Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-13
AN INTELLIGENT SHARK.
He Got Charge from a Man-of- War, and
Now Won't Go Near One,


He Got Charge from a Man-of- War, and
Now Won't Go Near One.
Several well-spun sea warns have been
told by old shellbacks regarding what they
had seen at sea-" said Chief Officer James
Brown, of the Pacific Mail Company's steam
er Acapulco, to a San Francisco Chronicle
man, "but there is one thing certain, and
That is l have reason to beneve that fish
not only have instinct but also reasoning
power"
"How do you come to these conclusionsi"
was asked.
"Wel, let me tell you. Now, every sea-
taring man 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 years. Joe is without ex-
ception one of the largest sharks ever seen
in the waters of the ocean. He is over
thirty feet in length. This was ascertained
beyond doubt by the officers Of the Aca-
pulco on the trip before the last, when q
spar measuring thirty feet had fallen over
the ships side, and old Joe came along, and
after smelling Of it floated alongside, meas
uring exactly its length. AS to his age that
is not positively known, but the barna-
cles on hls back indicate that he has been o
resident Of San Jose waters for number
Of years. The barnacles are so old and
crusty as to repel a rifle.ba with the same
respective force as sheet of steel on the
side of man-of-war. Captain Pitts, of the
Acapulco, ,hasitime and again shot at this mon
ster and without effect, so far as his back
is concerned. The balls glance off the old
fellows back without doing him any dam
age Yet old Joe carries enough lead in his
carcass to sink an ordinary whale, as al
most every officer whose vessel anchors in
those waters takes a whack at him when
he runs his sides and belly upwards, but
the bullets don't seem to do him any narm. :"
|. "Well about his reasoning capacity"
"Oh, yes. Some years ago an English
man-of-war, while lying at anchor, under
took to destroy the old brute by firing a
charge Of dynamite into him. Joe was hit
on the side, and about fifty pounds of
sharks flesh torn away, but the shot failed
to kill him. But now, mark you, since that
time he will not make his appearance in the
anchorage near where a man-of- war is
anchored. But just as soon as these ves-
sells leave Joe comes to the surface again
He regularly meets the Acapulco about
fifteen miles outside and pilots her in.
Once anchored he is satisfied and seems to
delight in feeding from the offal But no
matter how well you bait c hook Joe's
reasoning qualities tell HIM to leave it
alone, and he invariably follows that line
Of reasoning. As to his capacity to stow
away grub, that was proved on one occasion
when the vessel was taking aboard some
hogs. One of ten hogs, weighing probably
about eighty pounds, fell overheard, and
old Joe, who is ever on the watch, saw the
prize and with one plunge and pair of ex-
tended jaws, the porker disappeared as
though he had gone into hole. On another
occasion we had lot of mules on board for
the government and one of the number died
and was thrown overheard. Joe made the
acquaintance of the defunct mule, and
after the lapse of six hours the mule was
safely slowed 'thwart ships in Joe's locker.
Yes, Joe is the largest shark known to us
seafaring men. We have tried to kill the
monster by all possible means, but so far
have miserably failed"