Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-10-30
But never an angry word.
A Shark Story.

There are about sixty species OF
sharks known TO scientific observers
and this uch-dreaded creature is
found in every sea ploughed by the
keel of a ship. Some of them, such
as the dog-fish, are not more than two
feet long, while others are from thir-
ty TO fifty feet. But they are nearly
all ferocious, and the stories that one
reads in Marryat's novels about the
many men who have been devoured
by these ravenous creatures are strict
ly true. The shark known rs the
man-eater-a huge beast from TWEEN
ty-five to forty feet long-will lie for
days near a ship, picking up the gar
bage that falls overheard. With one
snap Of his jaws he can cut the body
of q man in two.
All the fishermen along our coasts
dread sharks, and tell stories about
their ferocity, but they are not de
tered from hunting them, as the fish
is very valuable for the oil obtained
from it, There are many ways Of
catching sharks Some fishermen trap
them in strong nets held by heavy
grapnels and anchors many expert
hunters fire small bombs into them,
which often kill the fish instantly
others pursue them with harpoons in
the same way as the whale is caught.
But the larger number Of sharks are
captured with hooks. They take al
most any kind Of bait, but what they
prefer most is fat pork, which the fish
ermen put on large hook, to which
is attached stout bank-line.
A Canadian fisherman who walked
with a halt. once said TO me You
wonder, perhaps, why walk like this.
Well, it comes of shark catching. One
day last summer, when we could get
no Goldfish either with nets or hooks,
we thought we had better try for dog
fish, or, rather, small sharks, for lot
of them had been hanging around us
for a couple of days. All other fish
were scarce, and that is the reason
why the sharks kept so close to us.
When anything was thrown over
board. a shark would thrust his head
ont OF the water and seize 1t. There
is a lot of oil to be got from sharks
and dog fish, and about August the
liver of the dog fish is nearly all fat.
So we put out our lines, stout bank
lines they were, batting them with fat
pork, and patiently awaited the re-
suit.
I'VE did not expect to catch any big
sharks, but only the dog which
we knew were around in shoals. The
rest OF the crew began to haul in dog
fish as fast as they could, because the
brutes were hungry, and snapped at
everything they could eat. | also
caught two or three dog fish, and un-
hooked them The dog-fish is only
couple Of feet long, and it isn't hard
to pull him in, but his fins will cut
YOU: and his skin, under the name OF
shagreen, is used by cabinet-makers
and other woodworkers instead OF
sand paper, it is so rough and hard.
Again threw out my hook and line,
and this time felt tremendous tug
at it. / pulled pretty hard, but
couldn't draw the fish, and one Of my
mates standing near me said, You
have got hold OF one Of the big fel-
lows; be easy with him now, be will
be worth a hundred Of these | had
caught big sharks before and knew
how to manage, though this was an
extremely savage one. He dove
nearly plumb down into the sea, and
| let out line as fast as was necessary;
then he turned and shot up for the
surface. and darted in one direction
and another for nearly fifteen minutes,
until tired him out. Then dragged
him alongside, not pulling too hard
lest should tear out the hook. and
when got him to the water-line there
was not much life left in him. We
'boYsed' him aboard, and let him flop
on the deck. He was thirteen feet
long. aud had mouth large enough
TO bite off and swallow the half OF Il
man. | was foolish enough to 60 up
by his head and begin to take of the
rope: but | had no sooner done so
than he turned on his side and seized
my leg in his jaws. One OF my mates
grabbed an axe, and, running over,
struck the shark FIVE or six time on
the head with all his might. That
stunned him, and his jaws opened.
But he had broken the bone Of my
leg ar the knee, and bitten out nearly
a pound Of flesh, besided cutting one
Of the tendons. That is the reason
why | am lame The best way to
make sure about a shark is either TO
break its skull when you get him
aboard, or fire two or three bullets
through his brain.
Two children were playing on the
sidewalk, and lady passed them.
She's grass widow" said one.