The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-08
Evening Chat

Some time back You poor fish" was
an expression popular with yaudeyil.
llans and the alleged artists twho draw
so-called humorous sketches for the
newspapers when they wish to con.
vey the idea OF stupidness and fabbi-
ness. AS slang phrases go 1t had con-
siderable merit for the reason tina;
1t was fairly descriptive OF certain
kinds OF human beings, but It was II,
bel on certain kinds OF fish. How
ever, some fish are stupider than 9th.
ers. Sharks apparently are the meth.
ermost limit when 1t comes to intelll.
gence, for IL distinguished scientist
in the employ OF the government may
be taken at his word sharks are un-
able to tell the difference between 9
human being no matter how gnarled
and tough Of fibre, bathing In the AT
lantic surf and the daintiest OF the
tidbits provided by bounteful nature
for the substance Of the shark family.
1t appears that two people bathing
off the Jersey coast have met death
within the past week or ten days IN
encounters with sharks. This fact
suggested to the fertile mind Of an
eastern editor that 1t would be good
idea to get expert opinion on this
grave subject Of shark peril at our
most popular bathing beaches and in
due course Of time a bright and breezy
young man called at the office In
Washington Of DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith,
United States commissioner Of fisher
les, and put the matter squarely up 10
him. The learned man said:
1T is an established fact that every
summer great numbers OF sharks visit
the Eastern coast. 1t Is not infre.
quent for them to be In the surf.
never have heard of any one being
bitten by them before. The only rea.
son can assign is that they are un,
usually hungry for some cause, diff.
ficult to explain. When we consider
that there are hundreds OF thousands
OF bathers on our Eastern coasts ev.
cry year and that for as long as any
one can remember no one has been bit.
ten until these two recent cases,
think 1t Is a word In favor Of the
sharks. Our domestic animals, horses
dogs and others, have not anything
like this record. The sharks are not
vicious and the new deaths possibly
have resulted from unusually hunger.
The sharks are lured to the shore BY
tho food gish they seek and the deaths
have resulted from their inability to
distinguish between humans and fish,"
It is a popular impression on this
side of the Atlantic that OF tho coun.
tries involved in the great war Aus
tria has been hit the hardest financial.
ly, economically and In a militar,
way. It is quito possible that this
opinion reflects the actual situation
but reports which have Just been re.
ceiyed through the mails indicate that
the public mind has not been dcpress-
ed by the national misfortunes and
the popular amusements go on "as
usual" to borrow an expression popular
with the British at the beginning OF
the war. The great annual Austrian
Derby. the banner race Of the sport.
ing season for all Austrian-Hungary,
this year proved even more than the
anticipated success. II far outdid the
Derby of 1915, In general interest, at
tendance and sporting features.
The Austrian race track crowd is
totally unlike the one.time American
crowd. The nerve.racked excitment
OF the American track Is lacking, and
when the horses come laundering
down the track-from right to left
instead OF from left TO right and on
sod instead OF solid earth-there are
seldom any shouts for this or that
horse.
A feature OF the Austrian track Is
the surprising number OF women who
bet on the races. Thousands Of them
crowded TO the pari.mutuel booths on
Derby day, feverishly thrusting their
ten and twenty crown bills to the
cashiers, and jostingly making their
way after each race to the pay.oG
booths. The women too furnish n
sight that Is not common on an Am.
erican track for countless numbers OF
them strolled about the paddock or
leaned against the rail- smoking Gig
arctic after cigarette. They stood
about the huge announcing board with
cigarettes between their lips, program
in hand, carefully and skilfully check
ing off the numbers OF the horses to
run In the next race and the names
OF the jockeys who were to ride them.
The only signs Of war, II they would
strike even the outsider, were the gray
uniforms Of officers and soldiers who
mingled with the crowd.
The most popular favorite did not
win, so there was sorrowful element
In the AFOREMENTIONED crowd, but on
the whole It was happy and care.
free throng. certainly one that gave
no hint that fathers ad brothers, hus-
bands and sons are spread out along
several hundred miles OF battle line,
or wounded In the hospitals or dead
and buried.