The log cabin Democrat., 1909-11-02

| VAI so greatly impressed and W inspired by the spectacle of the spider accomplishing, after very many efforts, that task which it was unable to do at first, we find ourselves beginning to wonder whether it had ever happened
 to that royal fugitive to see a salmon or sea-trout leaping at fall. There is no doubt whatever that in his jour neyings by flood and field this is a sight that must have often met his eyes. Perhaps it was really too Ia miliar to strike his spirit as the spider struck tito great issues. This
 eaping of the anadromous fishes at fall is at once an exhibition of the most monumental perseverance, and also of the most wonderful achieve ment of muscle that we are able to see. You may watch little fith, like the grilse in the the picture, leaping sheer over the height of man. hang ing there a moment in the down-rush- ing water, with tail quivering after the amazing effort that has provided all the impetus, then swept down again, like a helpless mass of fiotsam. into the turmoil of water below. It is not until you begin to regard that turmoil that you realize half the wor- der of it. This leap. or goodness only can tell exactly how many times of it's own height would be wonder even If it were taken from favorable. or lot 6rr, lpnpiDp hoard In- stead, it is taken from that mass of fluid sliding, rushing in direction contrary to that in which the leap has to be made. Recognizing that. the wonder becomes little less than a miracle. If it were not done, we should say 1t was an impossibility. Closely watching, as far as we can, the preparations of the fish for the leap, we may see that it takes what we should call a long run, allows it. self to be carried some distance down stream before repeating the attempt, and. when it essays the jump, comes to it almost vertically up through the water, cleaving the foam at the falls foot This action has led some to think that the fish does not in fact, have such a bad take off" as appears, for it is argued that there is back rush, underneath the surface move
 ment of the stream, towards the foot of the fall, and that the fish takes ad-
 vantage of this to get up it's impetus
 for the final vertical effort. The fish shown in the picture are grilse. and
 the grilse, for their size, are, perhaps,
 the most active of all, as it is right that they should be. seeing that they
 are at the young and athletic age; but the sight is hardly as impressive
 as that of big salmon jumping.
 If we can turn our thoughts from the wonder of the power which the
 fish shows in this leap we must direct
 them on its untiring persistency. The pertinacity with which it is borne down, time after time and returns to the charge, recalls the pathetic story of Sisyphus with his stone. On many rivers We know that the salmon's task is really as intending as that of Sisy- phus himself The purpose of the fish in attempting the ascent is, it need | hardly be said. to get up to the gray
 ely reaches, probably nearer the
 sources of the big river or on some
 of it's tributaries. where their ova
 may develop safely; and in all likeli-
 hood, though the story of their life has never been fully told, these are fish striving to return to the nurseries
 in which they were themselves reared
 There are, however, certain falls on certain rivers which fish are now un- able to ascend, or are able to do so only in such big spates as occur at very infrequent intervals. It may be that several years will elapse before the river is raised to such a height as
 will allow the fish to pass the fall
 This may be owing to the natural changes produced by the action of the
 water on the rock in heightening the | fall making is sleeper or taking away
 the steps or landings. so to cali them,
 which used to help the ascent, or it l may be due to mans action in ab-
 stracting water by surface drainage or
 for use in his houses. In such a case 1 as this the salmon never will sur
 mount the fall. and it is evident that
 the natural result, in course of time
 must be the gradual depletion of the | river of it's fish Meantime such fish
 as may survive will continue their
 brave efforts with perseverance
 which wins our admiration though a
 true understanding of their psychology
 must, perhaps. convince us that it is
 without moral value. being merely g