Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-07-11
A FISH srexY.
looNTRIBUrKp.I

Traces Of him can be found in the liter
ature Of the ancients. In the works ci
the earliest travellers he appears alarm
inQly freqnent. what schoolboy Of d.
teen years ago did not feel bis blood r7r
cold as he read Of the monster kra.
KEN that lived In the great maelstrom
Of Nsrwayf The whale that shei
tered Jonah was ninRow compared
With him. And she terrible devil fish
that Victor Hugo gave rs an account
OF in our boyhsod, In sueh vivid de
suription, in such beautiful words, was
not he the same monster that, to be
lieve the tales of the mariners Of long
age, wrapped bis slimy tentacles around
the masts Of the doomed ship, and
dragged il beneath the water, and then
swallowed ship and crew and all And
ous feII0W7 How often has he not been
Marbleheadf Even nov he appears
periodically at places where there are
Summer resorts, yet the honest land
lord of the hotel, when be sees can
never capture him; still be " always
expected 70 appear next day. All Of us
know the tish liar: he 10 no stranger "a
rs. He is here and there and every
where. Sometimes he 10 q gentleman,
sometimes tramp; bat he 10 always the
same energetic liar, no matter what po-
sition be holds.
One Of eur earliest recoliections is of
two fish liars, and it cost us our limited
cake 10 become acquainted with them.
There were three Of us, and roguish,
red checked, merry urchins We we're.
Az the time we met the fish liars We
were, for as. wealthy. A drover pass
ing the schoolhouse IN the afternoon,
Just as school was dismissed, requested
our assistance to drive his unraly herd
through an spen forest, with the promiss
Of q quarter when the service was rem
dsfed. The assistance was willingly
given and performed, and paid for ~
stipulated, and then we turned toward
home, making the woods ring with boy
ish shouts and laughter. Our path led
us along the banks Of the Illinois river
Tue June sun was slanting away TO the
northvestusrd, and the fishss were has.
lily engaged in leaping for flies. As We
stood vat hing them and vrinly wishing
fur a line and @ grasshopper, We were
joined BY two tramps. and seedy- looking
villains they we're. After cross-examin-
ing us as 10 where We lived and vhat We
we're doing there, one Of them impaired
70 ne q great secret: thai they were sol
entifie men: that ono of them was q
pearl fisher Of Borneo and The other was
man shark; that they ate nothing but
raw fish. which they cauRht By diving
for them. Then one added:
e We are going 10 give an exhibition
In Peoria Lake tomorrow. You must
come and see us-sdmittancs twenty
i've cents.s
sI feel hungry replied the other,
/" | think that ] viii take q header for q
cAtfish.n
aThen,- replied the other crafty
tramp. "iust wait tiil These boys 90 oat
Of sight Nov run away home like the
good little boys that you are. The man
shark will nos proceed 10 dive for his
saPper. and the pssri fisher fssm Bosnso
uiiI do hkewisa.'
Then three piping voices rose In uni-
. Please. mister, 10. as see you catch
the fish,
NEVER thundered the man shari.
s have six little sharks NJ home. Al
that I have 10 snpport them u my ekill
in diving. You have ali kind parents
and hapuy homes. Now would you take
the bite of little manshark's mouth,
he last minnow, as it wore. by witness.
ing car grand soientiic exhibition for
ncihinRf
Perhaps said the crafty pearl ash-
or, = they viii pay ~ for the grand sight
they will soon witness-thst Of the slimy
cafAsh being snaksa eut Of ais pasivs
-r-.-....s -, a. ar.x.axse,r s,vxswa&n NJ u>f.
entifie man without artificial me1ns.'
three erimy little bands are darted
into a. many pockets. From 4monR
marbles, iaekknivss. whistles and strings
the preclous quarter 10 extfasfed and
deposited IN ths k&n-like hand @ TIE
msnshArk. The scientific men ctvest
themselves At The rags that enroos fhtif
nobie forms, and leap % The bank into
the river. fhe water is NOS moro shan
three feet deep. Tia ecys cn The bank
are all ea9erness % 80 the mens1Afk
risn with hls prsy. He tAross hfmsssf
hsneafh The water. The pears nsner
from Rorneo does the same. In NO
meat their heads rise above the water,
bat ths catfish daes ncs appeax. b1sh
their hands and mouths are empty.
They climb The river bsak. und ne
manshArk IN an aneFy voice asks tns
bows Why they did NOS teii him the
water was mn6dy; that they had ainaost
spelled THAR eyesiGhi By divinR n Md
az uatsr that contained szndP 1hsH
deserved 10 die for s,ph viliainy; woul.!
they juss please wzis until he dressssi
hiuseif and loaded bis pis1ol. There n
no dxncer of their waising for th&s %
take place. six litiis fsct ge IasserIn1
az ne read nn their w&y bozne. Is 4
olsly whsp they have placed miles -
twssu tkems<,vss and sne place saefu
the anery uznshark ssood thai fhey
ssnr a Z nAyxids sprinx - sake 9 dEin1
a. natsr. An seRie- Ike watch b kepI
aowu TIE rad The pa1slnz. tired
bayn whnn xsszrsd that tesy ere -
parsned. bold q canssrAaf.sn scnceEn,
Bsyx shey wsrs ieoiinx -; .,
osu;Asss ea<cA 20 6sh-S Z. a. ~.
n -