The Virginia enterprise., 1897-03-19
Concerning Sharks.

the regions through which they proceed.
This is especially true of the small
sharks called dogfsh. There are several
hundred known species of sharks. One
of the reputed man-eaters is the cub or
requiem shark, which is almost eXc!u-
siyely tropical. 1t is numerously present
among the Florida keys and is notorious
as Il scavenger about wharves. Most
people will be surprised to learn that
there are any fresh water sharks, hut it
is fact that sharks OF one species are
very numerous in Lake Nicaragua. They
are about five feet long. At one time
this lake was part of the sea bottom,
and by. geological changes it was con-
verted into its present shape: The sea
water became gradually fresh aud the
sharks accommodated themselves to the
altered conditions.
Sharks are among the most ancient of
fishes. Great quantities of their fossil
teeth are found scattered over the bottom
of the oceans, from which they are
brought up by ,dredges. In the valley of
the Potomac large numbers of sharks
teeth are turned up by the plow. Some
of them are of huge size, showing that
certain species of sharks that lived ages
ago were vastly bigger than any now sur
viying. The writer has seen one of
these teeth, which was six inches long
and five inches wide, weighing pound.
The teeth of the great white shark are
only two inches long. The original owner
been less than eighty feet in length.
Such fossil teeth are often used for bat
tie axes by savages. Among the natives
of the Pacific islands, by the way,
sharks livers are regarded as royal
luxury.
Sharks vary in respect to the number
of rows of teeth which they possess.
nn1 iS of
The other rows lie down inside the
mouth behind the edge of the jaw, erect
ing themselves when it is time for them
to take successfully the place of the
worn-out first row. One of the most
dangerous sharks in the world is the blue
shark, which replaces the white shark in
colder waters.-Philadelph Times.
Guerilla Fish.
The advent of the carp into the inland
lakes and streams of Southwestern Michi-
gan marks all era in fishing, both as a
sport and as matter of business. The
first carp ponds in the state for breeding
purposes were established there, and from
them hundreds of the inland lakes of that
region have been planted with fish
which, in many instances, now practically
holds undisputed possession Of the waters.
Whether the carp really destroy the finer
of their natural haunts into places mac
cessible to the fisherman. is Il mooted
question. At any rate, the devotees of
the rod and line assert that in many lakes,
where carp have been placed, the catch
ing Of black and calico bass is rapidly be-
coming a thing of the past, and blame the
intruder for the change. When the carp
years ago considerable claim was made
for it {, valuable food fish, but the
piscatorial artist is rare who will deign
to add specimen to his string, even
to help out small days catch. The
carp will bite at almost anything, and
when hooked will fight almost as hard
as a fish belonging to the gamy class. 1t
likes shallow water, and there it is
claimed by the fishermen that it does the
of other and better fish. When the water
rises it will eat the grass, roots and grain
of oyertlowed fields. A school of carp
will strip a field clean during few days
overflow, and for this reason it is not
popular with many who are not otherwise
interested in what fish the lakes contain,
The carp seems to be to the water and to
English sparrow is to the bird kingdom
Fishing through the ice this winter is far
less successful than before the advent of
the carp and the hundreds of fishermen
in that region who daily resort to this
pastime for either pleasure or profit, are q
unit in attributing their poor success to
the devastat tions of what they term the
guerrilla fish.
Cabinets in History.
Franklin Pierce was the only man
elected President and serving his full
term who made no changes in his cabi-
net. Garfield, the elder Harrison and
Gen. Taylor made no changes, but they
died in Office early i'll their terms. Mil
lard Fillmore. who succeeded Taylor got
along with the same cabinet for three
years.
John Tyler holds the record for cabi-
net advisers. He had twenty in less
than four years, including three secreta-
ries of state, four secretaries of war and
five secretaries of the navy. Andrew
members during his second term.
-Four American Presidents have re-
tanned the cabinets of their predecessors.
They were John Adams, Martin Van
Buren,, John Tyler and Andrew Johnson.
Only in the case of Van Buren, was this
fortunate undertaking. The cabinet of
Adams intrigued against him; Tyler
quarreled and parted with his, and John
sons conflict with Edwin M. Stanton
ings.
Daniel Webster was secretary of state
under three nistrations-Harrison's S,
Tyler's and Fillmore's. Thomas Ewing
was secretary of the treasury under Har-
rison, Tyler and Taylor. Timothy Pick
ering was postmaster-general in Wash
ington's first term and secretary of state
in his second, as we'll as secretary of
state under Adams. William Window
was secretary Of the treasury for Gar.
field, Arthur and Benjamin Harrison.
Bagpiper for the Sultan of Morocco.
The Sultan of Morocco's musical taste
is somewhat peculiar. He is an admirel
of the Scotch bagpipes, and has just ap
pointed q special piper, whose duty is
to "skirr' for the delectation of his ma j.
esty and the court. The fortunate
Knight of the Bag is an Aberdeen man
who has left for his new Eastern home
He takes with him all the fearful i'm
will probably become quite fashion.
able dress i'll the land of the Sultan
Westminster Gazette.
Human Body's Tire1ess Organs,
Man has within him a stationary ell
gine called his heart. which, with it's
veins and artiers, constitutes perfect
system of hydraulics, compared with
which mans best work is clumsy, intri-
cate and wasteful. The lungs are Il
working bellows, the most perfect meth
Cd of sanitary ventilation. The stomach
is a working vat of marvellous perfec-
ton. The brain is a wondrous CON
denser, and the skin is a great working
evaporation, with reserve automatic ap:
pliances, ready for extra work in mo,
ments of need. All these are in action
at all times day and night, tireless, un-
ceasing, self-winding and repairing, for
seventy years or more.--Ladies' Home
Journal. ...5,s
Work for Their Passage.
| One of the novel details in the trans
portation Of cattle across the Atlantic is
the employment Of men by government
order to feed and otherwise tend the
stock during the passage These hands
are employed by the shippers. 1t is one
of the provisions Of the law that there
shall be four men to each 100 cattle and
one to each $50 sheep. The New York
newspapers contain from time; to- time an
advertisement for men who desire free
passage across the Atlantic. The offer is
I