News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-26
ACAPE COD ENTERPRISE.
Stocking n Fresh-water Pond with Salt
Water EeIs.

Two gentlemen on Cape Cod pur-
chased fresh-water pond of several
acres and stocked it with saltwater
cells. The fish, unlike most others, are
as much at home in fresh water as in
salt; in fact, you will always find them
in fall and winter in all fresh water
creeks that have a connection with the
ocean in any way. At that time, and
since, these gentlemen have put into the
ponds sixty barrels of cells. Now, bar
rel will average to hold 1900 fish, so
we may safely count at the present time
there are no less than 40, 900 eels in the
pond, which have grown to double.
yes, quadruple their size since they were
put in.
There is comical part to the story
after all. Last fall, when the demand
for eels began, the owners started or
their mine, prepared to bring forth the
treasure, when 10 and behold! not an
eel was to be found. Some said that
they had gone to warmer climates for
the winter; some that they had gone to
China. others that they had found an
outlet to the ocean, and it was good-by
cells.
Bakers folly became a standard Joke.
GA prophet is not without honor save
in his own country This proverb, so
old, and yet so true, was true here.
Common sense taught the owners that
the fish were safely housed in the mud
for the winter, and, while regretting
years profit lost, they did not give up.
l said profit lost; should have said put
in the bank-mud bank.
When spring came and the warm
weather thawed them out they came
forth in thousands; huge balls of living
GELS rolled out of the mud as big as a
bucket, twined in and out like-well,
like nothing else on earth or under the
earth, and when they were fed the
water was fairly alive with those
squirming, snake-like creatures. Some
idea of it may be had by knowing that
for meal ton of food-what is called
on the CAPE "horse feet" was thrown
into the pond. That was at night; the
next day not a particle of food was
left; every shell was cleaned as nicely
as you could do it with care and pa
thence. Now didn't those fish weigh a
ton more2
To feed this enormous aquarium ten
men are employed with two ''lighters"
gathering horse feet, bringing from
4, 900 to 6, 900 at load. A large pound
or Enclosure already holds 10000, and
this number will be increased to so, 900.
In July the owners will begin to take
them out and send them to market, and
If they do not meet with lively de-
mand shall be much surprised.
1t Is a rare sight to see this army of
fish fed. When the food Is thrown
into the pool you will see them coming
in all directions and in such numbers
that the water fairly boils with them.
They seem to be aware that the time
has arrived for dinner and by some sort
of intelligence they come from the
furthermost points of the pond. The
men who prepare the food frequently
find themselves standing several feet
deep in a mass of squirming fish. I
think l m y safely say that nothing
like it was ever known before and the
financial result will determine whether
or not there will ever be known any
thing like it again. | am not ready to
offer any opinion on that point; l will
leave it for time to decide; but still 1
can t refrain from saying, with Colonel
Sellers, "there's millions in it," more or
less