The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-08-27
HUNTING THE SHARK.
A SPORT THAT CAN SCARCELY
BE TERMED FISHING

Hooking a Monster and hauiinB
Him Ashore Fate Of a Man In
Boat.
shark fishing is not an wsthetic pas
time. being directly ia the line 81 athletic
snort and possibly more exercise can be
ObiA ned from one modefate-sized tali
than from many times n Ike Investment
IN gymnasium appliances. have alw1ys
had fondness for shark fishing aod
have tested conclusions with many kinds
and sizes III he Atlantic, North ana
South, the warm waters OF the Gun o.
Mexico and on the Pacific
One can hardly look at these monsters
without feeling 81 loast Of distrust o..
pecially II 10 a small boat, a. q big shark
"a something ike horse; II has the
mower TO do much harm II IL only realized
II. and " several were 70 combine forces
they could ensily ZIP over a boat and
carry Oh the occupant ! never realized
this 50 foreibly ns ono hot summer day.
WIN trying 10 master shark. certainly
the largest / had ever hooked aud ono
TINT never saw bat, Judging from lis
actions, should estimate IT, length at
fourteen feet or more was in fairly
heavy boat and had one companion.
The shark had been hooked well. noarly
Jerking mo overheard as ! put the steel
into bis Jaws, aud was towing ns through
the water faster than o tug could steam,
burying the bow deep in q curling wall
Of foam There was a notch In the cut
water OF the boat, 10 which was hold
ing tho line. while my companion en-.
deayOrcd 10 steer With an onr keeping
tho boat Ia the walse Of the ilocing mon
etef. II was wnrfs and exciting work,
and during tho FIRST rush, while standing
upright on the little Geek, clinging 70
the rope, / Glanced to glance over the
side. AZ first thought It reflection,
but another look showed me that had
On escort Of half dozen large sharks,
which, about fifteen feet below the sur
face. were dashing along interested spec
tators aud evidently determined to tnd
out what II was all about II was not a
pleasant sight. ard remember II sent
me from the little deck to more secure
position Ii the bottom Of the boat. we
were lowed q long distance and only
gained slack on Tins shark after series
III dcaperate hauls 10 which the line
slipped ont 81 the notch aud the boat
barely escaped capsile.
saw early In the game thu the shark
sEas too big for u.s. aud 40 II proved, as
- 81 its bursts Of speed II broke the
nsafy ~, rope, and we drifted on tho
muscles, heayng cliests gs.-1 o,t FINER,
only 70 alone tell the story. Asf NV,
had any difficulty IN taking sharks from
ten to twelve feet In length IN this boat
AMI with the same line, ! Judged that
the unseen game was Of unusual size.
n $50 sharks arc Of remarkable bulk.
Thus ono twelve foot long would bo over
twicn NJ bulky Ms many that ! have seen
ln Northern wators of tho same length,
The atlougth o. these monsters aud their
capacity was enormous, though with an
unlimited length 81 rope found that |
could manage the largest from tho shore
81 beach single handat A. La tlrat
rush 10 attempt would be maui y stVP
1t. and tho coil would tatrly Jump into
the air AZ IL unwound Finally tho
slack. wuuld be exhausted, aud the atrain
come upon heavy log which woula
] aomotimes be rolled over, then taking
tho line could, bY patient exerton, lure
ont The game. This would be accom-
nlished hy running up the beach hanlinp
Ia quickly wherever IL sweryed in shore
then stacking out aud SO on until th'
shark was exhausted II could then bs
hauled In, aud after turn had beo'
taken about It's tail TO prevent accidents
a dozen or fifteen men would lay on ant
haul the struggling monster sprawlin!
upnn the sands with rcmoras or suekini
fishes elncing 10 IT, faithful 70 the Inst
In ono OF these large sharks ! found
beef can which had been partly opened
containing spoiled meat tho hoot Of
steer. with about eight inches OF N
bone. aud the base aud part Of "
pointltss horn OF the same ANIMAL vii
other refuse obtained NJ the dump OF
slaughter house.
some Of tho big sharks OF Australia
waters, that range upto thirty feet nav
The mower TO do vast amount OF oxeoV
ton One examined by an English mai
uralist contained almost the entire bod
OF horse. While the savage nature
sharks is often exaggerated, the animl
cannot be depended upon, Individual
often developing reckless, rot to sa
ferooious, character that places the sea
farer al their mercy. one illustratio
will be sufficient. and as the family q
the unfortunate are we'll known TO Oh
writer, and the incident familiar to a
in the locality where it occurred, 1t ma
be accented rs true shark story.
party hal gone GU. fishing in a lare
fishing sloop, and we've anchored o
shore. whc~ one Of the men got into
good sized rowboat that was foatln
ss,ern, saving that he would row of
a distance aud see II the fish would NJ
bite better. This he did, aud no a
tention was paid TO him unit! the part
ON deck were aroused by hearing shriol
and halls. Looking in the direction
the boat they saw their friend and cor
rade striking at something and endea
oring 70 beat Il of with an oar. w
next moment an enormous shark hurl'
itself completely over the boat, sinkii
Il and sewing the unfortunate man, vi
uttered heartrendiag shrieks as he disa
peared Such an example 81 fsroclty
rarely heard OIL New York Coz
meroiA Advertiser.
A Notable Bedspread.