The Elbert County tribune., 1906-01-25


= whose headquarters are in
Eo~ the more northerly Norwe-
gian ports. The crews are for the
most part made up of pure-blooded
descendants OF the Vikings, who are
stli' to be found in any number among
the cod-fishers of Hammerfest and
Troiaso. And magnificent race of
men they are. Accustomed from boy
hood to life of hardship. they have
way of treating Father Neptune with
slightiy contemptuous tolerat ton.
like an old friend of somewhat uncer-
tain temper. whose rapid changes
from smiling benevolence to wild,
clustering anger are on the whole
rather amusing than otherwise
They care nothing for danger, and
little for suffering-in themselves or
in others. Why, then, should they
stop 10 think that perhaps a MANNED,
but stlll living. shark can feel?
The fishing is done off the coast of
Iceland in about eighty fathoms of
water. Three or four gallows-like
structures are .igged up around the
sides of the sloop. and from each of
these hangs a pulley block, over which
runs a strong ropes and to the end of
this the baited hook is fastened A
plentiful supply of ground-balt is
thrown out 10 attract the quarry, and
such is the eagerness with which the
sharks take the bait. that sometimes
each one of these gallows-iike fishing
rods will have its fish hooked and fight
ing for life all at the same time.
10. ~,
not necessary or possible. and the pow
erful tackle is hardly likely to break
no matter how fiercely the hooked
shark may struggle. But the shark is
not, for his size. game fish; and. ex-
cept when he is actually being hoisted
up out of the water, there is no very
serious strain on the tackle. If he does
now and then get away, it is not be-
cause he ever manages to break the
line. but because lightly fixed hook
easily tears through the soft cartilage
nous skeleton of his head, and so sets
him free.
As soon as a shark has taken one of
the bats, the hauling tackle attached
to his particular gallows is manned,
and without any superflous fuss or
ceremony he is hauled up to the sloop
and hoisted just clear of the water.
He is not brought on board at ALL
but with a few bold slashes his liver
is cut out as he hangs, and is thrown
into tub, to be further dealt with
later. Then his eyes are put out, and
he is cut adrift-to go and complete
the tardy process of dying where and
how he pleaseS
All this sounds very horrible; but
there is one curious fact which goes far
TO make us believe that this death can
not, after all, be such n cruel one as at
first appears. 1t is this: the fishermen
say that unless they put out the
sharks eyes, he will afterward cause
them lot of trouble by coming and
taking the bait a second time.
1t sounds incredible: Dut the state
ment is thoroughly well authenticated
by eyewitnesses, who have seen
liverless shark do just this very thing
Scientists. doubtless. are right in say
ing that the shark (Which by anatomi-
cal classification is one of the lowest
of fishes) does not feel pain in the way
more highly organized animals feel ii.
We will cling 10 that belief; for it is
consoling-to us. If not to the shark,
who is thus sacrificed that his liver
may supply us with-what?
1t is a secret not to be spoken aloud.
Norway is one of the great centres of
the"cod trade. and from cod is made
cod-liver oil. and-shark- liver oil tastes
and looks exactly like it.-Pearson's
Magazine.