Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-03
School Where Boys Are Taught TO Fish.
European
hundred Pupils
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
~ RUSsELS. Nov. "a. What must be
X one Of the oldest schools In the
world exists IN Belgium for the
purpose OF teaching everything
connected with the business Of fishing
Fishing-the deep sea kinds one Of
the most important industries Of the
country At the Fishery school at
ostend, which, oddly enough is con-
Quoted by q Catholic priest, boys are
trained to be expert fishermen. just as
they might be trained to be experts in
any other profession.
This little country--so wlde.awake
that she surely might adopt the weasel
as her emblematic animal IN the me-
nagerie OF European national lions,
bears and eagles-came to the conclu-
sion some time ago that her fishing
industry was on the wane, Her forty
miles Of coast, with It's sandy bottom
that contains so many excellent
shumps, that shelters 50 many fiat fish,
and which, moreover, Is so good for
TRAVELLING, was once the starting place
for much larger and more successful
fishing fleets than those which put out
today. These had diminished gradu-
ally, and II was discovered that Bel
gum was actually importing FISH from
neighborins countries to satisfy the
needs Of her Roman Catholic nhabit-
ants, because the home catch was un-
equal TO the demand, II began to be
fancied that the Belgian fishers were
not as expert as their rivals, and 1t
was proved also that unable to make a
good living In the old way by going
down to the sea In ships" the young
men OF the coast were deserving the
calling OF their fathers and being
drawn away TO the factories which are
sprlnglng up like mushrooms all over
this busy little country
LoNG-HEADED Able.
This state Of things was especially
noticed and mourned over in Ostend,
and one day the Able Pype-who has
lived long in the seaport, and been GO
ing to sea with the fishing fleets for
fifteen years or more--noticing the in
creaslng misery OF his poor fisher folk,
was struck with the idea that perhaps
r better knowledge Of their business
might help the Belgian fishers to hold
their own against their rivals
With this end In view he started In
1859 a small school for the express pur-
pose OF teaching the gentle art Of
fishing. Little by little his untirng
efforts were crowned with success, and
now he has his regularly established
School OF Fishery recognized and en-
cOuraged by the government. which
grants Il a small subsidy, and whose
good work Is so widely recognized that
other countries are. starting similar In
situations Newport and Blanker-
berghe, the two Dutch ports near Ost-
end. are initiating Ostend's example
with equally good effect, while France
and Germany are seriously lnquirlng tn
to the matter
The Improvement IN the fishing m
dustry as the result of better education
has thus been officially recognized,
while the change IN the men them
selves is most marked. Many OF those
who had given up the sea as their CALI
lug are coming back TO lt now that
comparative prosperity smiles for Il is
good proverD that says, THE hook
OF the true fisherman Is Hlmest In his
own heart" and since King Leopold
and his government hold II as one Of
their chief ambitions 10 create q sea-
farlng folk for the marine which it Is
hoped viii some day sail under the
black, yellow and red flag of Be stun,
the experiment Is fostered and watched
with much interest.
To begin with, before any small boy
can attend the abbe's classes-hls
school. IN fact, being the fishers finish
ing school--he must have gone TO the
common schools and have masterei the
three RS or their equivalent In Flem-
ish, besides knowing a little Of mathe-
MATES. The pupils ages average from
10 to 10, but there-is nothing TO pre-
vent any fisherman with a thirst for
knowledge from attending the school
as long as he likes, the course OF
study being absolutely free, the gbbe