The Arvada enterprise., 1913-03-13
VETERAN TELLS OF THE COD
Fish viii Eat Anything That Conner
Its Way, He Says-Takes on Bal
last During Storm.

Through the good work OF the gov
ernment fish hatchery at Boothbay
| Harbor, Me. the cod industry, along
! the Maine coast is improving each
| year Although it was feared few
years ago that the cod we're fast being
| extorminated, fishermen now report
that they are multiplying and that
| prices are better than ever
| Cod eggs are collected along the
Maine coast by the little steamer Gan
nett, owned by the government and
| commanded by Capt. George Green
leaf Often the steamer collects from
100000 to 100000 eggs at a time
and then carries them to the hatchery
where they are scientifically treat
| ed. When the fry are large enough
to look out for themselves they are
liberated.
The government ha- spent thou
sands of dollars upon tie local station
and has succeeded in interesting the
fishermen in the work. The fishermen
Invariably set aside a spawning cod to
await the arrival of the steamer Gan
nett, which frequently visits the fish
Ing grounds. Probably no man in
the country is more familiar with the
haunts and characteristics of the
Goldfish than Captain Greenleaf, who
says:
Why. bless your life, son, the cod
Is one of the ugliest fish afoat He
icn't naturally savage like the dogfish.
but he is easily miffed and Is always
ready to act IN self-defense il he thinks
himself In danger
Say, perhaps you won't believe It.
but it's true as gospel, Goldfish will
tackle anything when he feels like 1t.
They'll eat anything. too Ever hear
OF n cod eating a coot for dinner?
Well, it's fact they'll do It when thev
get chance and I've known them to
eat whole Holsters without waiting to
have the shells picked off.
But ! started to tell YOU about
that cod that swallo we'd the coot. One
day we got a seed cod aboard the
Gannett. II was one of the biggest
| ever saw and weighed about rs
pounds. NJ. men expected a big haul
but not many spawns were scraped
the men cecided to cut the fish omen
and when they did this out dropped
sea coot from the inside.
The bird was a beauty, and wasn't
injured bit. It wasn't mussed and
hadn't been chewed up at all show.
ing that it was swallowed without anv
apparent ~ Crt"
How do you account for the coot
coming in the way of the big fish,"
Well, don't really know. butt sup
pose that bird was flying over the
water and possibly might have stop
ped to stick his head down under
when the cod suddenly saw him
and with one gulp swallowed him"
Then Captain Greenleaf related
stories OF finding Holsters inside
some of the big Goldfish taken to the
hatchery.
That's nothing new" remarked the
captain, but was surprised one
day when we pulled out lobster
nine inches long. We have often
found little ones only four or five
inches long
You can't get ahead OF a Goldfish
much. They'll take care OF themselves
under any circumstances Just think
OF a fish taking on ballast so he can
better control himself to meet the
elements.
He goes to the bottom, swallows
several gooG sized stones TO give him
weight anu then he is ready to take
care OF himself in the dig seas. How
do know this? Why, mGn alive. we've
cut open hundreds Of them with rocks
in their stomachs, but this never hap
pcns except after a severe storm we
never find them before the storm and
so this just bears out my claim that
they take on ballast so they can han.
die themselves better"