Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-01
GOLF|v!e OCTOPUS
is LATEST CATCH
TentacIed Creature Captured
While Enjoying Sport Along
Monterey Beach.
~ the Consolidated Press.

MONTEREY, Calf, November 3d.
Probably as a result Of the climate or
perhaps Of the ideal real estate loca-
the octopus indigenous to Monterey Bay
has started playing golf. For some lit
tie time good deal of talk has been
made by real estate dealers and others
concerning the wonderful golf links
bordering the Monterey coast line from
San Jose Point to Carmel. Evidently a
segment of the descriptive literature
blew down the beach and the water, for
last night in Monterey Bay they caught
an octopus with golf ball in its In
sides.
Even normally an octopus puts up
considerable of a battle when pounced
upon by the japanese fisherman, who
fries and eats every one of the eight
tentacleS and most of what's left over.
This octopus in particular put up a
fight in which Gene Tunney himself
might envy. Joe Octopus had a little
on Gene Tunney anyway at the start,
possessing an octette of arms each OF
which was nearly 8 feet long, coupled
with the agility of contortionist and
the choleric disposition of minor poet.
But over and above the ordinary argu-
ment staged by an octopus under SINH
lar circumstances the cutie fish showed
q determination which only q golf en-
thusiast could appreciate. Apparently
he realized that the golf ball. which had
rolled beneath some of his dining room
furniture, was on the fairway, and he
felt reluctant until he had figured out
some method of playing it out OF the
rough.
Practicing Putting.
A second theory advanced by local
golfers Is that Joe Octopus had been
sA&S ~ - tRAVH
he became entangled with the hungry
scion from the land of chrysanthe-
NUNS It is supposed that, rather than
lose his only golf ball, the octopus
hastily swallowed It until such time as
he had eluded the fisherman and gained
the leisure for continuing his practice.
AS q matter of fact, the devil-fish
might have eluded capture altogether
had he not ventured rather nearer shall
low water than is customary with MEM
bers of his family. It has been pointed
out that In all likelihood he approached
shore in search of seven other golf balls
preliminary to an amateur tournament
all by himself. Or, as another school
Of thought contends, it may be that ne
expected to find along the shore a
mashie or midiron petulantly thrown
away by q disguised aspirant in the re-
cent national tournament.
Whatever his idea, he seems TO have
possessed the single golf ball for long
while, for. originally white, it was coated
by q darkish slime through which
criss-croSs of marks was family visible.
A half obliterated ~ could, by the aid
of q little imagination, be discerned
among the other markings. Undoubted-
~ the ~" stood for Jones. though
Bobby does not ordinarily whang them
into the Pacific Ocean. In this respect,
however, he differs from many another
golfer on the courses around Monterey.
During tournament there is a
veritable rain of white balls pitter-pat-
tering into the surf and no octopus
along the shoreline need abstain from
golhng. What becomes of the golf balls
which slip into the Pacific has been a
matter of controversy with the golfers
who inadvertently sent them thither.
Apparently fair for golf has been
added to the various other fairs de-
veloped by octopi, and these strangely
humanlike sea creatures will take care
Of as many spares as landsmen wish to
contribute. There Is some talk here
abouts Of dropping book Of rules into
the bay also.
Others Seek Week End Dinner.
While the japanese were cooking
teritacles from the goIfing octopus, other
residents of Monterey were out on the
beaches to seek week end dinner. 1t
is quaint and practical custom in
Monterey to take handful of salt in
one hand, ones life n the other and
scramble over the slippery rocks at
low tide in pursuit of the mussel, the
coo-coo clam, the sea porcupine. and
other delectables. All o. need provide
for q fine sea dinner is cents worth
OF salt. The dinner waits. clfnging to
the cltns or sunk in the deep pools at
the clin root.
Sea porcupine is the mainstay of the
meal. 1t looks like a porcupine in its
spiny, brown envelope; a globe of spikes
which tncloses what resembles the yoke
OF an egg. Add salt and swallow. The
nrst Two or three may not stay swal-
lowed, put when one Is used to this foou
1t Is fun OF taste and vitamins. The
tire tool. This beautiful pearly shell
with lot Of repulsive black stuff ttail-
ing from It. Inserting the tire iron
briskly between the shell and the rccE,
the fisherman yanks the abalone loose,
throws away the black stuff, scoops the
meat from the shell, pounds it as
though it were a piece of round steak
and cooks it, or, If he is very much Of
q nature lover, eats 1t raw.
Hunting the abalone is about as haa-
ardous as hunting the golfing octopus.
The abalone SHE'LL which sometimes
grows to sizeable proportions, closes
with snap when anything is thrust
under it. If the thing thrust there hap
pens TO be q hand, the fisherman re-
mains until rescuer with an iron bar