Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-06-20
FISH AT THE FAIR.
Walter Wellman Writes Of a
Romantic Industry.
ooEATs PRECIOUS GIFT TO NAH.

WORLDS FAIR. June is.- Especial =
One OF tho most surprising features Of the
,xposltion Il the fisheries building and
he exhibit which it houses. In . former
etter described the beauties Of the salt
md fresh water squaria and the charm
heir countless Inhabitants exercise Over
many Thousands Of visitors every day. Ono
IAN understand that, for the privileges Of
celng all varieties Of live nsh disport In
heir native element Il one which people
70 not often enjoy. But I confess was
urprised at the interest manifested by
he throngs Of exposition visitors In the
main building Of the fisheries, where nc
i've fish are to be seen. Every day I saw
streams Of people going In and out Of this
structure, and finally ] determined TO see
what It was that exercised such fascina.
tion over them within.
After tour Of the building lam no
longer amazed at the popular interest In
lts 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
flsh products and their value rs food, In
Tho arts, aud In medicine. Above and bc'
yond all this there In q glamou- OF ro-
nance about the fishing industry. 1t must
90 to sea In boats, must bear the dangers
of the deep, has In It that which develops
character and feeling. with now and then
q 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 il shown here; inhabitants OF
deep sea grottoes, the coral snimal-sea
anemones that blossom miles below tho
surface Of the ocean; specimens Of sub.
aqueous plant life 80 marvellously delicate
and richly beautiful that the microscope
alone Is able to reveal all the charms oi
their fllm.liks tracery. Very interesting
IL 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.
A feature of the show which every one
stops to look ut Is an extensive model OF
the seal fisheries Of Alaska over which the
great lawyers are now contending before
the inter national tribunal at Paris. The
eal-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.
ration, il nm amphibian. lie lives princi'
pally In the water, but uses the land for
breeding purposes, forming thereon at
certain seasons Of the year vast settle
ments callod 'rookeries." II happens that
the seal OF the north Pacific ocean make
their roOksries 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 froii the breeding
places. That Is what Rii the trouble Ii
about between the Uni,sl.jtates and Eng
land. The models, prepared under ths
direction Of Professor Elliott, ofth smith,
sonian, ars Of papier macho, colored. and
accurate, for Professor Elliott Is the great
est authority In the world on seal lie,
They show the queer habitso the seal and
the method OF killing them. One model
Is that Of q seal "drive, "and includes hun
dreds OF mimic seals which the natives are
driving along over the ground 10 the In
terior Of the island, or killing place, 10y
dint of shouting and waving OF cloths.
Another illustrates n "rookery," where
the full-grown seals, the males believing
and fighting, have hauled UP out OF the
surf to the dry land. At the Pribyloy
Islands years ago one could see acres and
acres black with the forms Of these AMI,
mails. but the herds are now much reduced
I'm sire. A third model Is not very pleas
ant one 10 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 rs they lie helpless upon
tho ground. an
The great Fisheries building Is filled
with Just such illustrations. From almost
every country I'm 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 IL probably the
most interesting Of these displays. The
Mortimer are famous fishermen. The
theater Of their operations extends from
Chri.tiana In tho south tn the limit OF the
polar ice pack north Of Spitzbergen. These
Sorweglans start early In the year for the
Arctic ocean, driving their little schooners
into the Ice with an intrepidity which
astonishes the Arctic explorers who, fitted
with steam vessels and all appliances for
fighting ice, are afraid to follow. Fisher
men from Tromsoe and IIammerfest every
wear accomplish feats In the northern
water. which would add to the fame oil
Arctic explorers, but the Norwegians are
,fter fish, seal, walrus, cider down, whales,
not glory. Almost every year some oil
these little craft 20 north Of Spitzbergen
and reach latitude that IL within 200 geo
graphical miles Of the north pole. Occs'
slonally one Is nipped In the Ice up there
and the master and crew, unless reseuea
by other fishermen, must pass the ions
Arctic winter In improyised huts anu SUD
sist upon such game as they may DO able
10 take before darkness sets In about tho
6rst of October. Sometimes they do this
successfully; others, their bones are found
In tho spring where starvation or scurvy
left them. ,,-
The Norwegians show here specimens Of
tio craft and tho weapons with winch
they ssail the walrus, the seal and the polar
bear. They show also the paraphernalia
of ous of tho most wonderful fishing
scenes which the world contains, that at
the Lofoden islands In February and
March. During ten months Oh the year
these Islands are practically deserted. for
two months the sun dos not show himself.
Tho scene Is oae Of polar calm and white
ness But In February myriads OF eoi-nsh
como 10 tho islands, no one knows from
where. TO spawn. The fishermen come,
too. Thirty thousand men come, bringing
from 7. 600 TO 5000 boats. They create Q
oity on tho shores. by day their boats III
srsliv cover tho sea for miles and miles
an t6eir fishing Il done within sight from
undertaking = spectacle such a. eannos
be found anywhere elso In the world. Gov
ernmcnt regulates everything In the.e
fisheries. Among the 5000 men there IL
M disorder, no crime. No Intoxicating
liquors are allowed on tho islands All the
boats must leave the land at q certain
hour I'm the morning. and magnihceni
sight 10 must be when seven thousand
craft, each manned by four oarsmen, dip
the water at signal and race TO the ash'
Ing grounds.
Thirty million cod are caught every yeai
In these great fshories, and 30 important
Il this industry TO the wealth and prosper.
ity Of Norway that the number caugh.
each day II telegraphed by the government
70 the commercial exchanges In every city
Of Christsndom. Peter Moller is the In
dustriai king Of Lofoden, and here In
tho Fisherius building the man who won