The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-03-09
CATCHING EElS.
The Ingenious Method Pursued By an Ohis
OacfAl.


OHcial.
Eels in the lake, bay and river are
becoming more plentiful each succeed
ing year. One weighing nine pounds
was brought to one Of the Toledo fish
houses last fall. Many others of
smaller size were caught, and were
readily purchased, people who come
from the East being especially fond of
them. The larger cells are supposed to
come from the ST. Lawrence. The
smaller ones are of those deposited in
the river. bay and lake by Mr.. ID. 7.
Howell in June and July, 1882, while
superintendent of the Ohio fish hatch
cries. This gentleman made study
Of the habits, growth, ETC., of the eel.
and concluded that it would thrive we'll
in Western waters. He accordingly
started for Troy, N. Y, where millions
of young cells make their way up the
Hudson. When he reached Troy he
found superintendent from Wisconsin,
Illinois and several other States en-
deavoring to get supply of cells for
their respective localities. They found
the process of capturing cells quite
slow and tedious, and willingly paid
boys cent apiece for each eel fur
nished them. Mr.. Howell saw that to
get eels in the way named would not
answer. He therefore went down along
the bank of the river and sat down IN
der u shade tree. In the river near by
was large willow limb. He carefully
watched the small cells as they passed
along, and saw that they would stop
and cling to the limb to rest, and then
shoot away up the stream. The fact
that they rested on some object when
an opportunity occurred was all that
Mr.. Howell required to devise plan
for catching them. He cut several
small willow twigs and tied string
around the top of them. This made
the twigs flare out at the bottom. He
then made string fast to the bundle,
and dropped it into the river. He
waited patiently to see if the cells
would enter it. He was disappointed
to see but two or three cells 90 into the
trench. After waiting for two hours
he concluded to lift the bundle of
twigs. When he did so, hundreds of
Mr.. Howell then made several
small bundles, and got a fine wire
grass scoop prepared for the pur-
pose OF passing it under the punches
of twigs suspended in the river. The
others superintendent asked him how
he was getting along. When they were
told that he had not got a single eel
after being there three days, they con-
sidered the Ohio man rather slow SUI
perintendent, Mr.. Howell is an early
riser and was at his work early in the
morning. He placed his bundle of
twigs, and when the time for the first
lift came, he was rewarded by catch
ing thousands of the slippery little fell
lows. These he deposited in small
trays sunk in the river for the purpose
of receiving them. He kept at his early
morning work for three or four days.
By this time he had captured fifty thou
sand and was ready to ship his eels to
Toledo. He then exhibited his cells to
the other superintendent, who were ut
terly astonished to see so many of the
wigglers together. When he began to
put the eels into boxes with hole at
the top and center, with flannel bot
tom, he was told that such thing would
never do, as they would surely die
"Never mind, gentlemen" said he, al
have been testing this question. For
the past four days have had cells. in. q
less favorable position than these, and
they are as lively now as crickets."
"Pack them in moss; wet sawdust;
keep them in water" and such ad-
vice was given him, but he Said the eels
would reach Toledo all right as he was
putting them up. And they did. Not
q single one died, and they were all
safely deposited.
When Mr.. Howell left Troy he took
the Wisconsin superintendent aside and
told him how the eels were caught, at
the same time making him present of
the willow lunches. The Wisconsin
man sfterward wrote to him saying
that it was simple wonderful how
easily the cells were caught by Mr..
Howell's simple device, and warmly
thanked him. He asked for the privi-
lege of impsrting the secret to other
superintendent, which was granted,
and all soon had as many young eels as
they needed.
1t was quite sight to witness the per-
Torrance of cells when deposited in
tanks. partly filled with water, in To-
ledo. Fresh water was constantly
kept in the tanks, and the cells tried
their best to climb up the sides of the
tanks. Sometimes they would get
nearly to the top, when they would
fall back in the water. A fresh white
fish was dropped into each tank. the
flesh from which was quickly stripped
from the bones.-Totedo Blade.
-G;rle uho uiah IN have smalt