric apparatus of the
torpedo is its defense, ard certainly is a
good one. The electEic organs may be
compared, to some extent, to the vol
taic pile, and consist of two series of
| layers Of heNagonal coils, the interven-
ing spaces between the plates being
filled with a trembling, jelly-like sub
stance, so that each cell can be com
pared 20 a Leyden jar. Each torpedo
carries about four hundred and eighty
of these batteries, the whole being eddal
in power to about fifteen Leyden Jars,
making 5000 square, inches charged to
the highest degree. The upper side of
the tish is positive and the lower mega.
tive, the shocks Seemingly being entirely,
at the viii of the strange eleetrician.-i
Cor. ~ Y. Sun. as sIl h5s
AN old sea Captain is preparing to-
make q fortune by running into South
Africa with AN ice-rnal{inpr machine that