The Story of the Eel 
Does an eel spawn? When do they 
spawn and where? I asked a man from 
the Boston fisheries at a lecture which 
I attended, and he failed to answer my 
question. How is it no one has caught 
an eel when in spawn. w. ir. it. 
In the life history of the eel we have 
a story so strange that no fiction writer 
would dare publish anything so appar¬ 
ently impossible. For many_ years all 
that was known was that late in Summer 
or during the Autumn the large eels trav¬ 
eled downstream towards the sea and dis¬ 
appeared. Early the next Summer the 
stream would be full of young eels, or 
“elvers,” as they were called. These 
young eels would crowd upstream, al¬ 
ways against the current. Weak little 
things as they are. three or four inches 
long and not much thicker than the lead 
in a pencil, they -worked their way up 
streams past rapids so big that people 
came to believe they must leave the water 
and crawl through the grass to get 
round. Perhaps they do. No scientist 
has ever seen them doing it; but that does 
not prove much, for there are many other 
things which happen which no scientist 
has seen. It is known that some of the 
big sea eels can leave the water and crawl 
overland. 
These young eels in the streams and 
ponds were hungry feeders, eating almost 
anything soft enough or small enough to 
swallow. After a few years they would 
be big eels and would go down to the sea. 
to be seen no more. Because people did 
not understand, they made up all sorts of 
curious stories to account for the things 
they did not see. It would take too long 
to tell these stories here, but most of 
them were easier to believe than the real 
one. 
Soon after scientists began to strain 
the surface of the sea with their fine- 
meshed nets to catch all the very small 
creatures they could, they began to get 
small, ribbonlike things which seemed to 
be very curious fish, different from any¬ 
thing they had ever seen before. Some of 
these queer things, which were very com¬ 
mon at the surface of the Atlantic Ocean 
at certain times in the Summer, were 
about half an inch wide, five or six inches 
long and about as thick as a sheet of 
heavy paper. Because they had a very 
small head they were given the name 
Leptoccphahis, from two Greek words 
meaning “slender” and “head.” In these 
small heads were mouths with great teeth, 
so long that it was hard to see how they 
could open wide enough to let anything 
past them. Nothing was ever found in 
their stomachs, and we do not know now 
whether these creatures ever eat at all. 
At last a scientist was able to keep one 
of them alive in a jar of sea water for 
several weeks, and found that the animal 
kept getting smaller and at the same time 
losing its flatness. He never kept one 
alive all the way through, but bv getting 
them along and keeping each a short time 
he was able to follow through from the 
Leptocephnlus five or six inches long to 
the young eel three or four inches long. 
The creature which had been a ribbon 
five, or six inches long grew backward 
into a creature not much larger than a 
big darning needle and only a little more 
than half as long as it was before. Some 
time later the Leptocephalus of the Amer¬ 
ican eel was found in the same way. 
So the matter stood for a long time. 
We knew that the American eel lived sev¬ 
eral years in fresh water and then went 
down to the sea. We knew that some 
smallish American eels were always found 
in salt or brackish water. We knew that 
the young eels had a curious change in 
appearance as they came near the coast 
and started up the rivers. We did not 
know where the eels went after they left 
the streams, and no one could tell except 
by the use of a microscope whether an eel 
was male or female. They were plainly 
not nearly ready to breed when they were 
last seen. 
A few years ago a Danish scientist 
found a male eel that was almost ready 
to breed. Then he found a few others. 
Then he and others went to work along 
new lines, and found that some of the eels 
that stay in the salt or brackish water 
are the males, and that only tin 1 females 
go up the streams. The small eels, a 
foot or a foot and a half long, that we 
see in the bays along the coast are males 
and young f.emales. The big eels of the 
streams, lakes and ponds are all females. 
Their spawn does not develop until they 
have reached the sea. 
About the same time a ship was sent 
out by a scientific society to make a care¬ 
ful study of the central part of the At¬ 
lantic Ocean. They found a great many 
young American eels and a great many 
young European eels; but they also found 
that the American eels were away over 
in the eastern part of the Atlantic, while 
the European eels were much nearer 
America. When they told of this other 
scientists went out to see f he strange 
sight, and finally found that the Ameri¬ 
can eels are hatched away over near the 
Azores Islands, and that while traveling 
across three or four thousands of miles 
of ocean they grow T from little, delicate 
things, looking like scraps of thin tissue 
paper to a length of five or six inches, 
apparently without eating anything. Tn 
their journey they must cross the Gulf 
Stream, a body of water many, miles wide 
and flowing as fast as some quiet streams, 
or else follow around through the South 
Atlantic, through the Caribbean Sea and 
the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of at least 
six or seven thousand miles. Apparently 
they steer a straight course westward 
across the Gulf Stream to the rivers of 
our coast. We can hardly imgaine these 
little creatures, so frail that they look as 
though they would fall to pieces at a 
touch, working their way across thou¬ 
sands of miles of ocean through storm 
and sunshine and across the great river 
in the sea. 
When they reach the coast they work 
along until they get the. taste of fresh 
water and begin to follow it. They shrink 
in length and width, but increase in 
thickness, until the time when they reach 
the rivers, and are seen as an army of 
elvers. At the mouth of Chesapeake Bay 
many are caught which have hardly begun 
to shrink. At the mouth of the Potomac 
River many are caught which are longer 
than the elvers seen at Washington. At 
Washington most of the elvers have the 
round eel shape. 
Sometimes they are seen in countless 
numbers. Just above Washington 1 have- 
caught them by holding a tin can near a 
little cup-shaped hollow of the rocks and 
scooping the eelfi into it. Every wave 
would throw one or more little eels into 
the pocket of the rocks. They would rest 
there a short time and then go out with 
a wave and follow up through the rapids. 
When they are running the other fish of 
the. river have a feast time. The catfish, 
striped bass, black bass and smaller fishes 
which fill the river will take no other 
bait. Probably every old eel which goes 
down the river to the sea to spawn is the 
only survivor of a thousand or more that 
started their long journey in the eastern 
Atlantic. 
This is the story of the eel so far as it 
is known now. It starts far out in the 
Atlantic Ocean with a little, delicate crea¬ 
ture looking like a mere scrap of paper, 
seeming to be wholly at the mercy of the 
winds and waves. We see this little fel¬ 
low working its way through the storms 
and across the currents as it grows, and 
finally reaching our shores, where it be¬ 
gins to get smaller and of different shape. 
At last it reaches the fresh water. Al¬ 
though babies, the sexes separate here, 
never to meet again until near the end of 
life. The males stay where they can feel 
some salt in the water, but the females 
go on up the streams. Their great de¬ 
sire, after the desire for food, seems to 
be to get upstream, and we find them 
away up the little brooks, wherever there 
is water to swin in or a pool under a 
stone where they may hide. As they grow 
larger they have to leave their smaller 
pools, but they always stay upstream 
until the Autumn rains start them on 
their journey down to the sea. They may 
be a thousand miles by water from the 
sea. but they keep on until at last they 
reach salt water, and go from our sight 
for the last time. Scientists think they 
must travel along the ocean bottom on 
their journey of thousands of miles back 
to the place where their eggs are laid, 
but. no one knows. ALFRED C. WEED. 
Wayne Go., N. Y. 
The judge was trying to restrain the 
eloquent counsel, but the latter proved 
too much for him. and for a while the 
judge gave it up. A particularly long and 
tedious argument, however, woke him up. 
and he offered a mild protest. “Mr. 
Blank,” he observed, “it's simply going in 
here”—indicating his right ear—“and out 
here”—pointing to his left one. The coun¬ 
sel paused for a moment to consider the 
judge’s remark. Then he retorted: “Just 
so, your honor—just so. But what is 
there to stop it?”—New York Globe. 
DO YOU NEED FARM HELP ? 
We have many able-bodied young men, with 
and without experience, who wish to work on 
farms. If you need a good, steady man. write 
for an order blank. Ours is a philanthropic 
organization, and we make no charge to em¬ 
ployer or employee. 
THE JEWISH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
176 Second Avenue New York City 
Subscribers’Exchange 
Rate of advertising in this department 5c per 
word each insertion, payable in advance. 
Copy must reach us Thursday morning to 
appear in issue of following week. 
This department is for the accommodation of 
subscribers, but no display advertising or ad¬ 
vertising of a commercial nature is admitted. 
Farm Help Wanted 
WANTED—Single women ns attendants in State 
Institution for Feeble-minded: salary $50 per 
month and maintenance, with opportunity for ad¬ 
vancement. Apply, stating age, to S1TPERIN- 
TKNDENT, Letchworth Village, Thiells, Rock¬ 
land Co., N. Y. 
WANTED—A reliable middle-aged woman, one 
accustomed to country life, as a working com¬ 
panion; two in family: bouse modern improve¬ 
ments: good salary. Answer, with reference, 
ADVERTISER 8977, care Rural New-Yorker. 
-. - 1 
WANTED—Married couple, preferably without 
children, to take charge of a cottage in which 
about twenty boys live, and have charge also of 
farming connected with this cottage; compensa¬ 
tion $82.90 per month for the couple, increasing 
at the rate of $5.00 per month each six months, 
until a maximum of $07.00 per month is reached; 
full maintenance. Including furnished room, 
board and laundry, is included: only people in¬ 
terested in helping l>oys and not afraid of work 
are desired. Address SUPERINTENDENT, 
Thorn JJill School, Warieudale, Pa. 
COOK WANTED—Competent woman to cook for 
summer guests; state wages wanted in first 
letter. R. M. SANFORD, Stamford, N. Y. 
--7 
WANTED—Two single middle-aged men; one as 
teamster; one as dairyman; to care entirely for 
8 cows and a few pigs on gentleman’s estate; 
wages $60 a month, with first-class board and 
home; references required. Write WM. C. 
HAYES, Westhury, L. I., N. Y. 
WANTED—Single man for poultry farm; prefer 
farm-raised and experienced man; must be a 
strong and willing worker; permanent position 
and advancement l'or satisfactory man. MATT1 
TUCK WHITE LEGHORN FARM, Mattituck, 
N. Y. 
WANTED—Experienced ponitryman; must know 
how t,o raise ducks and chickens. FRANCO- 
AMERICAN POULTRY CO., Goshen, N. Y. 
WANTED—General liouseworker for Summer 
boarding house in country; girl or middle-aged 
woman who could have child of age to help; 
state wages. .T. It. EDDY. Rhinebeck, N. Y. 
WOOD CHOPPERS WANTED—Steady work. 
good wages. ADVERTISER 0038, care Rural 
New-Yorker. 
Situations Wanted 
HERDSMAN—Working foreman, married, age 
41, one child, engaged in A. R. Guernsey work, 
desires position on private place; conscientious, 
painstaking; open to October 1; state salary. 
ADVERTISER 8999, care Rural New-Yorker. 
SHEPHERD, first-class, English, is open for po¬ 
sition; single; best of references. Address A. 
WICKSON, Noroton Heights, Noroton, Conn. 
HERDSMAN or ponitryman. young, single, Amer¬ 
ican, wishes position; life experience; best 
refereiices: $6,0 plus maintenance; state particu¬ 
lars. FRANK GATES, Thiells, N. Y. 
YOUNG man, 20, desires all round work on 
farm; can pitch hav: salary not important. 
GEORGE WUEST, 1684 Second Ave., New York 
City. 
YOUNG man, 21, wishes position on farm. 
BUSCH. 208 East 82d St.. New York City. 
POULTRYMAN—Single, desires position on pri¬ 
vate estate or commercial; thoroughly experi¬ 
enced: ADVERTISER 9026, care Rural New- 
Yorker. 
MARRIED man desires permanent position as 
teamster or farmer: 20 years’ experience: priv¬ 
ilege of keeping cow and chickens; fine chance of 
right party to secure a good man by acting at 
once. ADVERTISER 9022, care Rural New- 
Yorker. 
YOUNG MAN (29) desires permanent position on 
poultry farm anywhere in New York State; 
no other than poultry men need apply; in reply 
state salary, living conditions, etc. ADVER¬ 
TISER 9030, care Rural New-Yorker. 
MANAGER to work on shares or salary; 28; 
college course: experienced with live stock, 
soil upkeep, farm machinery and engines, road 
•and farm buildings, grading, concrete work and 
plumbing: also farm records and accounts; relia¬ 
ble, willing: references. ADVERTISER 9028, 
care Rural New-Yorker. 
POULTRYMAN—Cornell-trained and experienced 
in all the branches of poultry husbandry; un¬ 
derstand dueks and game fowl. ADVERTISER 
9027, care Rural New-Yorker. 
EXPERIENCED FA RM M A NA<: E R—Bract ical 
man with agricultural college education; Amer- 
ean: honest, reliable, desires change; institu¬ 
tional work prefered. ADVERTISER 9033, care 
Rural New-Yorker. 
FIRST CLASS DAIRY FARMER—Wants to op¬ 
erate fully equipped farm and herd on per¬ 
manent money making arrangement. ADVER¬ 
TISER 9034, care Rural New-Yorker. 
FARM HAND—Experienced, single: wants per¬ 
manent situation; liscensed chauffeur. DE¬ 
LANEY', 300 Water St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
POT’LTRYMAN—Frst-class; American; single; 
Christian; scientific and practical. ADVER¬ 
TISER 9025, care Rural New-Yorker. 
WANTED—Position as supt. or working fore¬ 
man on gentleman’s place; American, married, 
understand farming in all branches, also care 
and uses of all farm machinery; have very sat¬ 
isfactory results with handling men; A-No. 1 
references given. Address ROX No. 23, Mill- 
brook, N. Y. 
POSITION WANTED—On farm till October 1 
by young man. Christian. A-l references, some 
experience, good home first consideration, small 
salary. ADVERTISER 9035, care Rural New- 
Yorker. 
YOUNG MAN—20; desires work on truck or 
gene-al farm. ADVERTISER 9036, care Rural 
New-Yorker. 
Farms For Sale, to Rent, etc. 
FOR SALE—Farm: 110 acres; fruit: water; good 
land. A. II. JUDGE, King Ferry, N. Y. 
FOR SALE, bv owner, three desirable truck 
farms. 100. 160, 300 acres. E. M. MOORE, 
Westover, Md. 
PLYMOUTH, MASS.—Large turkey farm, ad¬ 
mirably suited for gentleman’s country estate; 
high, healthfully situated: affords excellent view 
of Plymouth Bay and its historic places, Ply¬ 
mouth County Club golf links and valley; also 
the estates of well-known gentlemen on all 
sides; no handsomer natural location on North 
or South shore; three miles out; warranty deed 
calls for forty acres, more or less; stocked with 
the very best oP bronze turkeys, and prosperous 
turkey produce business established. For fur¬ 
ther information write THOMAS REILY, Chil- 
tonville, Plymouth, Mass. 
FOR SALE—50-acre farm. Adirondack 
Moun- 
tains; grand mountain 
RAN, Loon Lake, N. Y. 
view. 
GRANT 
COCH- 
VILLAGE FA RM—Fruit, 
truck, 
chicken; 
6-acre. 
F. WALSER. Catskill, 
N. Y. 
GOOD INVESTMENT—Farm. 294 acres; 12 miles 
of Lynchburg, Yu., three miles of county seat; 
close to two railroads; log houses and burns, 
orchard, springs, creek; estimated 300,000 feet 
white oak timber, more than enough to pay for 
place; about 90 acres cleared; make excellent 
fruit or stock farm; for quick sale $20 per acre. 
Address owner. It. E. BRANSFOItD, Hinton, 
W. Va. 
FOR SALE—750-acre farm, under Pence, on James 
River, iu fine state of cultivation: brick house, 
9 rooms, modern conveniences; 125 acres low 
grounds: large barn and outbuildings; 800.000 
feet saw timber; station one mile; ehuiTli and 
school one mile. For full description and price 
address J. I,. GRAY, Norwood, Nelson Co., Va. 
FOR SALE—State road farm; stock, tools, crops 
and store. ADVERTISER, 9018, care Rural 
New-Yorker. 
FOR SALE—Ten-acre fruit and poultry farm: 
$8,000; Hammonton, N. J. ADVERTISER 
9019, care Rural New-Yorker. 
WIDOW owning well-equipped farm of 140 acres 
would arrange with progressive farmer oP abil¬ 
ity to conduct same; thoroughly modern home, 
on stone road, between Philadelphia and Tren¬ 
ton: give full particulars; references exchanged, 
j ADVERTISER 9021, care Rural New-Yorker. 
SPLENDID country home; good buildings; 135 
productive acres; picturesque macadam, 8-mile 
drive to Saratoga; delightful shade; immediate 
possession; $4,(JIM); parti cash. 198-acre farm and 
wood lot; good buildings; hunting, fishing; with 
sugar-making equipment for 475 maple trees; 
$1»700: terms satisfactory. CORA HOLLISTER, 
Corinth, N. Y. 
DAIRY and poultry farm; 105 acres fertile soil, 
on hard road close to town; high school, 
churches, stores, creameries; all buildings good 
condition; hot, cold water; bathroom in house; 
electricity available; fruit of all kinds; abun¬ 
dant water, wood, timber; 20 cows, bull, 5 
calves, 700 purebred poultry; $13,000; terms. 
BOX 332, Sussex, N. J. 
MAINE seashore property for sale; 250 acres; 75 
of timber land and wood; one mile of shore 
frontage; good harbor; fishing, safe boating and 
bathing; on State road, 14 miles from city; an 
old-fashioned 30-room house, in good repair; 
good water; secluded, healthful and attractive 
place; lias been a Summer resort for nearly one 
hundred years; price, $8,000; on easy terms. 
Address ADVERTISER 9031, earn Rural New- 
Yorker. 
FARM—Planted and stocked, complete; fine 
house; write for particulars, ADVERTISER 
9024, care Rural New-Yorker. 
SUPERINTENDENT with $2,000 to invest in 
live stock would like to manage an estate and 
to raise some stock on shares, or will work for 
salary; experienced with stock and general farm 
work and repairing. ADVERTISER 9029, care 
Rural New-Yorker. 
BEAUTIFUL home and fruit farm; will pay the 
right man $10,000 per year; on edge of nice 
village; State roads and bigh-elass place to live; 
see this property before you buy. ADVERTISER 
9023, care Rural New-Yorker. 
WANTED—To lease or buy if reasonable, bouse 
with room for store on good road with some 
land, in or near small town; full particulars. 
ADVERTISER 9032, care Rural New-Yorker. 
POULTRY AND GENERAL FARM-45 acres; 
less than cost of buildings. $12,000; descrip¬ 
tion and photographs furnished. MEADOW 
BROOK FARM, Gilbertsville, Pa. 
WANTED—Small farm in southern Connecticut, 
good buildings; not over $2,000 cash; Gill de¬ 
tails in reply. ADVERTISER 9037, care Rural 
New-Yorker. 
FOR SALE—Country home; 4 acres; 10-room 
bouse, barns, etc.: price, $2,000. Address 
BOX 5 r Craryville, Columbia Co., N. Y. 
FOR SALE—450 acre level dairy farm, in fork 
of two rivers, near Binghamton, N. Y.; 50 
acres timber; 12-room bouse; two silo basement 
barn, accommodates 100 cows; all buildings 
good condition and painted; running water 
everywhere; including 5 good horses, 99 bead 
young stock, all machinery and tools, $40,000, 
one-fourth cash. C. J. PLANCK, 401 Tress 
Building, Binghamton, N. Y. 
Miscellaneous 
FOR SALE—Guaranteed fresh eggs, by dozen or 
crate: parcel post or express. BOX 53, Rhine¬ 
beck, N. Y. 
FINE extracted honey; 10 lbs. delivered within 
3d zone, clover $2.25, buckwheat $2; 5 lbs. 
either $1.25: 00-lb. can at our station, clover 
$10, buckwheat $8.40. RAY C. WILCOX, Odessa, 
N. Y. 
CIDER PRESS and grater for sale. II. MOR¬ 
GAN, Amenia, N. Y. 
FOR SALE—Nearly new E. & B. Holmes apple 
barrel stave jointer, with shafting, to be run 
by gasoline power or foot power, ns desired: nil 
in good shape; used but very little. JOSEPH 
S. WILFORD, Elba, N. Y. 
WANTED—Imperial hot-water incubators; state 
price and condition of machine. F. L. MYERS, 
Minerva, O. 
FOR SALE—Six-tine grapple fork, price $8; 
Star feed grinder, $40; both good ns new. 
D. R. HONE, P. O. Box 400, Sharon Springs, 
N. Y. 
-, 
BOARD wanted for weak-minded young man who 
can care for himself, on farm in New York 
State, within 100 miles New York City; prefer 
tdace where there are no children: good allow¬ 
ance; give location in letter. ADVERTISER 
9020, care Rural New-Yorker. 
HOMES WANTED for Boys—We will co-operate 
with any responsible family in placing witli 
them a suitable Catholic boy. between 7 and 12 
years of age; our experience and your willing¬ 
ness will produce the right results. Address 
PLACING OUT BUREAU, 417 Broome Street, 
New York. X. Y. 
WANTED—No. 15 or 115 Hall incubator or 
brooder heater. BOX 65, Riverdale, N. J. 
WANTED—Second-hand kerosene tractor, not 
less than 25 h.p. on belt. HERMAN SC’HIER, 
Hopewell Jet.. N. Y. 
FOR SALE—New crop of 1 finest white clover ex¬ 
tracted honey: price, one 60-lb can, $9.60: two 
60-lb. cans, $18: f. o. b. Holgate, Ohio; 5-lb. 
pail, $1.25; 10-lb. pail. $2.25: delivered to 41li 
postal zone. XOAII BORDNER, Holgate, Ohio. 
WANTED—An old banjo clock, a low-boy or 
high-boy and one or two very old wooden 
chairs: also an old mirror witli carved frame or 
with picture in top, or mirror frame alone; 
three or four candlesticks, silhouettes, and a lit¬ 
tle of any very old china, furniture, etc.; can 
use furniture even if badly broken or with parts 
missing, such as is often lying around in attic*, 
sheds or barns. C. L. DECKER, Box 1436, 
Pittsfield, Mass. 
WANTED—Two carloads of Alfalfa or Timothy. 
A. HAMILTON, Towners, N. Y. 
FOR SALE—Farm wagon, covered milk wagon, 
one-horse dumn cart, carriage, buggy, mowing 
machine, four-horse power engine, saw, saw 
table, 12x20 foot silo, fanning mill, feed grind¬ 
er, forge, laundry stove, acme harrow, man’s 
bicvele: prices very reasonable. MARTIN 
MOLLER. Newtown, Conn. 
WANTED—Carload good hay shipped on an- 
jtroval: Clover or Alfalfa. E. L. SEARING, 
Lakewood, N. J, 
