, 1886-07-29
CATCHING A SHARK.
STANDING BY FOR A BITE FROM A
REGULAR MAN-EATER.

Catching "A Tweive-Footer with a Mouth
ms Large rs a Flour. Barrel-Nistake of
a Darkey Who Should Have Known
Better.
The next day we sailed around to the
mouth Of the Appalachicola river. on the
south coast of Florida, for the purpose Of
hunting up old Peters, the famous shark
catcher. He lived on n small key or island,
which was surrounded by other keys, and
his domain was shared by a number OF
colored men. Peters devoted his whole
time to shark-catching and alligator hunt
ing, and made something more than n liv-
ing at this strange pursuit.
We found him a very good-natured old
chap about so years OF age, and he gave us
a hospitable welcome. When we stated
our errand he replied; "As to gators they
is purity nigh whipped out around yere,
but us to sharks every channel is full OF
'em. We kin be off in half an hour"
While one colored man got the boat
ready, n second man ran across the island
to a small fish-pen and returned with half
n dozen specimens of the fnny tribe
weighing from three to five pounds each
Peters selected a big sharp hook with a
Cuull ullucutl, tuTtW u COh vi iOPc lutO
the boat, and we were off. 1t was a row
of only ten minutes across to a sandy key
which bordered on a channel fifty feet
wide and deep enough to float a man-o'-
war.
81 reckon you don't keer about foolin'
around with scrub sharks" observed
Peters, "and that's why 1 cum ODER yere.
If we git anything here 1t will be a man.
eater and no mistake. l hooked one yere
a month & which was thirteen feet long,
and it took the hul of us to and him.
STANDING BY o A BITE
The colored man with rs was named
Tom. He was a powerfully built man
and about 80 years old, but moved in a
lazy way and had a sleepy look. The key
had but little shade, n the sun was very
hot. Tom was instructed to bait the
hook and stand by for a bite. while we
crossed the key to the shelter of the
only two trees on it. This was a distance
of perhaps of 300 feet. We saw the man
bait the hook with a couple of the fish and
cast it into the channel, and the free end
of his line was made fast to a stake driven
in the sand. While waiting for a bite the
darkey sat down on a log about twelve
feet long n two feet thick, which had
come down the river with d~rift-wood. In
about ten minutes he sung out in a lusty
manner, and we ran across to find the
hundred foot line all out and the stake
trembling as If a yoke of oxen was pulling
at it."
"We've hooked a buster this time" said
Peters. an bet any one of you chaps q
red wooden shirt that he'll measure over
twelve feet"
We let him play for a quarter of an
hour to exhaust himself, and then the five
Of us took hold of the line and walked
him ashore up the slanting beach. 1t was
n pretty hard tug, but he had to come.
When he was fairly out of the water we
sunk the AK into his head three or four
times, and then cut him across the spine.
He measured a few inches less han
twelve feet, and was a veritable man
eater. His mouth was large enough to
take in a flour barrel with ease. Peters
and his man ripped hin open. and in the
stomach we found several fish, a large
tablespoon marked "Lizzie Way" an iron
spike and the socket of a kerosene lamp.
"oRTER KNowED BETTER
Peters was a little disappointed at the
size Of the shark, and the man Tom was
instructed to bait again. We went back
to the shelter and lighted cigars, and by
and by we got to talking and almost for
got the darkey. When somebody finally
looked up he was not to be seen. We ran
across the key, and then we caught sight
Of him a quarter of a mile down the chan
mel. He was on the log spoken Of, and
was being towed round in lively man
ner by n shark which had taken the bait.
AS soon as he saw US he began wav-
ing his arms and shouting like a lunatic.
"Just like a burned niggerl' growled
Peters as we made for the boat. INSTEAD
Of making fast to the stake he tied to the
log, and no doubt there's a coil or two of
the line about his legs. He'll be a lead
Niger before we kin reach himl"
Tive of us seized the oars and pulled for
all we were worth. The negro was lying
on his breast, and Peters said that his
feet were tangled. He screamed and
shouted and seemed to be terror-stricken.
We were within n few feet of him when
he uttered a terrible shrek, and Peters
called out
"Jist what l was afraid of Another
bloody shark has bit his legs OFF,
Such was the case and the body disap-
peared before we reach the log. The line
was around the log as well as the unfort-
innate mans legs. and we got hold of 1t to
find the shark at the other end. 1t was a
good hours job to get him to the beach
and land him, but he was n prize worth
securing. He was a full fledged man
eater, and Lieasured sixteen feet six
inches. We opened him, but the tomac
was almost empty. Some other shark had
taken the negroes legs.
"Durn him, but he orter knowed bet
teri" said Peters. "A niger what has
cotched sharks fur twenty years has no
business to put himself up fur bait."-De-
troit Free Press.