Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-06-15
FRED. w. HARRIS. Editor.
|XlmhR d The South Dakota 9rsH Association
FISH AT THE FAIR.
Walter Wellman Writes of 9
Romantic industry.
OCEANS PRECIOUS GIFT TO MAN

The Wonderful Scope and Variety of the
| Worlds Fisheries-From the Equator to,
tho Arctics - Lofoden in Norway and
Gloucester I'm America-What a Woman
~ Did.
WORLDS FAIR, June 49, Especial =
One Of the most surprising features of the
exposition is the fisheries building and
the exhibit which it houses. In a former
letter ! described the beauties OF the salt
and fresh water aquaria and the charm
their countless Inhabitants exercise over
many thousands of visitors every day. One
can understand that, for the privilege Of
seeing all varieties of live fish disport il
their native element is one which people
do not often enjoy. But I confess / was
surprised at the interest manifested BY
the throngs OF exposition visitors in the
main building of the fisheries, where nc
live 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.
TN After a tour Of the building / am nc
longer amazed at the popular interest II
Ii its contents. I never before realized the
III important part which fisheries play in the
81 commerce of the world, never understood,
4 as I do now, the almost infinite variety OF
4 fish products and their value as food, in
81 the arts, aud in medicine. Above and be
yond all this there is a glamour of ro-
nance about the fishing industry. It must
go to see in boats, must bear the dangers
If nf tina Iaan has II, ~ that x--hfoI laxro1o-.
4 character and feeling, with now and then
q tragedy in renl life. and is, withal, con.
II %tinuously and inevitably picturesque.
"a Everything that industry and science
{ have rescued from the depths Of lake,
u river and sea il shown here; inhabitants Of
n deep sea grottoes, the coral animal-sea
~ anemones that blossom miles below the
surface of the ocean; specimens of sub
Il aqueous plant life SO marvellously delicate
sBand richly beautiful that the microscope
III alone is able to reveal oil the charms Of
y their flm-like tracery. Very interesting
is the exhibit of the United States Fish
a commission of the methods employed by
1t In deep sea work, in propagating fish
and stocking QUIZ rivers and lakes.
AE Afeature Of the show which every one
E{ 8SVko w O0h NV Al0AC2 VI
1.-THE seal fisheries of Alaska over which the
gN.great lawyers are now contending before
1.-THE international tribunal at Paris. The
/ 3eeal-catching trade Is classed with the fish.
II eries, though the seal, strictly
d speaking, is not a fish. This strange
znCreature, whose kin represents
about the highest type of comfort and
.{elegance in the winter garments of civili-
N zation, is an amphibian. He lives princi-
Atpally in the water, but uses the land for
"a breeding purposes, forming thereon at
3EcertaiI seasons Of the year vast settle
fsments called ''rookeries." 1t happens that
1.-THE seal of the north Pacific ocean make
lstheir rookeries on the Pribylov islands,
belong to the United States, and
sACanadian fishermen insist upon
gYcaptaring the animals while they
giare en- route to and from the breeding
s1places. That is what all the trouble il
s&about between the United States and Eng
Inland. The models, prepared under the
Asdirection Of Professor Elliott, ofthe Smith.
.AaSeonian, are Of papier mache, colored, and
for Professor Elliott is the great
jtest authority in the world on seal life.
sffThey show the queer habits Of the seal and
1.-THE method of killing them. One model
sNfis that of a seal "drive," and includes hun
atdreds OF mimic seals which the natives are
Msdriving along over the ground to the in
.lterior Of the island, or killing place, by
Hdint OF shouting and waving of cloths.
Another illustrates a "rookery," where
1.-THE full-grown seals, the males believing
4and fighting, nave hauled up out of the
ssurf to the dry land. AT the Pribylov
ksislands years ago one could see acres and
acres black with the forms of these ami.
8smals, but the herds are now much reduced
Vim size. A third model is not a very pleas.
,sant one to look upon. 1t shows the Aleuts
stsin tho act Of killing the poor creatures by
5p3the hundreds, smashing them in the head
Ifwith big clubs as they lie helpless upon
the ground.
M The great Fisheries building is filled
with Just such illustrations. From almost
every country In the world come the boats,
<ackle and appliances of fishermen, with
4 figures of the fishermen themselves,
E''models showing methods employed, pict.
aiures OF fishing scenes and stations, and an
~linfinite variety Of fish products.
r3 Norway make what Is probably the
3most interesting of these displays. The
a.Northmen are famous fishermen. The
Il theater Of their operations extends from
,Christiana in the south to the limit Of the
ii polar ice pack north OF Spitzbergen. These
A.Ncrwe1ians start early in the year for the
Arctic ocean, driving their little schooners
santo the ice with an intrepidity which
4slstonishes the Arctic explorers who, fitted
with steam vessels and ell appliances 10,
lighting ice, are afraid to follow. Fisher.
4snen from Tromsoe and Hammerfest every
II bear accomplish feats in the northern
&tyaters which would add to the fame OF
aArctic explorers, bat the Norwcgians are
Natter fish, seal. walrus, eiderdown, whales,
Mot glory. Almost every year some OF
these Little craft so north Of Spitzbcrgcn
n and reach u latitude thati IS within 800 geo
Hiiea of the north pole Qeea-
4 xionally one IL nipped In the ice Up there,
3&nd tho master and crew, unless rescued
Ny other fishermen, must pass the long
4fretic winter il inprovised huts and suh-
Mist upon such game OF they may ie able
vi B take before darkness sets In about the
X3Arst cf October. Sometimes they do this
UNNECESSARILY; others, their bones are found
Ma tho spring where starvation or scugsy
Welt thefn.
N The N~orzeginns show here specimens Of
Ffhe cratC End the weapons with which