92 
FOREST. AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 3t, 1903. 
stand the great truth that lies at the foundation of all 
Si'stcms of Political Economy, viz: "Every cent collected 
by any method by any department of government comes 
out of the purse of labor, the only source of wealth. 
They are beginning to understand that the capital of the 
millionaire came from labor, and that, in ninetj'-nine cases 
out of a hundred, the laborer and not the millionaire 
produced it all. They are beginning" to see, more clearly 
than ever before, that accumulation is not production, 
and they are asking each other by what right one man 
possesses a hundred million dollars while thousands of his 
fellow citizens are starving for want of employment? 
And yet, one of the popular preachers of the day, whose 
"discourses form a feature in the orthodox press, is re- 
ported to have preached from his pulpit: "The laborer 
should be content in that sphere where God has placed 
!iim» But for the Bryans, the Debses, the Gompers and 
the Mitchells he would be docile enough." If this is true, 
h is only necessary' to "remove" the labor-leaders as fast 
Jis they appear and all will be well. These platitudes 
from the plutocrats' pulpits will not serve their intended 
rimrpose much longer. Among the solid chunks of prac- 
tical wisdom that great and good man, Abraham Lincoln, 
left to his fellow citizens is this one: "You can fool 
some of the people all the time, all the people some of the 
time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."' 
The masses have been fooled all the time. '"Strikes" 
hitherto have only strengthened the faith of the mil- 
lionaires in their own shibbolelh — "Labor cannot coerce 
Capital," and the most intelligent labor leaders have 
grieved over the sad truth that labor has furnished the 
weapons that have ever beaten it into subjection. Like 
Byron's eagle stretched along the plain — 
"Keen are their pangs, but keener far to feel 
Their own hard labor fcrmed the fatal steel." 
When Tennyson wrote "Knowledge comes, but Wis- 
dom lingers," he must have seen in the distance such 
economic idiots as this popular preacher. Never before 
in the history of civilization has such an object-lesson 
been presented to thoughtful minds as is furnished by 
llic "coal strike"' now in course of settlement. Never be- 
fore has the world seen 3,000,000 intelligent operatives, 
thoroughly organized under men who can spare a hatful 
of brains to the millionaires, demand from those whom 
their labor has enriched a more equitable remuneration 
for that labor. With so large a contingent hovering on 
the verge of want, and the farmers sympathizing openly 
with the strikers, who defy the laws, wreck property and 
sacrifice human life in their blind rage, would it not be 
well for the millionaires to reconsider matters and ask 
themselves if they have the power to lay the monster 
which, like Frankenstein, they have called into existence? 
Labor being the Atlas that supports the social world, 
Avould it not be wise Lor Messieurs !es M illionnaires to 
inquire from time to time how he gets on with his job — 
especially when the}' hear him complaining very audibly 
that his burden is getting too grievous to be borne, and 
he manifests a growing disposition to turn his pack into 
a foot-ball and play a game which may jeopardize not onl}'^ 
the lives of the millionaires, but even the continuance or 
our representative uistiuitions. This game has been 
played before and the millionaires and noblesse came 
out second best. We all know how that moral thunder- 
storm cleared the social atmosphere and how much better 
off have the hoi polloi of France been ever since. When 
this social storm of thunder and lightning breaks over the 
United States and England the millionaires will be the 
worst sufferers and will curse their own stupidity that 
made them blind to the signs of the times. V. 
[to EE CONTISrUED.] 
Devil Fishing. 
EvERVBODY cannot go bobbing for whales, nor can many 
of us enjoy swordfishing, but there is always good sport 
hunting big game in the Gulf Coast waters of Florida for 
those who go prepared for it. The man who wants liis 
game in ton chunks should seek the manta, or devilfish, 
in Lemon Bay, San Carlos Bay, Charlotte Harbor, or 
I'ampa Bay. The further south they are sought, the 
earlier they will be found. 
The devilfish {Manta biroslris) is a thoroughly harm- 
less big skate, except when he happens to bunt a light boat 
by accident, or while struggling on a harpoon line. Speci- 
mens thirty feet in width have been killed, and the aver- 
age width across the Flippers is probably twenty feet. It 
IS doubtful if a devilfish has ever been weighed, and the 
ordinary guesses at their weight are valueless. A ton is 
a fair estimate for a devilfish seventeen feet in width. 
The length and breadth of these fish is about the same 
when the whip-like tail and the flippers at each side of the 
Avide, toothless mouth are included in the measurement. 
The open mouth laterally measures one-sixth of the whole 
width of the fish. The fleshy flippers at each side of this 
gaping orifice are used for fanning food into the maw of 
the fish. Its food is evidently minute Crustacea, and it 
feeds much as the whalebone whales do, by screening the 
water through fine interstices. On the under side of the 
devilfish are four pairs of gill openings, fitted interiorly 
with a most elaborate system of filtering screens, which 
appear as if woven with wire in long, narrow meshes, 
like those of a locomotive spark arrester, though much 
finer. Beyond its bat-like wings the manta has no means 
of locomotion. It has one steering fin close to the root 
of its apparently useless tail. In depth the devilfish is 
about one-ninth of its extreme width. 
Devilfish are usually seen in pairs in early spring. 
They swim side by side, careening so as to show alter- 
nately above Avater a foot or more of one of their wings. 
When in the bays, or close along shore in the Gulf, they 
are easily seen from a distance because they seem to be 
constantly playing on the surface, occasionally flashing 
their .shining backs in the sunlight, and once in a great 
while leaping entirely out of water. In the shallow bays 
they follow the channels closely and are never known 
to venture upon the oyster bars or reefs except when 
wounded by the harpoon and trying blindly to escape to 
sea. On rare occasions schools of six or eight devilfish 
have been observed in summer circling and somersaulting 
in deep, clear Avater. They appear in San Carlos Bay 
about the first week in March and their numbers increase 
as the AA^eather grows warmer. April and May are the 
best months for devilfishing, and one of the best places 
t ! start out from is Ptmta Rasa on San Carlos Bay at the 
mouth of the Caloosahatchie River. This is gfeat taf^ 
pon ground, too, and one of the best places oil the Giilf 
Coast for channel bass, jackfish, spotted weakfish, blueftshj 
Spanish mackerel, sheepshead and other species. 
The outfit for devilfi.shing should eofflpfise a stiff sea 
boat capable of catrying four persons comfortably. A cat 
rig is preferable, and it Should be of light draft and broad 
of beam. In the eqilipment should be at least a thousand 
yards of thfee-eighth-inch manila line, divided into tAvo 
coils. Two harpoons, preferably of the lily-iron type, 
should be provided, together with two lances, a hatchet 
and a double shotgun or hea\'y repeating rifle. .A 
large, sharp and strong gaflf is an accessory which 
may be found useful at any time, and there should always 
be a powerful marine glass at hand. So much for the 
characteristics of the misnamed . creature and the tools 
needed to circumvent him. Now for the story of how 
r - 1 
I 
ON EXHIBITION. 
one Avas taken by a thorough enthusiast Avho Avent to 
great lengths to equip himself for the sport and has fol- 
lowed it for a number of years at odd times. 
E. H. Tomlinson, of St. Petersburg, Fla., built himself 
a catamaran 35 feet in length and 15 feet beam. It was 
rigged with jib and mainsail and a dandy mizzensail. 
The boAvsprit is a short, stout stick and upon its outer 
end is a pulpit made of iron pipe, waist-high.^ Amidships 
is a flush cockpit Avith coamings 30 inches high. This 
forms the A\'alls of a tent at night, or when at anchor in 
rainy weather, and the main boom forms the ridge pole 
of the tent. The hulls are flat-bottomed and the craft is 
extremely stiff in any weather. There is ample room 
around the fence-like coaming for a footAvay and roomy 
decks fore and aft. The cockpit contains a refrigerator, 
UNDER SIDE SHOWING GILL OPENINGS. 
a stove and the Avater cask, besides a folding table and 
half a dozen camp chairs. 
When several anglers had reported sighting devilfish 
last March, Mr. Tomlinson had his catamaran high and 
dry upon the shell beach at Punta Rasa between George 
Shultz's hotel and the cattle wharf. He sent to St. 
Petersburg for two of his favorite cadets, quiet, husky boys 
of 17 and 19 and brothers. They came doAvn within two 
days and the catamaran Avas quickly gotten into commis- 
sion after the spiders, centipedes, ants and other insects 
hrid licen evicted with sulphur fumes. Then the boat was 
efi pipped and one fine morning in the last week of March 
Avc sailed away, over the bay toward Sanibel Island. A 
lighit breeze Avas blowing from the southeast and the 
water was so smooth that there Avas no difficulty in seeing 
the little bunches of scaups floating upon the surface all 
around us. We were all Avatching for devilfish with our 
eves almost popping out of our heads. A big shark 
fin cutting the Avater 200 yards aAvay raised a false alarm 
be'forc we had cruised more than a couple of miles, and 
Ave all began to think Ave were going to draw a blank 
Avhen one of the bright-eyed boys quietly remarked: "I 
think I see tAvo sea-bats over tOAvard Estero. Please let 
me have the glass." 
Putting the powerful marine glasses to his eyes he 
studied the Avater for fully half a minute and then said: 
"Yes, there's a pair pf them just come out of Matanzas 
Pass and they're heading this AVay up the chanilet. 
They're just^to the horth Of red biioy Nb; 
Mf: TomlihSoh tbbk the glasses and saw the two fish 
at a glance. Just then one of them showed his shining 
hack in the sunlight, and although it Avas jet black it 
shone like a mirror and instanth' rcA'ealed the location of 
tlie game to the naked eyes of all on board. We had to 
boat up to head off the two fish, which Avere lazily SAvim- 
ming up the bay. Not a word was spoken as the boat and 
fish drew together on each port tack. Mr. Tomlinson WiS 
forward arranging his harpoons and lines and one of the 
toys Avas tending sheet Avhile the other steered. When 
we came Avithin a huiidred feet of the big fiih AVe could 
plainly see their bat-like forms in the limpid water, and 
doubtless they saw ua^ too, but they shoAved no fear and 
did not change their course. The OAVner of the catamaran 
was in the pulpit now with his lily iron poised. The 
steersman had his eye upon the larger of the two frsh and 
Avas cutting close into the Avind to bring it under the bow- 
sprit. I believe Ave all held our breaths until Mr. Tom- 
linson launched the iron Avith such power that it passed 
clear through the devilfish and locked its pivoted trigger 
on the bellyside. There was a wild flurry when the lirili 
felt the iron, but it did not make any more commotion 
than its mate, which Avas untouched. Both lashed the 
water into foam and the uninjured fish sprang clear out 
of water, curling its body in the air and diA'ing head fore- 
most with its wings curled upward. The harpooned fish 
v/as meauAvhile taking out line and going seaward like 
a torpedo boat, coming out of Avater every few seconds 
and making a foaming Avake like that of a stermyheel 
steamer. He was getting lots of rope, but Mr. Tomlinson 
was preparing to snub him Avhile he was goin^ in the 
same general direction as the boat and the sails Avere 
drawing, The line was passed around a cleat with a 
single throw and one turn and there was only a slight 
sho'ck when the line drew taut, but this restraint was 
enough to make the big fellow redouble his efforts to 
escape and he towed the big, aAvkward raft of a cata- 
maran so fast that the sails flapped idly. The boys quickly 
lowered all cauA'as and stowed it away. Mr. Tomlinson 
took another turn of the line around the cleat and hold- 
ing the free end in his hand stood watching the struggling 
fish. On it went, past the Point Ybel and out into the 
open Gulf. There Avas nothing for us to do but wait until 
it tired out. Several times it sounded and sulked for a 
rest, coming to the surface again slightly refreshed. The 
hours went by and the fish changed its course abruptly 
several times, once heading straight back for nearly three 
miles toward Sanibel Light. The wind freshened and 
the spray broke over the catamaran continually. Several 
times all hands manned the line and succeeded in getting 
ill a portion of it by pulling the boat tOAvard the fish, 
fastening all Ave gained. After four hours of fighting, 
winning and losing by turns, we had the devilfish close 
under the bow and as it turned over to dive, Mr. Tom- 
Imson sent another iron through it from belly to back, 
riic two harpoons crossed each other, so closely were 
they driven together. The second iron took all the fight 
out of the fish, and it flapped its Avings idly as the line \vas 
li:;--lcd taut and belayed. Now the sails Avcre hoisted 
and we started for Punta Rasa with a stiff wind on the 
starboard quarter. It was slow Avork toAving the ponder- 
ous fish, but Ave wanted it for an autopsy. The sun went 
down as Ave entered the bay and we had nearly four miles 
V) tow the quarrv against the tide, but the catamaran 
ljucklcd doAvn to the task and we reached the hotel wharf 
at 8:30 that night. The devilfish was beached and secured 
by tying the hiiriioon lines to stout posts. In the morning 
a mast and tackle blocks were rigged to the side of the 
wharf and the fish was hoisted clear of the water and six 
0^- seven cameras Avere repeatedly snapped at it. While it 
was hanging up, one of the negroes let himself down into 
llie mouth of the fish and stood there concealed to his 
liips. The autopsv Avas then made and the intricate sys- 
tem of screens was the most interesting feature of it. It 
was an unpleasant task. OAving to the overpowering odor 
exuded by the monster even Avhen freshly killed. Atter 
the "innards" of the creature had been explored, it was 
placed aboard the catamaran again and dumped over- 
Ijrard in the channel to float aAvay on the ebb. 
FIarrimac. 
Death of Gatdrcf M. Skinner. 
We reo-ret to learn of the death of Gardner M. Skin- 
ner at his home in Clayton, N. Y. Mr. Skinner was 
n^aker of the spoon baits bearing his name, which have 
been u^.ed by thousands of fishermen in all parts of the 
country. Born in Gananoque, Out., and a resident ,ot 
Clayton, he v.^as all his life a dweller on the St. Law-^ 
rcnce and was enthusiastic in his appreciation and 
praise of the Thousand Island region. His interest 
in fishing was intense. In every movement to foster 
and enlarge the resources of the Thousand Island 
waters he was ever found foremost. It Avas largely 
through his instrumentality that the Canadian hshing 
authorities made the prevailing concessions to Anieri- 
can anglers crossing over into British Avaters for bass 
fishing; and the American and Canadian cooperative 
laws for the protection of fish Avere in large ineasure 
due to his intelligent and persevering efforts. To him 
also we are indebted for the part he took m per- 
s'-ading the Legislature to set apart public camping 
g.ound reservations among the St. Lawrence River 
islands. Thus in many ways, quietly and Avithout self- 
-xcking or anv plea for public recognition— for he was 
one o'[ the most modest of men— Mr. Skinner served 
in his day and generation, and is held in grateful mem- 
ory by those who knew him. 
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