Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1909-11-05

II HEN We feau OF Ming hob'
ert the Bruce that he was
so greatly impressed and
WW inspired by the spectacle OF
the spider accomplishing.
after very many efforts.
that task which II was unable 10 do at
nrst. we md ourselves beginning to
wonder whether II had ever happened
20 that royal fugitive 20 see a salmon
or seatrout leaping ~ a fall. There
is no doubt whatever that In his jour.
neyinss by food and field this IL
sight that must have often met his
eyes Perhaps II was really too Ia
miliar TO strike his spirit as the
spider struck ito great issues. This
iesping OF the snsdromous fishes At
fall Ia at once an exhibition OF the
most monumental perseverance, and
also OF the most wonderful achieve
ment Of muscle that We are able TO
zee. You may watch little FISH, like
che grilse In the the picture. leaping
sheer over the height OF man. hang
Ing there a moment In the down-rush.
sng water. with tail quivering after
the amazing effort that has provided
all the impetus. then swept down
again. like a helpless mass OF notsam.
into the turmoil OF water below. II is
not until you begin TO regard that
turmoil that you realize half the won
der OF II. This leap. OF goodness only
can tell exactly how many times OF Its
own height. would be a wonder even
~ II were taken from favorable. or
az least a firm. leaplng board In
stead. Il n taken from that mass OF
fluid sliding. rushing In a direction
contrary TO that In which the leap has
20 be made. Recognizing that. the
wonder becomes little less than a
miracle. ~ IL were not done. we
should say II was an impossibilisy.
Closely watching. as far ~ We can,
the preparations Of the fish for the
leap. We may see that n takes what
We should call long run. allows H.
telf To be carried some distance down
stream before repeating the attempt.
and. when Il essays the Jump. comes
60 II almost vertically up through the
water, cleaving the foam AT the falls
foot This action has led some 10
think that the FISH does not. IN fact.
have such bad take on a. appears
for Il Ia argued that there Is back
rush. underneath the surface move
ment Of the stream. towards the foot
az the fall. and that the hsh takes nd
vantage OF this 10 get mp lie impetus
for the final vertical effort The fish
shown In the picture are grllse. and
the grilse. Tor their sire. are. perhaps
the most active OF all. as Il Is right
that they should be. seeing that they
are at the young and athletic age:
but the sight Is hardly as impressive
ss that OF a big salmon jumping
n we can turn our thoughts from
the wonder Of the power which the
FISH shows IN this leap. we mus, direct
them on It's untiring persistency. The
pertinscity with which II Is borne
down. time after time. and returns to
the charge. recalls the pathetic story
OF slsyphus with bis stone. On many
rivers we know that the salmon's tasi
A really a. amending as that OF Sissy
phus himself. The purpose OF the fish
IN attempting the ascent Is. II meet
hardly be said. to get up to the gray
ely reaches. probably nearer the
sources OF the big river or on som,
of its tributaries. where their ovl
may develop safely: aud In all likeli
hood. though the story Of their lif'
has never been fully told these ar'
fsh striving to return 10 the nurseries
IN which they were themselves reared
There are. however. certain falls OF
certain rivers which hsh are now un
able TO ascend. or are able TO do -
only in such big spates as occur a
very infrequent intervals. II may b
that several years will elapse befor
the river IL raised TO such height a
will allow the fish 10 pass the fall
This may be owing 10 the natura
changes produced by the action OF tn
water on the rock In heightening III
fall. making IL sleeper. or taking ava
the steps or landings. 40 10 call then
which used 10 help the ascent. or
may be due to mans action In al
stracting water by surface drainage o
for use in his houses. In such cas-
~ this the salmon never win SUI
4 mount the fall. and II 10 evident tina
the natural result. in course OF time
must be the gradual depletion Of IN
river of its fish. Meantime such as
sss may survive VIII continue thei
brave efforts with perseverance
which wins our admiration. though
true under9andins OF their psyeholog
must. perhaps. convince us that II
without moral value. being merely