The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-08-26
Florida Letter.
FLORAL BLUFF, FLA. A

TbOiSAl DLUffs FLA, Aug. 10, w.
The Tarpon or Silver King, as he is some
times called, jusAy bears the name of being
the gamest fish which swims, and as for
symmetry of form and beauty of dress he
has no rival. His entire surface is like
silver, and when | say silver | do not refer
to the way the term is commonly applied to
everything that is white and glistening, but
to the highly FURNISHED metal itself. HIS
weight ruEs from fifty to two hundred
pounds, one hundred pound specimen
measuring about five feet six inches in
length.
The feature which has rendered the
Tarpon famous, however, above all others,
is his extreme activity; i'm this he battles the
skill of the most expert angler, and out of
the thousands of wOuld-be captors there are
not two in a thousand who ever land fish.
The tarpOn readily takes the hook, but as
soon as hooked leaps high in the air, then
with tremendous shake almost invariably
eXtricates himself. Should he fail i'm this,
you may have the satisfaction of skillfully
playing tarpOn for from one to three hours,
and after all have only pair of blistered,
bleeding hands to prove to your friends that
you actually hooked fish.
| Brother Herman and have often watched
the playful antics of these fish while we
were fishing for smaller fry on the jetties al
Mayport, but my aspiration has never risen
so high as to even induce me to bait a hook
for tarpon, always considering it a sport
reserved for the masters. Since then have
never offered any hOstilities to the silver
king in his native element. You would
hardly suppose that one would come cleal
out of his element to make war with me-
yet such is the case. Right here l suggest
that you prepare for fish story"
On Sunday, August 7th, l was on my
way to attend meeting at Danes Point
about fifteen miles below Jacksonville.
was in 81 foot naphtha launch and having
rounded point called Chaseville, headed
straight for my destination which was about
Z miles distant. / had Just settled dowr
and was reading the X Chap. of Acts, wher
my meditatiOns were suddenly interrupted
A silvery shaft fl in long broke the
water, cleared the deck, and after striking
on end against the opposite combng, fel
INTO the boat. AT a glance l recognized
him as tarpon and heartily wished that h,
would not escape. The next instant wOult
nave rendered him any assistance to get out
but seeing that there was only room for on,
or us and he insisted on being the one,
retreated to the after deck behind the engine
L could now witness the work of destruction
with comparative safety. The instant h,
struck the floor he leaped about five fee
nigh and landed on the seat which haC
Just vacated, then to the other side will
nearly half his length overheard. Agar
losing his balance he fell to the floor diago
nally, with his head under one seat and tai
under the other, then with one wrench N
broke three stanchi0ns, one awning post
tore OIL two half inch ash strips which wer'
fastened with brass screws to the front o
the seats, mashed my bilge pump and sen
everything movable flying i'm every ..direc
ton. All this was done in about fifteel
seconds and constituted what physician
would call the acute stage. BY this tim
blood was flowing from his nose which, Il
his mad effort to escape, together with scale
he threw everywhere, until the launch an