The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-16
FISH AT THE FAIR.
Walter MeIinan Writes of a
Romantic Industry.
OCEANS PRECIOUS GIFT TO MAN.

| Tho Wonderful scope ana variety o. the
| Worlds Fisher,es-From tho Equator to
the Arctics - Iofoden in Norway and
Gloucester Ia America-What Woman
| Did.
WORLDS FAIR, June 15.- Especial =
| One of the most surprising features of the
exposition is the fisheries building and
| the exhibit which IL houses. In 6 former
letter described the beauties of the salt
J and fresh water aqua-ia and the charm
| their countless Inhabitants exercise over
many thousands OF visitors every day. One
can understand that, for the privilege OF
seeing ell varieties of live fish disport in
their native element is one which people
do not often enjoy. But confess was
surprised a6 the interest manifested by
the throngs Of exposition visitors in the
main building Of the fisheries, where no
live fish are to be seen. Every day saw
! streams OF people going IN and out of this
structure, and finally determined to see
what it was that exercised such fascina-
! ton over them within.
After q tour OF the building am no
longer amazed at the popular interest in
| its contents. I never before realized the
important part which fisheries play in the
commerce of the world, never understood,
! as / do now, the almost Infinite variety Of
fish products and their value as food, in
| the arts, and in medicine. Above and be-
| yond all this there is a glamour of ro-
nance about the fishing industry. It must
| go to sea in boats, must bear the dangers
| of the deep, has in it that which develops
character and feeling, with now and then
tragedy in real life, and is, withal, con-
tinuously and inevitably picturesque.
| Everything that industry and science
have rescued from the depths OF lake,
river and sea is shown here; inhabitants of
| deep sea grottoes, the coral animal-sea
snemones that blossom miles. below the
| surface Of the ocean; specimens of sub
| aqueous plant life so marveiloUsly delicate
| and richly beautiful that the microscope
! alone is able to reveal all the charms of
their flm-iike tracery. Very interesting
! is the exhibit Of the United States Fish
commission of the methods employed by
| it;in deep sea work, in propagating fish
! and stocking our rivers and lakes.
stops to look at is an extensive model of
| the seal fisheries of Alaska over which the
| great lawyers are now conten6ing before
the international tribunal at Paris. The
! seal-catching trade is classed with the fish
| cries, though the seal, strictly
speaking, is not fish. This strange
creature, whose skin represents
about the highest type of comfort and
elegance in the winter garments of civil
cation, is an amphibian. He lives princi-
pally in the water, but uses the land for
breeding purposes, forming thereon at
Certain seasons of the year vast settle
ments called ''rookeries." 1t happens that
the seal of the north Pacific ocean make
their rookeries on the Pribylov islands,
| which belong to the United States, and
Canadian fishermen insist upon
capturing the animals while they
are en- route to and from the breeding
places That is what all the trouble is
about between tie United States and Eng
land. The models, prepared under the
direction of Professor Elliott, of the Smith
sonian, are of papier mache, colored, and
accurate, for Professor Elliott is the great
est authority in the world on seal life.
They show the queer habits Of the seal and
the method OF killing them. One model
is that of a seal drive, and includes huns
dreds of mimic seals which the natives are
driving along over the ground to the in
terror of the island, or killing place, by
dint of shouting and waving OF cloths.
Another illustrates 'rookery," where
the full-grown seals, the males believing
and fighting, have hauled up out of the
surf to the dry land. AT the Pribylov
islands years ago one could see acres and
acres black with the forms OF these ami
mails, but the herds are now much reduced
in size A third model is not q very pleas
ant one to look upon. It shows the Aleuts
in the act of killing the poor creatures by
the hundreds, smashing them in the head
| with big clubs as they lie helpless upon
the ground.
The great Fisheries building is filled
with Just such illustrations. From almost
every country in the world come the boats,
tackle and appliances of fishermen, with
figures of~~the fishermen themselves,
models showing methods employed, pict-
ures of fishing scenes and stations, and an
infinite variety of fish products.
Norway makes what IS probably the
most interesting Of these displays. The
Mortimer are famous fishermen. The
theater Of their operations extends from
Christiana in the south to the limit OF the
polar ice pack north of Spitzbergen. These
Norwegians start early n the year for the
Arctic ocean, driving their little schooners
into the ice with an 1ntrepidlty when
astonisheS the Arctic explorers VINO, htted
with steam vessels and al appliances LOT
fighting ice, are afraid to follow. FISHER
men from Tromsoe and Hamuerfest every
wear accomplish feats III the northern
waters which would add to the tame OF
Arctic explorers, h1t the NorwegIans are
after fish, seal, wal~us, elder down, whales,
not glory. Almost every year some OF
these little craft go north CT Spitzoergen
and reach latitude that Is VII nm 5vo geo
graphical miles of the north pole. Occa-
s;onslIv one is nipped in the ice up there,
and the master and crew, unless rescued
! bv other fishermen. must pass the long
Arctic winter in in1provised huts and sub
sist upon such game Is they may be able
! n .aL-e before darkness sets in about the
! first of October. Sometimes they do this
successfully: others, their bones are found
| IN the snring where starvation or scurVy
| left them
| The Norwecians show here specimens Oh
/ the craft xud the weapons with which
thew assail the vvalr-;s, theseal and the polar
( hear They SHOW also the paraphernaEa
! If one of the nest wonderful fishing
/ scenes which tie world conselns, that at
/ the Lofodea Islands il February and
| Nsrch- During ten maotEs Of the year
! these islands ars practically deserted Fer
/ two months the sun does not she< himself
| The scene Is enc of polar calm and white
/ ness. But in February rny rLaos OF goldfish
| came 10 the islands 10 one KNOWS from
| 49, m rrrn The fishermen coEZ-e-