Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-07
WHAT A FISH STORY!
ASTONISHING LONG DISTANCE FISH
ING DOWN A WELL.

The Line Was Three Hundred Feet Long.
Four Curious Blind Fish Caught In the
Bowels of the Earth-Of Course the
Largest Escaped.
Thomas Mould of the firm of Thompson
g. Mould, the well known dealers in grain
and feed, and Editor K. L. Roys of the
Goshen Democrat are the heroes of fish
ing story beside which the stories of ordi-
nary fishermen sink into insignifcance.
Both are well known rs ardent devotees of
Izaak Walton, and whenever their business
permits they are usually found in pursuit
of the gamy black bass OF the voracious
pickerel. On Saturday they visited Glen
mere together. The fish were not biting
with much enthusiasm, and at about 4
O'Clock they started for home.
AT Howell's condensery they stopped to
talk with some workmen who were repair
ing the pump at the artcsian well. 1t will
be remembered by readers of this paper
that at the time this well was sunk an
account was given Of the striking of a sub
terranean stream at depth of nearly 300
feet, the volume of which could not be as
certained except that soundings showed it
and its probable size were the subjects of
discussion among the little group at the
well, and somebody wondered if it con-
tanned any fish.
A bright idea at once occurred to Messrs.
Mould and Roys. Each had in his basket
long trolling line, and by uniting them
line long enough to reach easily to the
bottom of the well was formed. Amid the
q 1
the lines were rugged and hook attached
1t was baited with big "night walker"
flshworm and lowered POS feet through the
6 inch hole. The distance had been care
fully measured off on the line, to which q
heavy sinker had been attached and the
hook fastened a short distance above to a
stout piece of line.
Everybody laughed except Mr. Roys as
Mr.. Mould carefully lowered the line and
waited anxiously for the little tug at the
bait which brings joy to the heart of the
experienced fisherman. After few min
utes the expression on Toms face became
one of rapt attention. "By darn 1 be-
lieve I've got bite he said. A moment
later he began to pull in the line rapidly
hand over hard. GIVE got something"
he said, and rs everybody gathered about
the well he drew out fish. 1t was about
half pound in weight and of the eyeless
species which are sometimes found in the
waters of caverns. The fish was nearly a
foot long, shaped something like perch,
and it's struggles as 1t lay upon the ground
showed that it was game to the backbone.
Unlike fish which dwell in waters on
the earth's surface and which have dark
backs and light colored or white bellies,
this fish was of uniform color of light
gray. 1t had very small scales, and where
the eyes might be expected to exist there
were slight indentations as of rudimentary
eyes.
When the excitement attending the cap
ture had died away, the hook was baited
again and the line lowered. Editor Roys
took charge this time, and after waiting
for about ten minutes, he drew to the sur
face another of the fish trife larger than
the first one. Five fish were caught alto
gether, the largest of which weighed q
plump q pounds. One fish was brought
part of the way to the top, but loosened it.
self from the hook and escaped. Mr..
Mould, who had hold of the line at the
time, says it was the largest by far of any
that fastened themselves on the hook, and
he is positive that the reason he was una
BILE to land the fish was that it was too big
to pass through the well, which is only
inches in diameter.
The singular appearance of these fish
and the remarkable manner in which they
were captured made them objects of curl
osity to the persons to whom they were
shown. Reference to the encyclopedia
shows that these fish are remarkable, aside
from their appearance, in that they are Vi
viparous, bringing forth their young alive
and not depositing eggs after the manner
of most other fish. They have rudiments
of eyes, but no optic nerve, and are there
fore incapable of being affected by tho
most intense light. Those who tasted them
say they are of excellent flavor, but rather
too plentifully supplied with bones.
The well at the Howell condcnsery is
again in use, the repairs to the pump hay
ing been completed so that for the present
at least there will be no more specimens of
the Amblyopsis speloeus taken from its
depths.-Goshen IN. Y. } Independent Re-
publican.