The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-08-10
RAISES SHARKS TO SELL.
THE QUEER OCCUPATION OF A NEW
JERSEY FISHERMAN.


ket and There Are People Who Pro
Douncd Them Good EatIng-How lie
Discovered This Fact-A Shark Pond.
Wilson Fastnet, who lives on the
beach at Seaside Park, over in New
Jersey, summer and winter, and makes
his living in fishing, knows more about
sharks than any other dweller along
our coast, and during his off-days,
when fish are not plentiful or the
weather is too inclement for sailing.
he spends his time in "sharking."
This does not mean, in his vernacular,
what the ordinary reader might sus-
pect; it has nothing to do with Wall
street "sharking." or killing sharks
upon the high seas by means of vari-
Gus lines, hooks aud harpoons. 1t inn
plies peaceful vocation that Is unique
IN this country of strange employments
and trades. To understand the
"sharking" of Mr.. Fastnet it is neces-
sary to go back n little in history.
About five years ago, while fishing
oil the coast, Mr. Fastnet caught n
huge shark on his line. Thinking he
had gamey fish of unusual size on
his hook, he began to play with him,
giving the creature more line IA it
swan from him and hauling it gently
In as 1T approached nearer. In this
way he induced tho shark gradually
to swim toward the shore, where there
was a possible chance to hook it with
gan. The shark, blinded probably
by tho pain of the hook in his stom-
ach, permitted the fisherman to get
him across the sandy bar, where at
low water small inland pond formed.
Once inside the pond the shark was mt
the mercy of its captor AS the tide
went down the shark was soon strand
ed in the shallow water.
Mr.. Fastnet then, with the help of
others, succeeded in getting a rope
around the monsters body. They
dragged him up on the beach. and by
means of several other ropes they
made regular harness for tho shark.
Then he was turned loose aud allowed
to swim about in the deep water off
the shore. For several days the shark
was kept prisoner, and at regular in
tervals he was hauled up for exhibi-
tion. Many people went down to see
the huge monster, and Mr.. Fastnet
charged ten cents head from the
spectators.
Finally it occurred to the fisherman
that it would pay to make the shark n
prisoner in some inland pond of water
where he could be Embarrassed. On
the BarneSat Bay side of the beach
there was n small cove, which was pro
tected by the beach on three sides. A
strong dam was built across the neck
OF this cove and the shark was trans
ported across the beach by team of
horses and dumped into the water. In
this prison the old shark thrived
nightly and seemed gradually to lose
his ferocious temper. 1t took all the
small and useless fish from Mr.. Fast
nets net to keep the creature from
starving
1t was while watching the growth of
this captive shark that the fisherman
conceived the idea of raising other
sharks IN his artificial pond. Now
sharks eggs are easily found along the
Jersey coast. They are contained in
capsules or horny matter resembling
seaweed. They are popularity known
as "mermaids' purses" and the shells
are gathered by visitors to tho seashore
for ornamental purposes. Generally
they are empty of all eggs, but in the
breeding season one can easily pick up
these shells full of eggs.
Mr.. Fastnet collected n number of
these eggs cases and threw them into
the pond which he had formed. and in
n few months he was agreeably sur
prised to find Young sharks swimming
around. The old shark in his greedi-
ness devoured these little creatures
about as fast rs they were Matched.
Then portion of the pond was shut
OIL from the rest aud new eggs were
placed In the water Here the younp
sharks could live and develop without
danger from the old one. When they
became half grown they were turned
loose in the main pond. Immediately
there was combat of extraordinary
tcrocity. The old shark pounced upon
the youngsters and commenced to de
your them as fast as he could.
For time the young ones fought
back md tried to defend themselves
but they would have been DESTROYED
had not Mr.. Fastnet come to their res
cue. He managed TO land harpoon
in the feshy body of the old shark and
settled his fate in q few minutes. He
thought it better to destroy the big
monster than TO lose all of his young
sharks. When he was hauled up on
the beach aud bled, his body was cut
mp and while the fat was boiled down
for its oil, the meat was cut up into
steaks for eating These proved so
juicy and sweet That the fisherman sent
some TO his friends A New Yorker
who tasted Of them thought they were
too good to escape more general notice.
and he sent some to his friends in the
'ity. Everyone declared that they
were more than palatablo; that they
were unusually delicious
This was tho beginning Of tho de-
mond for shark steaks. Mr.. Fnstnet
received steady orders for sharks
steaks until he nearly cut mp all his
youn3 sharks TO supply the demand.
Then no decided TO raise sharks 90 sell.
He increased the size OF hispond, gath
cred more eggs aud began TO breed the
'avage creature for commercial pur-
poses. He now kills about twenty
sharks every summer for the market.