New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-26
THE OCEAN SCAVENGER
A GOOD WORD FOR THE SHARK.

Of the Seas" or The Sailors Foe" or any other
scurfilous name which happens TO he handy.
Much mud is thrown at him. and as he seldom
finds defender. most Of it sticks. Hard lines
this Because in reality this blue water bogie
is an humble and useful public servant who per-
forms uncomplainingly the duties necessary,
but hardly attractive connected with the sani-
tation of the seas. The shark is the common
sCdNenger and general undertaken Of the ocean.
He is not and, for reasons connected with his
very moderate speed limit, never can bee. pri-
marily fish Of prey. open any captured shark
ana you VIII find clear proof that this is so. a
few tangled bits Of rope yarn, a battered cOrned
beef tin, corkcd bottle containing insult
ing message To the finder OhrOWn overheard by
some nautical Wag) or sailors cap which has
been lost in gale, all tend to show that the
shark is fish Of businesslike habits. with a
Keen eye 10 any chance windfalls which may
come in his way: but the more digestible con-
tents Of his stomach. consisting mainly Of car
rion Of every kind all give the ccarest olfac-
tory evidence that the original owners Of them
were not alive (and In fact were very much
dead when this marine sanitary inspector came
along. and. cOndemning them nusanceS. re-
moved them into his own internal refuse bin. A
large accumulation OF carefully collected evil
dence on this point proves cOncluSiyely that
there are as matter Of fact. only two articles
Of his ordinary menu which the shark Is able
to capture alive, VIZ, an occasional unWdry
sea fowl which he may happen to surprise
asleep on the surface OF the water. and the
ugly. octopuslike squd whose limited powers
Of lOcomOtiOn give "A chance TO our hungry
four knot prowler The shark. then. far
from being the gore dyed pirate which the
novelist paints him, is mere hard working
commonplace drudge. and. as such deserves If
not kindness. at any rate liberation. But this
much misunderstood fish that he is is just
what he never gets The sailor looks upon him
as an hereditary foe. against whom he has a
death feud. and upon whose carcass. when II
spraWls and flaps defenceless on the deck, any
cruelty. matter how revolving, is lawful
And JaCk-untaught child Of nature he is
can be fendishly cruel when he is in the vein
I md vii Oh tl.CCf "
the most atrocious barbarties on the captured
shark and no more realize that he is being crue
than a child does who pulls the legs off fly.
1t IS curious thing. and 50 FAR a. present
knowledge goes, quite ineXpcable. how shark
/ seems TO have an unerring perception OF the
presence Of carton. BY virtue Of what sense
does he know that at a distance Of. perhaps. a
couple Of miles there is food to Toe had for the
picking up? II can hardly De sight and TO say
that it is the sense of smell presupposes ar
olfactory apparatus Of such marvellous deli
cacy that one good Whit from an average "har-
ness cask" would surely burst the machinery
up for good and all. and yet our shark VII
bolt a goOdly lump Of the gamiest salt pork
without much a wink. No II cannot be
his nos which leads him Now theory has
/ been put forward 10y naturallstS that the SHARK
possesses Gin common with the Andes condor
a special sense. or instinct. which is denied tC
cleaner feeding animals. The naturalist can
not explain this sense, confesSes. IN iact. thai
he knows nothing about IT, but he can give u
a name He calls il the 'carron sense, ahc
with that name. hiCh. Of course. explains JUS
nothing at all. expects Us 20 be satisfied Wei
as We on our part cannot say that the natural
isl is wrong. VIII let IL stand al that.
"Shark-O"' Where away Dead aSterr
Yes there he goes: his triangular dorsal hr
appearing above the water a hundred yards
or so away He has found the oftal which W.
threw overheard ten minutes ago. and now, like
/ Oliver Twist. ne comes 10 ask for more Now ne
sweeps up under the counter. and We can see
his 1.-the body gliding through the water like
a blue brown shadow. He looks diSappOintlngly
/ lint IA il ne ~
the water. once get him on deck ana ne VII
APPEAR large enough and wicked enough 4
I make u almost believe the worst hbels OF MS
CalumniatOTs. With a splash vigorous enough
10 scare a sleeping whale. over goes tn" hook
half hundredWeight Of ironmongery fastened
by a steel chain o. a rope cable, which Is ca
/ uahle Of standing a tested strain of five tons
one does not fish for the tiger OF the seas VIII
silk lines and drawn gut casts. The nook IS
baited with four pound lump Of fat, bilious
/ looking salt pork. or. better still, with piece
Of pOrpoiso hlubher 10 which a small square ol
the tough hide - still attached-a bait Whlcf
no shark that ever swan could resist oui
/ quarry is not uundturally. some what fright
cned 10y the splash made purposely. by IN
way with the idea Of attracting his attention
with which this delicate lure Is thrown 10 nm
and sheers off douhtfuly. HIS hesitation. now
ever does not last long. He remembers the
delightful favor OF the hors Puvres which he
has already had. and comes up with "A rush tc
enjoy the second course. There IS sight Only
| swirl a fash Of white from his belly as he
/ turns over two double rows Of sharp. murder
| Gus looking teeth come together with snap
/ and bait. hook and foot or two OF rusty
chain are swallowed without gulp. Then as
tn point Of the hook bites into the cartilaginous
framework NJ his head he becomes alarmed and
tries TO break away. No use: that hve Ton
| cable Will mold him. Hand over INST he Is
I hauled in to the side: a running moose Is
drOpped down the line and over his shoulders
and dozen eager anglers haul him uhcere-
moniousy ~ on deck