The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-06-13
an ,MreLl.oEMr SHARK.

ne Got . Charge fronl = MAn-oE. Wess .
Now Won't 10 NcA Quo.
"Several well-spun sea yarns havo been
told by old s~hellbacks regarding what they
had seen at sea-" said Chief Officer James
Brown, of the Pacific Nail CompAny's steam
or Acapulco, to q San Francisco Chrcnicia
man, s'but there 10 one thing certain, ard
that 10 I have reason to believe that fish
NOT only have instinct but aiso reasoning
power"
GLOW do you come to these oonclusions"
was asked.
swell, let me tell you. Now, every sea-
faring man who has frequcnted the port OF
san Jose, at Guatemala, knows that old San
Jose Joe has been in aud about that port
for tho last thirty years. Joe is without cx-
ception n Of tho largest sharks ever seen
In the waters Of the ocean,. He is over
thirty feet in length. THIS was a%scertainsl
beyond doubt by the officers Of the Aca-
pWlc0 on the trip before the last, when a
spar measuring thirty feet had fa!lca over
thss ships side, and old Joe came along, and
after smelling Of it floated alongside, neas-
urtng exactly its length. AS to has agc .t.at
is not positively known, hut the bara.-
clcs on hss back indicate that he has heen q
resident OF San jose waters for a. number
Of years. Tho barnac.es Gro 30 old and
I'd ooCy IN W kGyGA u y ONbI VIVA W. 3GsAk.o
respective force rs sheet Of steel on the
side Of ~ p,an.of-war. Captain ?:t,s, Of the
Acapulco, hRsitine and agaln shot:.tihis mon.
ster u without effect, SO far 10 his back
Ia concerned. Tho balls glance OFF tho old
f:i!ow's back without doing him any dam
age. Yet old Joe carries enough leud in his
carcass to sink an ordinary wha.e, 40 OIL
most every officer whose vessel anchors In
thoso waters ta!ses y shark Mt h.r, when
he runs his sides and belly upwards. but
the bullets don't ECON 20 co him any harm"
well, about his reasoning ca,ac:tys"
"Oh. yes. Some years ago an English
; nan-of-war, While lying at anchor, under
TOOK to destroy the oil brute by firing a
charge of dynamite into him. Joe WIS hit
on the side, and aU"ut fifty pounds Ut
sharks flesh torn away, but tue slct failed
TO kill hun. But now. mark you, since that
time he will not maA his appearance in tn.
anchorage near whcre 6 Glsn-o of var Is
anchored. But JUS: Us BOON "a t!ese YES
sells leave ice comes to the surface AGAIN.
He regularly meets the Acapulco ABOUT
fifteen miles outside and plots her in.
Once anchored he is satisfied and sccins to
delight in feeding from the offal. But no
matter how wei you bait s. hook Jne's
,',ascning qualities tell HIM TO leave it
alone. and he invariably follows that ine
OF reasoning. AS to his capa.i,y to stow
away grub, that was proves: oil one occasion
%heM the vessel was taking aboard some
hogs. Ono Of ten hogs, weighing probably
about eighty pounds, foil overheard, and
old Joe, Who is ever on tho watch, suw tho
prize and with II plunge and q pair of cx.
tended jaws, the ,N,rkcr disappeared "a
though he had gone into ahoie. On another
occasion We had u lot Of mules OH board for
the government and of the number died
Md was thrown overheard. Joe maue thu
acquaintance OF the defusct .nu.a, and
after the lapse OF six hours the mule was
eafclv slowed 'thwsrt ships in Jce's locAcr.
Yes, Jos is tho largest s.arls known to US
seafaring men. We have tried TO kill tho
monster by oil possible means, but go lar
have rliscrably Failed"