Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-03
The Strange Fish an Athlete Could Not
Lift.

"You look like a likely hefter." said
an old Maine fisherman in OIL skins,
who was unloading a doryful Of mack
erel at Deer Island, to a lusty youngmaa
in kn~ickerbockers and a white flannel
shirt.
eyes" replied the young man. "I'm
called pretty strong in the S~kowhegan
Athletic Club"
"Did you ever lift much fishP" asked
the old fellow.
81 never saw the fish Icouldn't lift"
The fisherman took out a clean ten
dollar bill and said: ''I'm going on
eighty-one years old next muster day,
but I'll bet ten dollars even you can't
lift fish that l can"
"Where's your ishP" asked Skowhe-
"Well I'll tell you. Here's a fish,"
and he poked among the maekerel' and
in the bottom Of the dory. Let's see,
it's about five foot up to the dock. I'll
bet you the ten dollars you can't toss
the fish up there"
The S%kowhegan athlete thus called
upon, deposited ten dollars with the
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 to
watch the feat.
"Stand back there!' shouted the fish
tosser, rolling up his sleeve. "This fish
might hit you, old man, and knock some
of the blow out of you."
uHoava awoy, >, cold +bo MON IN oil
skins, tipping a wink at the crowd in
general.
The young nan now stepped into the
dory, and poked away the thinkers (small
mackereD that were sliding about.
Standing on the edge of the boat, he
stopped down, grasped the skate-like
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.
"What's 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?"
"Who struck meP Some one gave me
a knock on the neck just as l was lift
ing:~
crowd. "You wasn't touched"
"IH take my oath 1 felt something
hit me. If this is a skin game l 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 thinkers. Man,
fish, oars and bailers were mixed up for
a moment. At last the Skowheean
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 gasp.
ed, as the men crowded around.
''Why, what's the matter with youp"
"Ive bad a stroke" whispered the
victim. 1.-The minute [ stopped to lift l
felt 1T a%-runnin' all over me. It's in u
family, but I've got it bad" and here
he rubbed his arms and legs.
cit Knocked me clean off nv feet"
he added, "and my limbs felt like
sticks. Send - hut here a
roar of laughter broke from the men,
and n Of them, selling him by the
arm, jerked him to his feet.
YOU'RE all right my lad; only next
time don't 60 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 I mean" he continued.
"Why, jest this: You haven't had a
shock of paralysis. They'll knock .
horse if you take 'em right"
The athlete looked vacantly ahead,
took back his money, and left amid the
renewed laughter of the crowd.
"Hel have a yarn to tell the Show
hogan folks" said the perpetrator Of
the joke, ''but I hate to hear a man
blow and thoughtful take him down.
Injured? No, stree. He'll feel stiff for
an hour or So, but it won't harm him.
"What's the use of the shocksp Why,
Ireckon they kill fish with 'em or drive
EN- off"
The latter assumption is probably
correct. The electric apparatus of the
torpedo is its defense, and certainly is a
good one: The electric organs may be
compared, to some extent, to the vol
taic pile, and consist of two series of
of hexagonal cells, the interview
ing spaces between che plates being
filled with a trembling, jelly-like sub:
stance, S o that each cell can be CON-
pared to a Leyden jar. Each torpedo
carries about four hundred and eighty
Of these batteries, the whole being equal
making $500 square inches charged to
the highest degree. The upper side OF
the fish is positive and the lower mega.
tive, the shocks seemingly being entirely
the will of the strange electrician
Cor. n. Y. San.
1t happened at Philadelphia that a
little boy, in a mirthful spirit, struck
Richard Carmina on tho neck with a