Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-01-23
EELs STOPPED THE NH,
Hundreds of Them CIogged in u. ter Wheel at Youngstown, Ohio
 ICnnVriohf 12oo

ter wheel af youngstown, Ohio
 Copyright. 1S9Sl
 Many curious prank is credited +o the eel, but one of the oldest of wb;oS he has truly been guilty is just reported from Youngstown, O., where he bads actually succeeded in forcing a AouS mill to cease operation.
 The mill is known as the Baldw;n mill, and is situated on the bank of tba K Mahoning river. Its power is furnished by five water wheels, with an engine ta5 be used in times of low water and wbpnS there is backwater to contend apainst It is the custom of the miller, Homess Baldwin, to start up Monday mornipag and run steadily until Saturdass night without stop. One Mondaya morning not long ago. the mill started as usual with three water wheels in on. eration, the number ordinarily sufs. cient to furnish all the power required
 Presently, however, the miller found that strangely enough the power wasa lacking, and he put on the fourtbi wheel. The following morning tbs| power had grown even less than witbs three wheels running, and the fifth wheel was put into operation. Still tbeE power was insufficient and at last tba engine was started up in order to obs tain the necessary degree of power.
 It was suspected that somethingmuss be wrong with the wheels, but owfna to the high water it was impossible td make an examination before the fol lowing Sunday-when to Mr. Baldwin, surprise-he found that the water. wheels were elogged up with dozens of eels, varying from three to four feet in length. weighing in the mass sever. al hundred pounds.
 After the eeis had been cleared awav the mill was run at full power with but three wheels in operation. This is the second time in the memory of ths traditional oldest inhabitant that eeIs have been evidenced in the Mahonina river. Some eight years ago. it is said; Game Warden Samuel Lever placed a number of young silver eels in the river. At first it was supposed that ths mill eels must be those little ones grown up. but examination disclosed the fact that the big fellows thal stopped the mill wheels were not sit yer eels at all-and there lies the mys tery.
 The eel is one of the queerest of thl fnny tribe. For a long time nobodj could guess how he happened to eoms into existence in the strange plaeel where he is apt to be found. He is most mysterious fellow, and the mys tery about him is by no means clearel away, though the fish experts havl studied him in many ways.
 4 curious fact. and one which mako the Mahoning incident harder to eS plain, is that eels do not spawn in fresl water, but in brakish and salt water It is known that many eels descend thl rivers in the fall and winter and entei the salt water, and it is supposed tha spawning takes place at that time. II the spring and summer young eels iron three 10 five inches long ascent rivers in incredible numbers, overcom ing obstacles, ascending vertical wall CT fioodgates, entering the smallesttriu utaries, and even making their wa. over dry land to ponds and lakes shu off from all communication wit springs. Perhaps this is how the eel came to be in tie wheels of the Baldwi l mill