The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-01-14
DANGEROUS FISHES.
THEY ARE NOT ALL CONFINED TO
THE SEAS THAT ARE SALTY.

The SEAS IfNI AIT SAL Y.
The Alligator Gar IL One Fresh Wa
ter Species That IL Feared In the
south-A Mysterious Monster That
InhabIts n Michigan Lake.
SO far as any danger from the game
Is concerned, fresh water fishing has
always been looked upon as about as
safe as any sport in the world, and the
fresh water fish has gone on record as
harmless and uonresistant. But there
are instances now and then when the
nsh turns the tables. The inhabitants
OF Osceola county, Mich, who live in
the ncighborh)od of Lake George, an
inland water about three miles long,
IRE almost superstitIously afraid OF
certain fsh that lnhabits that lake. No
one knows what sort of fish 1t is, and
opinion locally is divided as TO whether
It is a giant muskellunge or n stur-
geon.
Spearng parties had now and then
reported seeing n very large fish with
out being able to strike It. but no one
gave credence to the tales until one
night several years ago, when n party
" sportsmcn from Chicago went on the
lake spearng In charge Of an old resi-
lent named Armstrong.
Armstrong was the only one that re-
turned to tell the story. lie said the
party was spearlng IN shallow water
when they saw IN enormous fish that
resemblcd an ovcrgrown pickerel. Two
Of the Chicago men were standing In
the bow, and at first supposed the fish
to be a log. Then one saw his mistake
and struck with all his might. The fish
gave dart that made the boat jump
MS though steam engine were pulling
il. If the man had let go Of the spear
al would have been well, but he hung
on, and the fish gave mighty flop To
right angles with the boat. The man
still held TO the spear, with the result
that the boat capszed, and the men
found themselves standing In mud and
water up to their waists.
The light went out when the boat up
set, aud, the night being dark and
cloudy, not one Of the party had any
Idea Of the direction TO be pursued In
reaching shore. The shallow water oc-
cuples large part OF the lake, and
they could wander In any direction
without being able TO tell whether or
not they were nearing shore. Arm
strong said afterward that nothing
could equal the awfuness Of the expe-
rlcnCe that followed. They made their
way In one direction after another and
wandered round ard round, going half
way to their knees In mud at every
step.
To make matters worse a cold,
steady. driEzlmg rain began TO fall.
They We're soon numb 10 the marrow.
Then one Of the sportsmen dropped
without word. and no one went 10 his
help. Little by little the three that re-
malned were separated. Armstrong
says he himself became unconscious
after timc and remembers moth
ing that happened until he was reused
by feeling solid ground beneath his
feet and finding tliat the water was
more shallow than Il had been. He
kept on and fell upon the shore. Then
on hands and knees ne crawled 10
camp and gave the alarm. Search was
at once made for bis companions, and
their bodies were recovered. Since that
time the big fish with scar on his
back has twice or thrice been seen by
spearing parties, but they have passed
Il by.
There Is one species OF fish IN the
south that Is feared only little less
than It's salt water contemporary the
shark This Is the alligator gar. II
grows 20 enormous size and has bill
hard and b0ny and much broader than
the bin Of the common gar Of northern
waters. One who goes out upon the
lakes OF Louisiana ana Arkansas viii
see them jumping and splashlng Ike
enormous trout Their usual food CON
sists OF hsh. and they not only make
endless trouble for those who go fish
ing with mlnnOws. bur have been
known 20 round up and tear 20 pieces
bass which the sportsman has hooked.
Bathing IA the lakes Is considered dan
serOus.
4 negro was sitting In the stern Of a
boat on a lake near Helena. Ark. let
ding bis feet hang over the stern. when
"a gar grabbed him by one leg The
mau hung 10 the boat until rescued,
1ut his leg was horribly gashed The
tish have been known 10 attack 10 like
manner uegioes who went swimming
Ia the Mississippi below New Orleans
one spring the writer was visiting a
rice plantation on the flower coast OF
the Mississippi when an old negress
came wailiug 10 the house aud said her
vaar-Oid hov was dead. he had