The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-10-05

the particulars OF the Chinese din
Guilty.
without waiting for an invitation
he speaker opened up with his story
as follows. Captain Jim Mcmillan
was retired sea captain who moved
With his family, TO small island
down the bay near Deer Island, n
T., and under the protection OF the
Canadian flag. The island had a
tmall harbor in which was a used-up
weir that in former years had gath.
fred up herring and other salt water
ash so common in Passamaquoddy
Bay. With few weeks OF repairing
The brush enclosure Captain Jim had
the weir in good condition again for
The first catch of fish. He arranged
the gate for the high run of tides and
went home to await returns.
They were not long in coming. for
fhe next day, when the veteran went
'n TO investigate his newly-repalred
weir, .e was very much surprised and
delighted to find an immense school of
tat-!ooking herring leisurely swim.
ming around the inside and evidently
Enjoying the place. The fish were un.
able to get out as the gate was closed,
and there was considerable satlsfac-
hon in his first catch, since the fish
had been rather scare in the different
weirs near and the herring We're in
good demand by the sardlne factory
owners at the nelghboring places.
Here was lucky catch, indeed as
ne could quickly find a ready market
Cor these large-sized herring at East
port where they would later find d
place in one Of the big smoke houses
or be used as mustard sardlnes.
"The captain made a visit to East
port few hours later, told of his
supply of herring alive in the weir and
soon was offered a fair price; in fact,
looked upon the lot OF herring as
worth S1OO
when Captain Mcmillan returned to
bis Canadian home down the bay a
few hours later, he was happy and
his hopes ran high.
"'We'll have plenty to eat when
sell this lot OF herring said he to his
wife, who met him on the beach, and
III buy you new dress before come
back from Eastport, sure \ short
time later in the day he got into his
boat and pulled into the weir, when
his hair stood on ends as he saw a
very large and black-looking object
resting on the water in the narrow Ell.
closure
1T looked like the body Of a big
snake and the aged seaman Thought 1t
might be the famed mythical sea ser.
pent he had so often read about, but
had never seen before. Before he
could leave the interior the big fish
began swimming around the enclosure
In circle and it did not take Captain
Jim long to get on the outside and
drop the big gate in place. His weir
Iull Of herring q few hours before had
been eaten mp or gone through the
several small breaks in the side of
The enclosure, made by the fish, and
This was enough to cause the captain
10 utter few oaths, since no one was
near at the time.
He watched the big fellow a few
minutes in silence, then said slowly,
that cr!tter cost M 500 sure. and he
may be worth that amount if | can
get him-deGI or alive, but the latter
II possible He was not long in find
ng out that the fish he had captured
was a very young whale, and since II
was one OF unusual length and very
slim, might be taken for big snake
At distance as the parts of the body
came into view. 1t was not an easy
matter 10 capture the fish alive with
put assistance, and determining t.
make the best of his recent mlsior-
tune, Captain Mcmillan set out Tor his
boms TO inform his wife of the whale's
Clslt. and what had become Of their
catch Of herring.
1T was n big disappointment. but
she cheered him up with the remark
that even a dead whale was worth
something The skipper went across
20 neighbOrng island for help. later
returning with two boatmen and a
lCug coil Of rope with which they ex.
pected to capture the whale alive. Re
peated attempts were made to get the
rope under the mammoth fish as II
swan around inside the WEIR but II
WIS impossible to get Par enough and
finally the men had to give up the at.
tempt.
There Is only one way to get the
whale landed safely on the beach, that
know Of said one Of thr men, and
that's TO build on to your weir A lit.
tie explanation followed, and IT was
decided TO extend one corner OF the
weir like the two fences OF lane, up
on the beach to high wafer mark,
then drive the big fish on shore where
IL could be captured when aground and
helpless.
Work on the extension began that
day and continued for three days. then
the lane was completed all but one
thing. How to make an opening for
the whale TO find false escape IN
the beach was question for the fisher
men TO solve, and 1t LOOKED like an
impossiblllty. One OF the boatmer
finally hit on plan OF lowering
down gate at the end, afte
removing enough OF the brush wei
at that place. and then to hoist 1t on
OF the water again. II required sew
eral hours OF hard work TO construc
a suitable gate and sink II into plac
before the weir could be cut In tn
desired place, but this was tnall!
done. and at the signal the false gat,