Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 195, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1916 — Page 2

My Fight With the Devilfish

RussellJ. Coles tells how he killed one of the largest sea creatures after a dangerous fight with mad mating couple

FTER several days of windy weather,which had made successful Manta hunting impossible, the morning of April 11, opened calm and hot. To kill a Manta,

which is the scientific name for devilfish, perfect handling of the boat is necessary and a proi*er crew is the first consideration in equipping an expedition. In my 20 years’ experience of fishing off the coast of North Carolina, I have always made up my crew from the native market fishermen, in preference to the guides and boatmen usually employed by sportsmen. On this occasion, in addition to Capt. Charlie Willis, I was fortunate in securing the services of Capt. John McCann of Punta Gorda, Fla., beyond question the best-known and most efficient fisherman on the Florida coast, and he selected the three other members of the crew—all young men, trained, active, and without fear. Captain McCann also furnished the boat, which was a small 6-foot, open boat with an eight-horse power gasoline engine. The construction, however, of this little boat was extra strong, or it would have been wrecked by the terrific pounding it received. The men were nearly perfect for the positions which they were to fill, knowing what to do no matter what condition might arise; therefore not much time was required in training the crew. On such an expedition it is necessary ‘for every man to move instantly when the word is given, like part of a perfect machine, for I cannot turn my head when the fight is on. When the boat passed out through Captive Inlet into the Gulf of Mexico, the water was so thick that a Manta would have had to rise to the surface to be seen, and I posted three men to keep close watch, one on each side of the boat, and one behind us, while I watched in front. We had run down the full length of the coast of Captive Island and were about a mile off the shore of Sanibel Island and in front of Blind Pass, when there came, suddenly and without warning, a most terrific shock, w’hich threw the four of us who were standing to our hands an<X knees for a fraction of a second. The boat, which was running at full speed, had met the head of a Manta, rising to the surface and coming toward us at moderate speed. The shock of the collision was so great that it almost stopped the headway of the boat, am) its bow was lifted more than a foot out of the water; but our speed carried the boat up over the high part of the back of the Manta Just as the two great black fins w’ere flung tiadly into the air. almost meeting over our heads and deluging us with many gallons of water. Then the two fins crashed down on the surface of the sea with a noise that could have been heard for miles, and the Manta instantly repeated the performance as I yelled to the engineer, “Keep her going." Just as the boat was sliding from the back of the creature, another huge Manta rushed up from below, striking full on our port bow with sufficient force to spin the boat around until its direction was almost reversed. At one time all four of the great black pectoral fins were towering above us, and large quantities of w-ater were flung into the boat. First the head and then the stern of the boat was highest as it was pitched from side to side, and then I heard the chug, chug, chug of the racing propeller blades as they gashed the tip of the pectoral fin of the first Manta. The engineer kept the engine going at full speed, but the propeller blades were not catching the water now, and for a short distance we were carried upon the broad backs of the two monster devils of the sea. I fully realized the danger, as did every one of the men with me in that little boat, but every iqtm filled his place perfectly and therewas no out-

INTERESTING FACTS

Ice Is made use of In u Texas orchard to retard the budding until desired. With an automobile tire in mind an Inventor has brought out fire hose with a removable inner tube that can be renewed when Injured. Two American express companies have recently opened offices In HongKong. There Is considerable parcel post business between that part of the world and the United States.

ward show either of fear or excitement, for I had a crew composed of men who show at their best only in time of danger. Scarcely a word was spoken until, in the midst of a wild upheaval of the two madly frightened Manta beneath us, the boat was flung from their backs and was turning over, when I shouted, “High side!” which order was instantly obeyed, two of the men, except for an arm and a leg, throwing themselves entirely out of the boat. ~. . The boat struck head first and shipped a lot of water over her bow, but we were now clear of the two Manta, who raced together on the surface for a short distance. These two Manta appeared to have lost all fear of the boat and its occupants; we were many times in touching distance of them and they both passed under the boat several times. The first was a female, well above 15 feet in width, and ,1 was about to attack it, when I saw, nearly a mile away, the largest Manta that I have ever .seen. It was on the surface so I ran the boat down to it, and never have I wanted to kill any one thing quite as badly as I wanted to kill that great fish, for it was fully 24 feet in width and must have weighed not less than 12,000 pounds. I was uncertain however, as to its gender, and a female was absolutely necessary. Spe was now swimming on or near the surface with mate following, almost touching her all the time, and, with all ready, we moved to the attack. As she was passing, quartering across our bow, I gave the w’ord. Charlie and I drove our harpoons deep into her broad back; then, with a great splash of her fins, she plunged below and ahead. As the drogue was snatched under, it threw water high in the air and the shock was so great that it brought the great ray to the surface in that awkward, wheeling, edgewise leap that Manta make, after the manner of a wheel turning over. Before its tail had reached the perpendicular, I and all of my crew saw an embryo, folded in cylindrical form, thrown high in the air, and I heard Captain Jack exclaim, “Did you see that? The young one has a tail longer than the old one J” The embryo quickly unfolded its fins and, catching the air horizontally, its descent was retarded until after the mother fish had disappeared beneath the surface. When I had hurled my harpoon and reached behind me, the spade lance had been instantly placed in my hand, but as I saw this embryo feebly flapping on the surface, I passed back the spade lance and yelled “Give me an iron, Muick!” (the harpoon is always called an iron) and while not five seconds were taken in the exchange, that was too long, for as I threw back my hand to strike, the male swept the embryo beneath the surface with one of its fins. S’ __ I passed back the harpoon and seized the spade lance, as J saw the wounded female, now on the surface, charging down on us at highest speed. I was forced to strike instantly and there was not sufficient time to clear up the line attached to the lance handle, so the point of the spade lance was slightly deflected, with the result that the

To retard the speed of motor trucks or stop them entirely if not running too swiftly a Frenchman has invented a wide blade fan, horizontally mounted beneath the vehicles. The government of Norway has established a censorship of motion picture films intended for public exhibition. Swimming apparatus made of rubber cushions that can be Inflated through an air valve and so compact it can be carried In a pocket has been invented.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

fatal spot was missed by a few Inches. However, the forqe of the blow, which was delivered with both hands without releasing the handle, was so great, that it depressed the creature’s head, and the head-on collision did not crash in the side of the boat as it probably would have done otherwise. The top of the head struck the bottom of the boat, breaking the lance handle short off against the side, and I was confronted* with a very serious defect in my equipment. I had acquired, by years of work with the lance, such confidence in my ability to place it where I desired that I had not thought it necessary to provide more than one spade laftce; but now my fish was very much alive and fighting mad and I was without a spade lance. The water was so thick that the Manta could not be seen until very near the surface, but Charlie kept the slack of his harpoon hauled in and the line showed the direction in which the fish w’as traveling under water. Captain Jack steered the boat, which was kept running, and that it was well handled is shown by the fact that not once in more than a dozen rushes did the devilfish reach the surface without finding our boat on her back. Each time I drove the lance through her heart or brain one or more times, and after the fight she showed 23 sqch wounds. Through all this fight there was one uncertain and disturbing factor that w T e were not in a position to guard against—namely, that the great male mate of the wounded Manta kept near us until the fight was over and three times nearly capsized us by pushing the boat from the back of the female. Once, just after we had been nearly capsized by a heavy blow from the head of the male, and when the female was fighting most violently, when we were all covered with the blood of our victim and the boat was almost filled with water, the youngest member of the crew (Luther Dixon), thinking that the end for all of us was near, tried to force a harpoon into my hand as he screamed, “Iron the big bull and let’s all go to h — in tow of a team of devils I” I quote this to show the temper of the men, for while Luther, and probably others of the crew, thought this our last fight, neither he nor any other man showed even a trace of fear. Then the dying Manta raised her head against the side of the boat and gave a loud harsh bark or cough, and as I exclaimed, “Watch her eyes looking two ways at once!’’, the stricken creature slowly rolled one of her eyes, until with that one only, she seemed to look at all of us behind her in the boat. Before striking the Manta I had looked at my watch and called out the time, and as the big fish died, I again pulled it out and asked, “How long?” Not one of the crew placed the time of the fight at less than two hours and when I told them that it had, taken only 22 minutes, they wanted to see if the watch had not stopped. The fight was now over, the great female Manta that we had come for was dead; but there was still a man-sized job in front of us and we at once made the fish fast to our stern and headed for Blind Pass, more than a mile away.

Information Wanted..

Bacon—This paper says as a deerhunting state Vermont now rivals Maine, with 6,000 deer killed in 1915, compared with from 8,000 to 10,000 in the Maine wilderness. Egbert—Nothing said as to which state leads in the sniping of guides?—-

The More the Merrier.

Musketry Instructor (to recruit who insists on gazing at him) —Why don't you look at the sights? Recruit— Please, sergeant which are the others?—London Opinion.

BEST IN NECKWEAR

LATEST ACCESSORIES UPON WHICH COSTUME DEPENDS. Collar and Face for Which It Is Chosen Must Be Harmonious for Perfect Effect—Two Dainty Neckwear Suggestions. Skill in selecting accessories Is often the major asset of a woman who ranks as the best-dressed individual In her own set. Gloves, shpes, hat and neck dressing must be thought out carefully and the question of furs is one that comes up for consideration. The summer fur vogue is stronger than it was a year ago, when it first received general American recognition.

Last year natural animal scarfs pretty well dominated the summer fur showing; but thisj season innumerable smart novelties are displayed. Stole scarfs lined with thin satin or chiffon, little three-cornered wraps of flat fur, collarettes and sorts of clever little capes are shown. In regard to summer neckwear, it must be noted that many periods contribute, and a collar taken from the era of Henry 11, By ton, Oliver Cromwell or Victoria may be equally smart, the collar and the face for which it is chosen as a framing blend harmoniously. Cape and fichu effects are extremely good and sailor, cavalier and Eton shapes are also favored. Some tailored collars of pique or linen have organdie cape collar, capes of net, batiste, etc., are thought highly of and are worn with frocks of silk, voile and other sheer summer fabrics. Cromwell collars or organdie daintily embroidered are youthful and smart. Fichu collars show best when made of some very soft, thin fabric, such as. georgette crepe, crepe de chine, mousseline de soie or chiffon, and collars suggesting the Henry II period are made of thin material and are boned to keep them erect and in shape. The question of collars and many other accessories of dress is limited only by the inclination of the Individual to set brain and fingers to work on

DAINTINESS AWAY FROM HOME

Its Achievement Never an Easy Matter, and Calls for Much Time and Attention. Daintiness has ever been the most alluring of feminine attributes, but attaining it is no small trouble. To be truly dainty a woman must spend time and money attending to the little items

CHARMING EVENING GOWN

A very dainty and charming evening gown la this one of white tulle. Its simplicity adds a tone of richness and “quality” to it which ornamentation would fail to do. The skirt falls in simple lines in the front but is draped just a trifle In the back. The waist is extremely decollete with a semi-blouse effect. x

FOR SMARTENING OLD DRESS

Tulle Ruffle as Good,, and Economical, a Device as Can Well Be Employed. A tulle ruffle sounds a frivolous thing, but a little reflection will show that it is in reality a most economical device for smartening up an old dress at very small expense. Tulle is no longer the ephemeral thing that it was a year or two ago; It can be got in varieties that will withstand the rain and damp and look as fresh and perky after a shower as before. Tulle ruffles can easily be made by clever fingers at home, and the possession of two dr three —one perhaps all blade, another.

the development of novelties, for actual cost enters In a very small degree into the matter. Odds and ends of lace or other leftover dress trimming or fabrics may with excellent results be pressed into service. Two suggestions are offered In the sketch shown herewith. The upper picture gives a collar and cuff set, employing black satin and white organdie, with small white pearl buttons as the finishing touch, and the lower sketch

Dainty Accessories That May Be Made at Home.

shows a simple round collar of rosecolored georgette crepe, caught with a bow of French blue velvet ribbon. The question of veils is also an important one when selecting the summer accessories of dress. Many net and lace veils as well as the more serviceable chiffon ones, are fashionable, and there is a considerable color range to choose from. The wise woman will try the effect of the different colors on her own complexion before choosing.

of her toilette that give her the right to the adjective. To achieve daintiness while traveling is an art. Several bottles should be included in the traveling bag or case. One should contain alcohol to cleanse the skin with. Pure alcohol may or may not agree with a tender skin, so that if it is diluted with half rain water and hall alcohol no possible irritation can result. This liquid, when dabbed gently over the skin with pads of absorbent cotton while traveling will remove tho dust and prevent it from getting embedded in the skin. Benzoin is another necessary of the traveler’s kit. This also is to be patted into the skin, and may be poured, a few drops at a time, into the wash basin of the train dressing room to soften the water. The odor of tincture of benzoin is delightfully aromatic and a dash of toilet water afterward makes the skin as fresh as a rose. Good cold cream of course is not overlooked in the list, only it is taken so much for granted that the other articles mentioned above are to be looked on as its successors. The cream should be rubbed into the skin when milady starts out on her journey, after the pores of the skin have been cleansed and opened. Then follows the benzoin and toilet water treatment. The last requisite is a bottle of pungent smelling salts for probable train sickness. Everyone knows the nauseating sensation after an hour or twGb on the train. If smelling salts are at hand, the knowledge of their presence is reassuring.

Bright Silver and Tulle.

What in the world did fashion do before someone thought of silver ribbon and tissue for gaslight wear? An enchanting dance frock just completed is made of white tulle and silver ribbons —nothing else, if one excepts a simple foundation slip of silver tissue which gleams delicately through the floating skirt of tulle. There are in fact three skirts of tulle, and on the second one is a wide silver ribbon, set at the knee. The girdle is of similar silver ribbon run across the chiffon underbodices, below the drapery of tulle. At the front of the skirt, about eight Inches below the waistline, is set a tab of silver ribbon fastened to the tulle with rosettes of narrower silver ribbon, and from the. girdle depend four tabs of ribbon likewise trimmed with silvery rosettes. Can you imagine the sparkle and drifting whiteness of this lovely frock on a ballroom floor?

in black and white, and one in some color —will be found invaluable while the summer lasts. They give just the necessary ' finish ’to the appearance without any extra warmth or weight on these summer days, and yet something is needed to» put on In one’s walks abroad. Also they constitute a smart and welcome finish to an evening coat and just protect the throat sufficiently on chilly evenings. About two and one-half yards of plain tulle wound loosely once around the throat with the long ends floating free, make a most fascinating light drapery over the summer frock.

RANCHING

Cattle and Horse Ranching In Western Canada Steers Brought 10 Cents a Pound ** on the Seattle Market That big money is made by the largo cattle rancher in Western Canada, and also by the small farmer as well, la shown by the undisputable facts presented from time to time. A rancher, near Glelchen, Alberta, who commenced in,.'a small way nine years ago, recently disposed of 1,243 cattle at a total bf $101,304.50, and this was only his surplus stock for the present season. A December shipment of 217 head of ranch steers brought the owner an average of over SBO per head, They were taken straight from the range without any grain feeding and were in excellent condition to be sold for the Christmas trade. Another shipment of 100 head, averaging S7O each, was made to Seattle. The highest price paid on the Seattle market was for an Albertan steer, which weighed 1,700 lbs., and brought the fancy price of 10c per lb., or $l7O. Six carloads of live stock from ranches 65 miles from Plncher, Alberta, shipped ,to Spokane, excited keen* competition there on account of (heir exceptional quality. The price realized was $10,028.’ American dealers say they must look to Canada for beef supplies. _ A livestock firm, which has shipped over 2,000 head of beef cattle to the American farmer since the middle of November, reports a splendid reception of Alberta stock in the United States.

A carload of choice Alberta steers were sold early In January for shipment to the British Columbia coast • at $6.70 per 100 lbs. and, later on, a lot from. Carstairs brought $6.90 —the highest price paid since the spring of 1915. Shipments from Calgary livestock yards during 1915 were: Horses, B,67scattle, 30,577; hogs, 144,515; sheep. 12,410. A course in agriculture and livestock demonstration which has been, conducted by the Provincial Dept, of Agriculture here was well attended, showing the Interest taken by city residents in agricultural progress. John Young, of Sidney, Man., gives his experiences in sheep-raising as follows, as quoted in a local paper: “I bought a bunch of fifty ewes, which cost me $262.50. With this little flock I demonstrated just what can be done in the sheep business. This fall I sold fifty fat lambs at $6.50 per head, $325, and 18 of the best ewe lambs, which I kept, 1 value at SB.OO per head, $144. The wool sold at an average of $2.07 per head, $103.50. This makes the very pice total of $572.50.” “They ran out nearly every day all winter. The value of hay and oats was small, and one can make them very comfortable through the winter with very little expense. For shelter I have a shed, about 125 feet long and 14 feet wide, which I cover with straw. This gives them protection from the cold winds: yet it is always cool enough to be healthy.” “I intend going in more for sueep this fall, as I believe them to be the most profitable stock on the farm.”

Desire of farmers and ranchers to Increase their sheep holdings is indicated by the sale of 2,500 head recently at $9.00 each. High wool prices and profitable demand for mutton are the reason giver for such a figure. Manitoba sheep breeders arranged last year for the Provincial Department of Agriculture to handle their wool output on a co-operative basis and obtained most satisfactory results. About 75,000 lbs. of wool were handled, netting the shippers over 25c per lb. —Advertisement.

Reason for Growling.

Rivers had just got home, and waa stumbling over the things In the dark hall. “What are you growling about, dear?” called out Mrs. Rivers from the floor above. “I am growling,” he answered In his deepest bass voice, “to drown the barking of my shins.” J

Many a man sacrifices his principles to success, and considers that he is getting it cheap at that. The classy woman is the one who can look well in cheap garments.

11 Will reduce Inflamed, Strained, 11 Swollen Tendons, Ligaments, 11 or Muscles. Stops the lameness and Fl pain from a Splint, Side Bone or Bone Spavin. No blister, no hair Fl gone arjd horse can be used. $2 a bottle at druggists or delivered. Describe your case for special instructions and interesting horse Book 2 M Free. ABSORBING JR., the antiseptic liniment for mankind, reduces Strained, Torn Ligaments, Swollen Glands, Veins or Muscles s Heals Cuts, Sores. Ulce-s. Allays pain. Price Si. oo■ bottleat dealer.ordeUrercd. Book "Evidence” free. W. F. YOUNG, P. 0. F, 310 Temple Street, Springfield, Mate. HOYT’S HEADACHE AND NEURALGIA COLOGNE A harmless andrefreshlng remedy that quickly reHevea headache, neuralgia, nervousness, faintness, DAISY FLY KILLER tl«. Beat, Olean, or. WBflCjttZSWffMn namental, convenient. KpAj&sJjgtOSjatfJH cheep. Lasts ail season. Madeof ™etal, een’tspillortlp WIU not or BHtoedßFl SraiMKlMßral injure anything. ■kWQBfcSfjaHMjSMH Guaranteed est entire. All dealers orSsenl express paid for SI.CS. KABOU IOXIM, Me Pe X*l> Ave-. Brooklyn, M. V. W. N. U., CHICAGO, NO. 32-1910,