The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
THE BIG PISCATAQUIS EEL.
SOME ENCOUNTERS Nv WHICH n
MAINE MONSTER URED.
IT Wa. . Feet y Inehes Long Destroyed No
End Of Fishing Tackle runed n Mas Out
OF Canoe. and Fought = Fish Hawk Before
II Wa kiIled with n stenc By 2 Peddler.

End Of Fishing Tackle ruied n MAJ on
OF q Cameo. and FeuEht = Ftsh Hawk Befor'
Was KILLED with n sienc BY . Peddier
BLANCHARD. Me-. March 11.-"It was in tn,
autumn OF 1870. the year the II. and p. Railroad
survey was made from Foxc-oft TO Moosehead
Lake. that the great eel was captured in the
town OF shirley" said a civil engineer. 81 was
there with my party engaged in the survey. and
we helped cot the eel We were staying al
Dority's tavern at Shirley Corners. and had
come 10 the house that day OF noon 10 dinner.
When we got there the eel was hanging from a
beam in the shed and Dority and another man
were busy skianing IL, while a crowd had gath.
cred TO watch the operation and marvel at the
size OF the fish. The Hon. Cyrus Packard. cx'
Land Commissioner OF Maine. was present
and will vouch for my statement. The eel.
measured by our levelling rod. was four feet
eight inches long: its weight was eight and a
half pounds. No one present had ever seen an
eel approaching this one in size. and there lie no
recorded instance OF so large a frcsh.water eel
having ever been taken in Maine. The capture
OF this eel. and the proving Of its dimensions BY
actual measurement. redeemed the reputation
for temperance and veracity OF several citizens
OF Shirley and the adjoining TO WINS who had been
wrongfuly suspected Of untruth in stories they
had told Of encounters, At one time or another,
with the monster.
Passing over. as not definitely proved, the
loss OF much fishing tackle, subsequently laid TO
the account OF this eel. Its FIRST certain appear
ancc was during the last year Of the civil war.
A family residing near the Piscaiaquis River, in
Blanchard, below shirley, were in the habit OF
getting the water for household uses from a
spring near the river bank. To mako a sufficient
reservoir the spring had been dug out and a half.
barrel set in II. from which the overflow ran
of in q little rivuiet into the river. A young
woman going with a pail TO the spring one morn.
inc was frightened almost out of her wits by tho
sight OF the big eel ooiled in the barrel, making
itself very much at home. having got there from
the river by way OF the rivulet. She dropped the
pail and screamed, which brought the men Of the
house 10 her rescue. In trying TO kill or capture
the monster ono OF the men. with a cro;ched
role. succeeded in ranking IL out Of the barrel
upon the ground; but the creature al once started
for the river, AS II an overland trip was the most
natural ihinS in the world for 1t TO undertake.
In striking at IL the man broke the pole. and
then. not 10 lose the game. grabbed at the eel
with his hands. but dropped it with 8 yell as the
eel, turning. wTithcd like a boa constructor round
ks arm and then his neck. The man ran for the
house. and The eel made its way 10 the river.
After that episode accounts OF the big cells
doings began 20 circulate in the evening and
'--@as N"- - s-t - a. Wv VI AAN NTlNA
Pisca;a9uis Valley. TIC stories al nrsi yerc OF
missing hooks and sinkers all laid TO the charge
o: the eel. and John Peckham. a blacksmith. OF
Blanchard. hammered out on his anvil q giant
hook expressly Tor catching this particular Dish.
With a suitable line attached to a long spruce
pole hc went ceiling night after night, fshinz
from the shore by a FIRE until al last he actually
hooked the big fellow. But the creature. twist.
iEc itself among the roots aad rocks at the bot.
tom. refused TO let itsol! be brought TO the sur
face. 80 p,Ckhcm got into a canoe and padded
out firsSiiy over it 10 pull the creature up.
INK IL mp from the bottom, and as he
lifted It over the side OF the canoe the people on
shore yelled for him 10 drop II. for the size Of the
eel frightened Them and IL seemed as IL IL would
ncNcs sop coming out % the water. This was
only the beginning Of trouble. for the eel strus.
Elci 80 acr,gly that. in trying TO master Il.
Peykhain up:ci he canoe. and. a coil OF the line
c%atchtnS about his ankle. he would have been
had be not, by good luck. goi hold OF the tip OF
H. fishing pole. by means OF which he wAsdrawn
hook. and that was the las; Of fishing for him in
that township.
with a, bait, Of ang.e.worms. were trying 10
tempt the palate OF a ~foo;.long trout lying in
plain view in a clear pool Of the river, Becom.
Ing tr!sh;cuei. the trout. darling for the shelter
o: \ recess in the oyeFhang!ns bank. was met
b. the olcn Jaws and a FOO; OF the body OF the
b. g! suddenly thrust forth from ambush.
Seed by the head. the trout was drawn in a
twInk.in- gEte. The hank. and the boys. dcc.d.
ing that they had h4d enough OF ush!n. in TIA,
pool. went home 10 tel the story OF What thcv
had seen. The serre season Ell BotfsA saw
Iae bug eel having a great ius-!c with a
large iToNt-a two.poCnGor, he thoushi-but
n . shallow, grANe!ly part OF the river with
~tog.ders and bar rising above the water in
Ing 10 drive il ashore, while the troui's aim was
10 set 10 deeper water. In tic sGoAl water,
wheT, there WAS little running room. the eel
HAD al the advantage, and 1t nanpuVrei %
well that The trout n trying 20 avoid II in dart.
;ns psi, hoppcd high and dry Tpon a gravel
tH7. The eel went ashore after the hsh as read.
iy as q retriever would go for = fallen bird. but
;nr once the old fellow got baked OF his prey.
trout BodhsA saw a shadow skim along The
gravel toward them - = hsh-hawk. tina; he
had not noticed fore in watching the scene in
s,%pi!y Fi.inswiih The dsh in his taions. The
hat hceu lifted half IL length from the gravel.
and then. ioE q fiN minute, ii was an even
The hsh. The hawk screamed and fappcd his
";ns:. while the eel. with . turn q O: It's tai! rnund
aa crl teeth tore !oose from the trout, and the
hawk sailed AVA! with his prize.
BY the riycg near shirley Mills there isa
Cai'cd in Maine. ror >evera. seasons John Ran.
co.Gh In hunt!aG deer or ducks in this sws!- had
count FOR. shallow burrows zis.agsed over the
ground. which susccstc! snake tracks Only
10 ms / ]" ., sh"AHs " NI,.' RAJ Ran .spEe enough
one morning he found out The secret
Will, stalking q Carlton on the swalc.
Seeing Il movement Of tae high grass. wet
with heavy dew. BE turned aside TO see what
was causing u, and almost stepped on the big
Get working its way along with - frog in its
mouth. which II seemed 10 have just seized. No
club o. stone could nc found with which 10 xii!
the creature. and Randolph could not shoe; IL
without alarming ;he caribou by the report of
the gun. - he had 10 let il 20 lis way.
These events, and various similar ones con
CC-rlnG The same eel, took place between the
years l>Si and 1870. anu they al occurred. with
The las;-naned exception, in the stretch OF the
PIscaiaquis River b.iween Shirley and Rlan.
'hart Villages. The road between these places
runs along the fae" % a Ions and very high and
steep slope leading up from the river. To tho
east of The road and above il Is noUty Pond.
whose outlet, Gully Brook. crosses the road on
is Way 10 the river. IN the autumn
~ 1870 q pctt!er by The name o. Curtis,
travelling from blanchard to Shirley, saw The
big Gel making it, WAY up the brook, evidently
hound Tor winter quarters in Douly PoGd. The
It'd OF the brook was nearly dry. so that the cells
ha'S was above water most OF the time. but II was
working. along without apparent Inconvenience.
and mAS!EE good time. Alisht.nG from his
wagon. Curtis Killed the cci with q stone and
brought. II with him 70 Doriiy's tavern, where
i SAW and measured it
NfPOL COWS HORSE NARESGO.