The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-03-08
.gyE n Ii 1 u wv y | wv u
MEN out TO SEA
They Harpoon the Monster But
he Refuses to Play the Game
as They Figured.
sLAPS CAPTAIN OUT OF BOAT
Valiant Southampton Veterans Have
Exciting Time When They Go to
assistance of Brothers Who
Had Caught Whale.


Southnmpton.-For the second time
IN two weeks fishermen took to their
| DoatS ana went out after Il whale
They had him hooked, too, and If
the durn thing hadn't up with it's tail
and knocked Capn Silns Edwards out
| OF the boat just as he was about to
spear 1t, there might even now be a
dead whale on the beach.
The whale was sighted by Captain
Frank III. White, the sea-bitten old
mariner who tends the life saving sta
| ton here When he first saw the
whale 1T was about two miles off shore
and moving out to sea with the Cooper
brothers from Water Mill.
AS matter Of fact the Cooper
brothers had caught the whale. The
only trouble was that, having caught
1t, they didn't know what to do with
| 1t.
1t was some time earlier in the day
that the Cooper brothers had seen the
| whale and started out in their little
motor boat to capture it. They had
| with them Il lance bomb gun, an in
strumcnt highly recommended for
whale hunting. This gun is supposed
to save wear and tear on the animal
by exploding Il charge inside it and
thereupon rendering it more or less
hors de comlat.
Starts for Somewhere.
SO the Cooper brothers went after
the whale and had the good fortune
to be in excellent firing position at 4
moment when it saw fit to come to
the surface to blow the water out of
its nose.
'"rhar she blows!" yelled the Cooper
brothers, who had taken corresponds
ence course in whalc hunting, and
Dang off went the lance bomb gun.
The lance struck the whale squurely
In the tonneau and the fishermen
waited cXpcctantly for the dull ex-
plosion which would indicate to them
mat their quarry was about TO roll
over and ask to be taken home.
No. such explosion happened. The
fishermen waited and waited. All in a
wink the whale started for somewhere
And the Cooper brothers, having
lodged their harpoon securely in the
whale, found themselves accompany
ing it.
They tried reversing the engine in
the hope that by so doing they might
convey to the whale their lack of in
terest in any extensive sea voyage.
Fhe motion was entirely lost on their
| captive, who kept right ou
The Cooper brothers then tried to
increase the speed of the boat so that
they might overrlke the whale and ex-
plain the situation. which, in a word
was this:
The line connecting the boat with
the whale was taut. and the fishermen
could not free themselves. AS fast as
their boat went the whale went faster.
There was nothing to do but admire
the scenery as 1t passed them
Captains to the Rescue.
Ihey had gone about mile and
half, and were still going, when Cap
tain White saw what was up and
piped all his trusty whale hunters to
their posts. In response to the call
came Captain Silas Edwards. Ed
White, Frank Burnett, William Bennett
and Erastus Howlund
They launched boat and headed
FOR the whale and its regretful cap
tors. BY :he time they reached the
scene the whale had its mind on some
thing other than additional whale hun
ters, SO they were able to get up close
to It, They even circled around once,
looking for n soft spot for the lance
they intended to toss into it.
Then steadying himself in the bow
of the boat, Cap'n Edwards rose TO the
best Of his sixty-live years Of ability
and stood posed with long lance In
his hand ready to end everything.
Just at this moment, however, the
whale carhe out of its reverIe and
smacked the bow of the boat gentle
tap with It's tail. Cap'n Edwards be-
Ing In the bow OF the boat he was
next seen struggling In the water and
yelling for some one to take him out.
The Cooper brothers made use of
the momentary respite to loosen their
harDoon line. And the whale went on
It's way. The whalers then devoted
their attention to rescuing Cnp'n Ed
wards, and to expressing in bread
terms their desire for vengeance