The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-13
FENCER OF THE SEA.
,,eu AND TUMBLE ENCOUNTERS
0o WITH THE swoRoFlsH.

Aha Yawl ana imP"'o'
chief EmpIoyment of the ODD pen'1sns
If Block Island.
Some is miles of the Rhode Island
- and almost directly south OF
'a INV Point Judith is the ragged coast
ssRlock island, where each resident Is
farmer and fisherman.
AZ ouaint and old fashioned an ocean
..sort as the American coast affords is
r p,ock island. 1t is miniature world,
Di .nhicb the customs and habits are
u. .soo !" Of $50 years ago. Every knoll is
'n uUned with a small, one story farm
Sonse whose shingled walls are thickly
Lated with whitewash, the only wash
chat will Withstand the intensely vapor-
ors salty air, which melts the contents
- The salt cellars on the family tables
into a thick, lumpy mass. Some Of these
dwellings, are $50 years old, and the
Iold windmill" was built Of lumber
from trees that grew on the island early
in the last century.
completely isolated in winter from
.,,o rest of the world, they take but lit
flo interest in any except their own con-
oorns A Bible, few books of sea sto-
rios weekly newspaper and Daboll's
ancient almanac furnish all the reading
thew wish, and stories OF hobgoblins and
sea wraiths are the gossip of Preside and
forecastle
Far out on the bowsprit Of each fish
inc schooner there is little iron band
ed 'nulpit," where stands the harpoon-
or. harpoon in hand, riding up to his
fearless game A swift and accurate
whirl into the monsters side. and away
he bounds, furious with rage and pain,
with floating keg attached to the iron
dart by fathoms of rope. The vessel sails
after him like a tireless hound on the
trail of fox, and the marine hunters
have only to keep sight of him until he
has exhausted himself with his mad
rushes through the sea.
When the time comes, however-it
NAV be in half an hour, and it may be
double that time-for the plucky spears
man to deal the finishing stroke to the
doughty warrior, then, if ever, hunter
and game meet on fairly even terms.
The harpooner quits the vessel in
yawl, armed with an ak, spear and club,
and pulls his frail craft over the rough
waves to the side of the dying fish. 1t
may be that the moribund giant is
breathless and really exhausted. If so,
the harpooner has only to draw up
where is measured his bulky length up
on the surface of the ocean, plunge his
sharp spear into heart or brain or deal
crushing blow upon the head.
Buff the big fellow be only feinting
there is likely to be trouble Sulkily and
warily, but motionless, he notes the
harpooner's advance, and when the lat
ter has driven his boat to point not
half dozen rods away suddenly the
great fish arouses himself, shakes the
lethargy out of his bones and the brine
ont of his glimmering eyes, measures
the place of his foe for an instant, and
then rushes on him like whirlwind.
Rarely does he miss his drive, and the
luckless fisherman is impotent to evade
1t. The fish cleaves the waves with the
speed and fury of warhorse A sud-
den dip beneath the waves. and, lol he
has gone
But the next instant the oarsman,
leaping into the stern of his boat, hears
the rush OF waters, as Of submarine
volcano beneath him, and with the sound
OF ripping timbers, long, slender,
black, hairy rapier is driven through
the boat from side to side, as if the lance
OF galloping Cossack had cleft it.
Lucky it is, too, for the boatman if he
be not in line with the irresistible
straight thrust. If he is, the sharp bone
Will pierce him as swiftly and easily as
cook skewers chicken.
An exciting encounter with a wound
ed and maddened swordfish was that Of
Henry Chesebro. He had harpooned the
Dig fish from the deck of his sailing YES
Sci, and after waiting the usual length
OF tlme got into his yawl to deal fin
ishing blow to the apparently dying fish.
AS soon as he approached his captive,
however and commenced hauling in his
hne' the fish suddenly awoke and began
operations by diving so as to spear the
,ittle craft. Missing his aim. the armed
ieViathan went under the surface for a
second attack.
IL was too late for Chesebro to retreat,
and utterly defenseless he awaited the
onslaught. In moment the fish shot
Vu' OF the water, and with deadly aim
uroVe his sword completely through the
Soat lt entered the craft about three
ieeS from the bow, on the port side, and
ZANE out through the thin plank on the
s'arooard side. Chesebro had retreated
" 'ne stern of the yawl in the nick of
niue 1ne' ana thus escaped being transfixed
LIS pllght was seen from the schooner,
anu the vessel headed for the scene BY
OVnStant bailing Chesebro kept his dis
aO,eu boat afioat until succor arrived
q olow on the head then finished the
"Sil, which weighed 33S pounds
Even moro perilous was the expert
euoe Oh Captain L. r. Stadman of the
smack IacN Bessie Fish Ho had speared a
I@lse hsh and went out in his small
I Ioa' TO secure the prize. While bringing
nini 20 the surface Stadman was turneJ,