Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-03-25
FISH PROBLEMS.
Two Species Which Prefer Dirty, stasnant
Water to Clean.

Two Species Which Prefer Dirty, ~stagnant
Water to Clean.
II would like to have some scien-
list explain to me" said a West Slider
Of an investigating turn of mind,
chow on earth fish can get into the
landlocked bodies of water where
there is absolutely no channel from
or to any other pond or river. I
don't mean by that natural lakes,
but places where the rain, filling ex-
cavations, has produced small ponds.
Such places would be expected to re-
main free from animal life, barring
insects, forever, but they don't. The
phenomenon can be studied out on
the West Side, and l put in consider
able time last summer specializing
on It," says contributor to the Chi
cago News.
"Out west of the old limits, In
that wilderness which lies on the
border of Cicero, are several big
quarries and two or three which
have long been abandoned. One of
these abandoned quarries in partic-
ular afforded me much research and
study. It has been filled up, part
ly from the water usually found
after a deep excavation is made and
partly by the rains of IL years, I'M
til the water is at least 20 feet deep.
There is almost no vegetation, ex-
cepting a few sparse tufts of grass,
round the rocky shores. The white
stones and yellow sand or hardened
clay stretches away on all sides, and
the general aspect of the place is as
horrible and forbidding as the shores
Of the Dead sea. The water is almost
black and exhales a sickening odor.
No wonder, for it has been the bury
ing ground for years of all animals
which have died in the neighbor-
hood and the drowning place for in
Vulnerable kittens and puppies.
Here and there the corpse of
some beast car be seen floating on
the surface; along the shores are
many skeletons. It is no wonder
that none of the murderers who in
past years have gone to so much
trouble in hiding the bodies of their
victims thought of weighing the
bodies with rocks which lie strewn
SO thickly on the shores and
then hurting them into these black
waters. That quarry hole, accord
ing to the people who live near, has
never been dragged for any purpose.
I'm this hideous sink of stagnant
water are live fish and hundreds of
them. The boys of the neighbor-
hood cast their nets for them and
catch them in great quantities. !
only trust that they do not eat them.
I have at different times caught
many Of the fish and found that,
without exception, they have sick
ened and died almost Immediately
when transferred into clean water.
In that hole they live, and in that
liquid putridity they thrive.
"These queer inhabitants of the
water are like a catfish in one re.
gard-absolutely scaleless and as
Shiny as an eel. Yet they have the
form OF heavier scaled species OF
fish. One kind is of the form and
size Of the common 'sunfish' OF
pumpkin Seed which boys all over
catch SO easily, and is OF the same
silvery color, but, as I have said,
has lost its scales. The other species
Is as remarkable a freak Of nature
as could be imagined. It's body is
comparatively slender, shaped like
that of a catfish, and a dull lead in
color. The head is hideously de.
formed, almost like that of a NINA.
ture dog in shape and is Jet black.
Either of those fish will take a hook
readily, and, as I said, neither can
live ten minutes in other water than
the slime of this quarry.
"Now, what I want to know is,
Where did those fish come from, and
how did they get into the quarry7'