Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-09
ITO BK coxrIxUID.l
The Young Pollock on Cape Cod
Shores Get Under the Bell
liant Jellyash.


women, after all" observed an old, re-
tired Cape Cod fish dealer the other
evening, recounting some odd things
he had seen down east. There are
busy fish and idlers, plain ones and
others rugged out in more colors than
q Frencher's smack new painted I've
always thought they picked up good
many tricks from us human beings.
Here some 20 years ago no one down
our way ever dreamed of q fish carry
ing a sunshade, or of people doing 1t
either, unless it was an old lady's plain,
black umbrella affair. but nowadays
well, say! the fish in Cape Cod bay pro-
tect their delicate compilations from
the summer sun with the most gor-
saw. You folks needn't raise your eye
brows, for this is solemn, yery-day
truth"
The old gentleman refilled his pipe
and continued by way of explanation:
Its all owing to the summer girls
from the big towns, who have been
waving their pink, green and yellow
Is years. They've broke the men folks
all up from Buzzard's bay plum over to
Provincetown, and what wonder If the
fish get their heads turned. l am not
going to disgrace the whole finny soci-
ETY. of the coast, however, for it's only
one branch of a very sensible and hard
working family that puts on such airs.
ha oh i In
mind, second cousins to our well-be-
loved cod of Sunday morning fishball
fame. They are coarser and poorer as
food fish than the latter, less palatable
even than the haddock, another cousin
with whom they render good service by
substituting it for cod (Which costs
more) in much of the boneless Goldfish
sold in the big cities. Lively, quick bit
ers, and good runners for short time,
they offer sport to the line fishermen,
particularly when school strikesin.
This parasol craze is a childhood af-
Fiction, too, l ought to add, and most
likely it's the young women OF the
tribe which affect il, and when they
grow older they drop all such nonsense
the reefs and ledges for their daily
provender and dodging hooks and lines.
Whether it's because they like to be
near the top in shoal water and the
heat of the sun hurts them or whether
the reflections bother them no man
may say, but every man who uses his
eyes will tell you that on sunny days
-, nI sn1a a
young pollock fry, all swimming
around under the shade Of the most
gorgeous jellyfsh umbrellas imagin'
able.
The cape waters are famous for the
variety and splendor of these radiant
creatures, which certainly resemble
dainty glass parasols. They are pale
green, yellow, pink, orange, white
red. and purple ones, fringed, embroid-
cred, scalloped and notched with knob
handles, carved handles. and silver and
gold handles. Under nearly every one
Of these, according to size, will be from
one to ten young pollock, all blinking
their fins idly and moving just enough
| to keep under their fancy shade When
one considers that most of these gay
colored things are armed to the teeth
with a formidable sting and sac OF
poison, It seems as IL there may be
other protection than that against the
suns rays. At all events nobody med
| dies with the small fry, and they drif'
boldly past wealIfish, bluefish, mack
| erel, or sea bass, all hereditary enc
mics, without n single attack.
"The sight is very beautiful, and am
surprised so few city people appear
even to have seen il. AS Nspectacle the
iellyfish themselves, when an inshore
wind has driven thousands OF them
| shoreward, are wonderful, and often sc
| thick that il is hard to row u boat
through them. At night they are bril-
liantly phosphorescent, and by day
the most marvellous and artistic para
| soils in the world. IL some of you girls
| take n good look ut the pollocks in their
iridescent luxury down at the cape
next summer. you will have a streak oil
envy that will turn you the color OF q
sea cucumber, and" the old fellow con
cluded with sly twinkle OF the eye
when you come home and try to lni-
| tate those elaborate ones the fish carry
1 don't want to pay the bills."-N. T.
| Suu