The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-07
Women Take Part.


 Owing to the size of the game and the idea of combating "the vicious brutes," in years past, women seldom cared to participate in a sharlIing cruise This season, however, 1t is not an unusual sight to see a boat bound out with several women in the party fully clad in oil skins and ready for the fray
 The best feeding ground for the sharks Is usually off the east end of Nantucket Island about one and a half miles from the Wauminet shore, within sight of Great Round shoal liFhtshp. The run up the harbor to the "opening" consumes about an hour under ordinary conditions The "opening" by the way, Is a break made by heavy easterly storm ten years ago through the narrow neck of land which separated Nantucket harbor from the Atlantic ocean. The opening has grad ually increased in width until It is now safe and easy passage for the fishing fleet in running out to sea. A heavy ocean swell is always encountered while pass ing through but once across the bar on the outside the big boats have a clear run out to the sharking grounds. The skipper has an eye to leeward while the mate commences to overhaul the gear.
 The novice naturally thinks a big fish like a shark must be harpooned like q
  not come to the surface of the water, ex- cept in search of prey, but swim close to the white sandy bottom. and the only way to capture them is by hook and line. All eyes are upon the mate, who Is seen pull . ing out from the cabin long coils of heavy rope, several feet of chain, and finally the hooksl But such hooks! Wicked looking pieces of iron, shaped at the blacksmths forge, from ten to fifteen inches long, but with point sharp needle and shaped exactly like a minnow hook. Can 1t be possible that one can fish with such an outfit?
 Where Excitement Begins.
 The skipper has hove the boat to for q minute that we may prepare for the fray The mate reaches us the "hook and line" and with 1t comes a full size squeteague for bait The idea of placing fve-pound fish on a hook for bait may seem rdicu- ous at first, but when the line is on the bottom and a moment later we feel a ton weight fastened to it. we know that the expected has happened-a shark has been hooked. The next thing is to land him, and here is where the excitement be- gins.
 If the shark happens to be a big fellow he will put up q terrible fight. sometimes lasting an hour, and flashing the water
 
 into foam for yards around. Frequently it requires the strength of all hands to hold the angry. fighting monster until he becomes tuckered. but once the awful head shows In sight a turn about the rleat Is taken with the line. the mate suddenly appears from an unknown some where with A baseball bat, and blow after blow Is hammered upon the nose and head of the victim. The blood begins to flow. but still the shark fights on, and 1t Is only when it has been clubbed until the head Is a iellylilSe mass that its strug gles will cease.
 With ropes and tackle and boat hooks the long white body is finally hauled out of the water and lashed firmly on the side of the boat (for life is not yet ex- tnct and quiver after quiver runs through the body).
 It is then time to bait up for another. By the time four or five sharks have been hooked and two. perhaps, captui ed. one feels somewhat exhausted. with nerves a bit shattered with the excitement of the sport. and when the skipper heads the