The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-22

plleu tu6 luudtlCs Sau ~ WV" e'oN
Jump up" $50, then, and be quick about
it." said the lunatic. His self.posseesion
saved his life.
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A Fish Village.
One of the most fascinating pastimes
that ever engaged in was to play the
spy upon submarine fsh village; and
many curious performance did 1 wit.
ness. My point of observation was an
old wharf not many miles from the city
of Havana. It was built out into the
Gulf Stream, but long ago had fallen
before teredo, and its piles had crum-
bled until it rested just above the water
like huge raft ready to be launched.
In this warm country shade was accep.
table to even shore-loving fishes, and
beneath the protecting shadow of the old
dock large numbers of what Isoon began
to term amy funy friends" would con-
gregate. The plsnks were everywhere
pierced with auger holes to let off water
in the days when the wharf was in use,
and by lying fat and applying ny eyes
to these port holes looked down upon
the neighborhood unobserved. The shore
here was pure silyery sand, quite slop.
ing, 30 that it afforded an extended field
for observation; the inshore portion of
about twelve feet being the resort of
small fishes, while from there to the
channel large forms made their head.
quarters.
Almost the first impression received
from watching these fishes was that they
we're domestic; in other words, they had
home life. As soon as I learned to
distinguish certain ones found them day
after day about the same stumps or posts,
never venturiug far away. The fishes
which made up this suburban settlement
seemed to be Of infpite variety but
perhaps altogether there were twenty or
thirty different kinds, including the
stragglers which came in from time to
time, perhaps on visit, from an old
wreck that was another faVorite spot not
one hundred feet distant. There were
angel fishes in gorgeous garbs of yellow,
blue aud black snappers of rich brown
hues, and their cousins, the grunts come
striped black and white, others mottled
with old gold and vermilion, all together
very brilliant assemblage. Then there
were minute fishes resem bling sapphire
in color, actually scintillating as they
darted about, while COW fish with verita
Bile horns, doctor fish with lancet ready,
an occasional semora iih.its curious
sucking disk, the 1.-the barraconta, the
spiny porcupine, and many more.
There always appeared to be the best
understanding between these villagers, if
except the barraconta, and the doctor
fish The former was apt, when no one
was louking, to move silently and slowly
in shore, and pick up and deyour an
infant fish while the doctor had habit
oftrying to lance anyone that came Too
close. But among 30 many there were
not very disturbing elements, and to the
little fishes especially, every day was
holiday, and to eat and enjoy themselves
was the one object in life.
a game of tsg was perhaps the com
monest performance. One little fish
wonld dart at another, aud then be joined
by several others, un:il finally dozen or
more would be seen f.ilowing the leader,
who darted around the piles aud posts,
finally joining the thrrng to in turn
chase some other fish which seemed now
to be selected as "It" Sometimes "It"
was caught; but there never was the
slightest rougbness 10 show that any
thing but pleasantly was the object, and
when playfelIow was tagged" that
ended it; the game either being stopped
or the chase transferred to another fish.
I rarely visited the ash village but such
game was going on.
Very often in midday, when the sun
was beating down 6ercely, a large school
of sardines, little fishes allied to the her.
ring, would take shelter beneath the old
dock. Packed side by side, thousands
upon thousands would lie with their
heads in one objection, all taking mid.
day siesta, as the maps of fishes 60. So
large were these schools that. they
sometimes entirely filed the space
beneath the platform and hid the real
residents from view. AS they too were
young fishes, tits not strange that they
should indulge in games, aud, like the
others, they had their games of "tag"
and "chase, often hundrt joining in
the sport.
But the pastime most affected by these
silvery creatures was that of jumping
this seemed to be entered into with the
greatest enjoyment and spirit. The
leaping was of course not done under
water, but as follows: as the tide rose
the sticks and twigs that had been strand
ed were Aoated off, and soon drifted out
to the school. As soon as a stick vas
observed by the argus eyed tbrong, q
score or more would dart at it, and with
frisk of their tails, splash and clatter,
over they would 60 out'of the water,
clearing the foat With all ease imagina.
ble Others would follow, and l noticed
that those who once performed the feat
returned again and again, showing that
it VAS matter of decided enjoyment.
Sometimes when a supply Of sticks
was on hand a dozen Of these games
would be going on at one time.
frequently observed the fishes taking
curious positions in the water without
apparent purpose. Some would poise
with head down, allowing themselves to
gradually float upward until the tail
touched the surface, then dart off With
great velocity, just as if they had been
"playing 'possum" Others would swim
round and round in circle, or take q
number of short leaps out of the water,
making hop-skip-and jump movement.
Personal contests, seemingly in play,
were often carried on. One fish would
seize another by the side fin, and the two
would swim about and struggle for some
time, until, perhaps, another fish would
interfere and separate the contestants
c. r. Holder in Wide Aacake.
ii House Built Of Paper.
There is q paper house in Atlanta. No
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