Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-20
A SHARK THAT THINKS.
Got One Charge from a Man-of-war and
Now Won't Go Near One.

Got One Charge from a Man-of-war and
Now Won't Go Near one.
Several well spun sea yarns have
been told by old shellbacks regarding
what they had seen at sea-" said
Chief Officer James Brown, OF the Pa.
cifc Nail company's steamer Acapul
co. to a San Francisco Chrom lie man.
"but there is one thing ceEain, and
that is, have reason TO believe that fish
not only have instinct, but also re.son-
ing power
"Iiow 10 you come to these con
cl%usions" was asked.
"Well, let me tell you, Now, every
seafaring men who has frequented the
port of San Jose, at Guatemala, knows
that old san Jose Joe has been in and
about that port for the last thirty
vars.
Joe is without exception one of the
larsoet sharks ever seen in the waters
of the ocean. He is over thirty feet
in length. This was ascertained be-
yond a doubt By the officers Of the
Acapulco on the trip before the last,
when a spar measuring thirty feet had
fallen over the ships side and old Joe
came along. and after smelling of it
.Eated alongside measuring exactly its
length
"As TO his age that is not positively
known, but the barnacles on his back
indicate that he has been a resident Of
San Jose waters for a number OF
years. The barnacles are SO old and
srusty as TO repel a rifle ball with the
same respective force as asheet OF steel
on the side of a man-of-war.
Capt. Pitts, of the Acapulco, has
time and again shot at this monster
and without effect, so far as his back
is concerned. The balls glance of
the old fellows back without doing
him any damage.
yet old Joe carries enough lead n
his carcass TO sihk an ordinary whale,
as almost every officer whose vessel
anchors in those waters takesa whack az
him when he runs his sides and belly
upward, but the bullets don't seem 10
do him any harm"
"Well. about his reasoning caps
city,"
"Oh. yes. Some years ago an Eng
lish man-of-war, while lying at ar
Choir, undertook TO destroy the old
brute by firing a charge of dynamite
into him. Joe was hit on the side and
ABOUT ist- pounds of sharks flesh
torn away, but tine snot failed TO kill
him.
But now mark you, since that
time he will not make his appearance
in the anchorage pear where . man-oi.
war is anchored. But just as DOL as
these vessels leave Joe comes TO tho
surface again.
He regularly meets the Apaculco
about fifteen miles outside and pilon
her in. Once anchored, he is satisfied,
and seems to delight in feeding from
the otfal. But no matter how well you
bait a hook, Joe's reasoning qualities
tell him 10 leave it alone, and he in
variably followsthat line OF reasoning.
AS TO his capacity 10 stow away
grub, that was proved On one occasion
when the vessel was taking aboard
some hogs. One Of ten hogs, weigh
ing about eighty pounds, fell owe,
board, and old Joe, who is ever On tho
watch, saw the prize, and with n
plunge and a pair of extended jaws
the porker disappeared as though he
had gone into a hole.
"On another occasion we lad LOT
of mules on board for the government,
and one Of the number died and was
thrown overheard. Joe made the &C.
quaiu,luee oi the defunct mule, and
after tHg lapse of six hour, the mule
was safely slowed thwart ships in Joe's
locker.
Yes. Joe Is the largest shark known
10 as Scalarng men. We have tried
20 kill i,Ic monster by all possible
means. but 50 lar have miseraOly fail
ed New York Morning Journal.