Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-11-21
A REMARKABLE SPECTACLE.
Fhe Phenomenon Wns School Of Hcrrlnss
Chased by Monkey Fish.

Chased by Monkey Fish.
NJ. FL. Shaw, of Boston, was telling
the other evening at the Murray EIill
Hotel Of On experience he had some
time ago ut York Harbor, Me. 1.-THE
last time was there" said Mr.. Shaw,
"was in the summer Of 1884. In those
days the railroad stopped short at
Portsmouth, N. H.-twelve miles dis
tant-and the balance Of the journey
you made by coach. 1t Is one Of the
most attractive places l have ever
visited. But l knew it in its stage
coach days, and prejudice has kept
me from returning since the railroad
reached out and touched it. 1t was In
this summer that witnessed one Of
the most remarkable sights it has ever
been my luck to see. York Harbor Is
beautiful circular bay, into one end
of which the river runs. Behind the
bluff the river ferns small harbor,
ind then it decreases rapidly in size
as you proceed inland. Two miles
above the harbor it Is scarcely more
than creek. One evening after sup
per had taken couple Of young Ia
dies for q row. Dusk found us about
n mile from the hotel on our way
home. AS was rowing, my back was
to the stream. Suddenly the girl
steering cried out, Gracious me,
what's that!'
Turning, I saw In the cleaning
what seemed q wall Of phosphorescent
water, some two feet high. 1t was
rushing toward lis, and, thinking 1t
must be tidal wave, or something Of
that kind, grabbed for the oars.
There was no time to reach the shore,
SO held the boat head on to the ad-
yancing wave. at the same time warn
Ing my companions to sit perfectly
still. In second it struck US, md 1t
struck US hard. Fish In tWOS and
threes began to jump into the boat,
and the frightened girls, screaming,
jumped on the thwarts. 1 implored
them to cit down and keep perfectly
still, for the boat rocked fearfully and
we were in imminent danger Of up
setting. The river was covered with
fish, from bank to bank, like giSan-
tic sardine box, and If we had ever
gone. over among then. knowledge of
swimming would not have been OF
1.-The slightest use. The girls finally
quieted down, and we were able to
watch the spectacle without fear. Il
was the strungest of sights. Down
the stream to the bay the river seemed
a mass Of living, leaping quicksilver.
The head Of the line was hundred
yards beyond us, moving, living line
of light Fish by the score jumped In
to the boat, and kept us busy pitch
ing them out. ! thrust my oar down
into the water, and you could feel
their bodies leaping against its entire
length. Finally, however, the stream
cleared enough for me to row again,
and we returned to our hotel.
'The explanation of the phenome-
non was comparatively simple" Mr..
Shaw went on. Herring have dead
ly enemy called, think, monkey fish.
They hunt them In schools and destroy
the herring by hundreds. When the
monkey fish get after them the herring
run for 1t, as their only means Of es-
cape. A school Of herring had been
chased into the outer harbor. The
monkey fish blocked their way back
to the sea. Then the herring found
the way into the river, and the whole
frightened school tore through and up
the stream In their wild effort to es-
cape. They died there by thousands.
The next morning the plot in front of
the Marshall House was silvered
with their bodies, and both shores Of
the river for miles presented similar
appearance. Farmers all over the
country came there and took the fish
away by the CARLOAD to use as fertil-
izers. But there were fish enough to
have fertilized New England, and pres
emily they began to decay. The peo-
pie stood If for day or two, but by
that time they smelt to high heaven
md every one that could fed as from
the bubonic plague. I couldn't, and
had to stay through. 1t was an awful
experience. The water in the river
ran like glue, and so imprcgnated the
water Of the outer bay that bathing
for q while was out Of the question.
You ate, drank and slept fish. Fish
were in the clear weather and the
storm. The summer Of 1884 at York
Harbor has since been known as the
stale fish summer. To give you an
idea Of how bad it was, a French
poodle fell Off q float on the river side,
and he had to be sent out of the State.
That's an actual fact, for he was sent
to Portsmouth. New York Tribune.
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Where Lace Abounds.
Brussels owns countless attractive