Putnam patriot., 1915-08-27
TAKE FISH BY WHOLESALE
Natives of South Pacific Island Have Their Own Method of Gathering
 Food From Sea.

The natives of Rarotonga. one Of the islands in the South Pacific ocean. have a singular method of catching fish in which the whole community takes part On the shore of the is- land there are many long, narrow lagoons. each lying between a beach and an outer reef of coral. that usu- ally swarm with fish. The natives choose one of these stretches of shal- low water for the fish drive, and close all breaks in the reef by lay- ing nets across them or building up rough barriers with pieces of coral.
 When they have done that. six or seven hundred men. women and ehil. dren wade into one end of the lagoon carrying little. plaited fiber bags filled with utu nut. In most cases the wa ter is about three feet deep. and no- where more than four feet. so the na- tives march slowly up the lagoon, trail ing behind them the bags of utu nut. As this substance is wet it forms a pc culisr narcotic. which it diffuses through the water. The process is called poisoning the lagoon.'
 Half an hour is allowed for the poison" to spread, and at the end of that time all the fish are under the influence of the drug. and are swimming about in a confused and aimless manner. The natives. armed with long, pronged spears, form line that reaches from side to side of the lagoon, and march along shouting, splashing, and driving the intoxicated fish before them. When the fish are all collected at the farther end of the lagoon, the natives begin to cry, "Eh- hu-hu-u-ut" and the barbed spears fly in all directions. The natives are very dexterous with the spears and the fish are so sluggish, owing to the effects of the utu nut, that very few of them escape.
 Many of the poisoned" fish seek the shelter of the coral reef and hide in the crevices; and so some o( the na- tives fish" the reef TheF put on glass goggles and sink beneath the water. where they remain submerged for one or two minutes They feel about among the coral for the listless fish, which they get with short. thrusting spear. These methodieal fishermen usually make the biggest catches; but the merry men in the open water enjoy the best sport. Nn- merous varieties of fish are obtained, but all have the brilliant and beats ifnl eoloring peculiar to the fish nf the tropics.-Youth's Companion.
 LONDON. = The Mitylene eorre- spondent of the Times reports that friction has risen between tho Ameri- can Ambassador, Henry Morgenthau, and the Turkish Government over tho status of the Scorpion.
 NOME, Alaska.-No trace of Vlhjal- mur Stefanson. the explorer and his two companions were found by the United States coast guard cutter Bear, which returned from Point Barrow, the most northerly point of Alaska.
 CHICAGo.-The Chicago Teachers Federation was ordered abolished by the rules committee of the Board of Education.
 WASHINGTON. - An optimistic view of the future and qualification over the events of the past are pre-. dominant in an exhaustive review of the first year of the present war given out for publication by the Austro Hun garian Embassy.
 FL PASO, Tex.-PeopIe are drop ping in the streets from starvation in Torreon, the southernmost city held by the Villa forces in Mexico, accord ing to information brought here.
 NEW YORk.--A cloudburst that de seconded on Orange and Sullivan coun. ties, New York. caused a property damage estimated at $500.000.
 HAVANA.-Dr. Charles E. FinIay disooyerer of the mosquito origin oi yellow fever, died his home here. Senile debility was the cause of death
 WASHINGTON.- McAdoo issued a statement announcing he would deposit funds in the Federal Reserve banks as authorized by the Federal Reserve act whenever the necessity arose.
 HRISTIANIA.-A German subma- rine stopped the Norwegian mal steamer Irma within Norwegian ter ritorial waters. but the appearance os a Norwegian torpedo boat prevented further interference.