Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-04-06
A FAIR SHOT.
What Is Wrong with the Picture
SHARKS ARE CANNIBALlSTlC
Like Wolves They Tear to Pieces and
nevour Injured Members of
Their Species.

Every once in awhile someone will
rise up to tell us that there are no man
eating sharks. It. would not do to tell
an old sailor that. He knows better
Some years ago, says writer in Forest
and Stream, l met young man who
knows that there are such fish-he had
left his left foot and part of his leg with
one of them while he was bathing off
Key West, and had not the ships boat
got to him the moment it did the shark
would have eaten the rest of him.
When sailing in steam whaler in
1874 one of our amusements was fishing
for sharks. made hook after draw
ing and with it we caught number of
them. One of our Boat steerers gave me
his opinion of how the shark became a
man-eater. and l have often since
thought he had it right Since then |
have seen the same opinion advanced
to account for the man-hunting tiger.
All tigers are not man-hunters any more
than are all sharks man-eaters. His idea
was that if man-eating shark did at
tack man then any other sharks that
might also be in the neighbOrhoOd
would also attack him, and after these
had done so they, too. became man eat-
erS.
The shark is like wolf in one respect.
If he gets hurt any of his companions
that may be present will tear him to
pieces without loss of time have seen
them do it.
We were under sail and were standing
west under light wind, hardly doing
more than keeping steerage way, with
the sea as smooth as mill pond, when
one morning Just after daylight shark
was seen following us about 100 yards
astern of the ship. He had probably
been doing this all night Only his dor
sal fin showed above the water but he
seemed to be large one. Our hook was
thrown to him, but the only notice he
took of it was to drop little further
astern; he did not want the hook At
noon he was still in his place astern, and
leaving the hook out for him, we went to
dinner. He might get bold enough to
take the hook when we were not in
sight, L thought; but lie did not, for when
We next came on deck he was still as far
astern as before. and now made up my
mind to shoot him.
We had rifles on board, but could not
use one of them without the captain S
permission, and just as I had started
to 60 and get his permission he came on
deck, and, seeing the shark, sent me for
his glass and rife.
brought up an OLD Sharp's rifle, and
while the captain stood at my elbow
with the glass to coach me, fired three
shots, using his fin, the only part of him
could see to aim by. wanted to hit
him amidships and as low down as l
could and not have the water defect my
ball. The first shot was too high, the
next one not high enough, but the third
shot got him, and the ball hardly hit
him when two other sharks that none
Of us had seen before, seized him, one
on each side of him, and dragged him
down.
For the next few. minutes something
seemed to be doing back there. The big
shark got to the top of the water twice
throwing himself nearly out of it the
first time, and giving us chance to see
how large he was, but each time the
others pulled him below again. They
were still fighting when we had dropped
them too far astern to be able to see how
the fight terminated
These sharks will follow a ship day
after day to pick up what may be thrown
overheard. The sailor thinks that it is
he they want to pick up. Some of them
would not refuse him if he did drop over
When We found them following us We
would bring up bucketful of kitchen
refuse and throw it to them, then pre-.
sent them the hook, and some of then
generally made the mistake Of taking it
When he did we only got him; the resi-
of them always left
Hand.Paintad Missi1ns