The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-01-05
Every yna Required
FORTUNE IN PoRPoIsEs.
Many OF the White cetaceans Ere.
quenf the GULF Of 81. Lawrence,
aad Are Valuable.

nay can almost always enjoy theisight OF
a number of porpolses disporting them
selves upon the water in the neighbor-
hood Of 1adoussac. says the New York
Sun The great white cetaceans appear
! Ike shapelsss MASSES Of blubber as their
arched backs show from time to time
above the surface They are doubtless
attracted 10 the mouth OF the Saguenay
by the large number Of salmon which en-
ter the river throughout the season.
a large industry Is expected soon to
spring ap In various parts OF the Gulf Of
ST. Lawrence in connection with the
huutipg Of porpoises. 1t has already
been attempted upon a small scale, but
the difficulty Of capturing any great
number OF the animals has stood in the
way Of success Now the difficulty has
been overcome through the observations
and experiments Of Campbell McNab, a
Ca adian hunter. who has spent many
years In the study Of these animals.
The adult porpoise OF the st. Lawrence
hnd the North Atlantic ocean Is from
u to IS feet In length. Itsomewhat re-
stmble. dolphin in shape, with large
dorsal fin ard mouth armed with many
strong and sharp teeth Each porpoise
Is believed to eat from one to three bar
rels Of fish a day. so that it is difficult
70 estimate the frightful rayages which
they make among the salmon. the her
ring and the cod. They are largely gre
Rarious. though they often hunt their
prey IN couples. Mr. McNab has often
peered over the edge Of an oyerhanging
rock TO watch them catch salmon at the
mouth Of a stream and sometimes long
distance up a river. where they follow
their prey They chase a salmon into
shallow and then two approach 1t from
either side. The salmon appears un-
able 10 move. as If paralyzed with fear.
lIf ss attempts to rush from one Of his
pursutrs he falls into the open mouth Of
TIE o.her.
The Dorpoise Is equally expert In fish
ing for the siippery eel Mr. McNab
orened one OF these animals the other
day and found more than 40 cells In It's
stomach To prevent their wriggling.
ard 70 aid digestion the porpoise cracks
tha skull OF the eel between its teeth be-
lcre swallowIng H.
Like the etitho poTpoise can live
long ti-e out Of the water In fact. II is
virtually amphibious Some time ago
Nr McNab shot a nun Der Of the ami
mn's which had been hauled ashore and
bound together by their tails After
sklnning another lot at some distance
ard taking out the blubber he turDca
few days later to the lot which had been
last shot Unknown to him one had not
been killed outright AS be passed in
front OF IL It growIed at hin ''like dog.
he says. and ops ned its jaws 10 suap him
The porpolses are captured by being
imprisoned az low tide on the shoals
over which they have journeyed when
the tide was s,Sh. In pursuit Of their
prey HithertH the difficulty has been to
1nd any barrier strong enough to retain
such enormously strong heavy beasts,
and so many Of them together as are
sometimes enclosed. Mr. McNab has
made the interesting discovery that the
enormous nets through which they often
broke are not necessary to hold back
the brutcs. They are unable 70 stand the
slightest vibration in the water. and SO
all that the hunter now finds necessary Is
to iasien long thin pole like fishing
rod TO stake in the mouth OF the
stream. the bay OF the estuary within
which il Is desired TO retain the por-
poisss They remain to be stranded and
killed upon thes shadows rather than ven
ture past the vibrating rod.
This sensifiyeness is believed 10 have
It's seat in the ear Of the animal. which
has so small an opening that il might
almost have been made with pin. For
years McNab has held firmly to this
theory. only to be laughed at for his
pains. He has now proved it beyond
peradventure. and has reaped the fruit
Of his persistence. At one tide the other
day be secured 50 of the animals on the
shoals Of the Portneuf river a few miles
below Tadoussac. and next year will
pursue operations there upon a larger
scale. Hs has secured a nine year lease
Of the shoal from the government and
has apparently a fortune within easy
reach. The skin and oil from a single
porpoiss are worth from $50 to $50.
The utmost caution has to be taken
not to drive the animals s,vay from their
haunts If any Of the ttood or refuse Of
their dead is permitted 70 rsaoh the wa
ter. Mr. McNab declares. they will de-
sert the place entirely. This Is the ex-
planation he gives Of the present absence
OF porpoises from the River ouelle and
other places on the banks Of the St. Law
renee. where a fFw years ago many oi
them were annuallv Killed. The TOT
poise. he says IS ore Of the most irtslll-
fart animals created.
Dozens Of Cherokee allottees are re-
garded as possessed Of enough intelli-