The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-04
A Queer M0uthful.

A correspondent writes to newspaper
in San Francisco: The funniest thing
out happened to me on the last passage
to Honolulu. We have patent self-reg-
istering log. The register is attached to
the taffrail and the propeller is towed
astern. We had about three hundred
feet of line out. Presently the log line
became as taut as wire stay and there
was terrible furry near the propeller. I
happened to be on deck, and seeing the
trouble, ran to the taffrail. What do
you think l saw? Why, I'm blamed if a
great big blue shark hadn't swallowed
the propeller. I called some hands aft
and we started to haul in the line. There
were seven hands pulling on the line be-
side myself, and yet we had hard time
pulling the fish in. But we hauled 290
feet of that line in, until the shark was
right under our counter. He was quite
thirty feet long, and in terrible rage,
lashing the water into foam, We were
just beginning to think that we could
get him on board, when the line snapped,
being bitten through by the shark. Just
think of it, however, pulling the shar
in $50 feet on log line, and he did no
bite it until within twenty feet of the
taffrail Of course, by losing the shark
we also lost our propeller, but it must
have been pretty hard to digest and his
inside must have been pretty sore from
the strain.
The funniest part of the thing was the
action of the register. When the weight
of the shark got on to the line the blamed
register showed speed Of sixty miles an
hour, with only six-knot breeze. Well,
sir, when the mate locked at the register
first and then at the sails he nearly
tainted. 1t was not for several seconds
that he realized there was 50 much dead
weight on the rope.
Ir is a question whether there are a
hundred persons to-day who know that
the auIlor of The Sweet By'and'by"
is living in an obscure Illinois town,
ard rot amid the greatest luxury,
either. Tens OF thousands, perhaps
millions of people, know the hymn
how many ever think Of Doctor S. Fill
more Bennett, It's aged author? The
hymn has brought him almost no rev.
enue, and even less fame. Mrs. Annie
Sherwo ood Hawks is another instance,
living in a small interior New York
town, compelled to resort to her pen
for living; yet who has not sung her
world famous hymn, II Need Thee
Every Hour" Prof. Gilmore, OF the
University of Rochester, rarely receives
credit as the author OF his well-known
lines, HE Leadeth Me-" Fanny
Crosby, she of hundreds of hymns that
are sung every Sunday by Thousands OF
lips, lives il side street i'll New York
City, almost forgotten. Although blind
and helpless, she is happy in the re-
lieion which fills her mind and soul.
JAMES HINES took up squat claim
in Arkansas. He was warned Off, but
decided not to go, and he held out for
three years. During that time he was
shot at thirty-three times, wounded
four times, had his cabin set on fire
twice. his wife was driven to suicide
and his boy ran away, and at last the
man grew weary and hanged himself.
Ok exhibition at the Third National
Bank in Scranton is a check bearing
the signature of George Washington.
1t was drawn just three ronths and
one day before his death.