The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, March 21, 1913, Image 8
THE STORY OF PELORUS JACK; I
FAMOUS PILOT NEW ZEALAND
By T. J. Smuwmm, A. M., LI..D.
To make this fish atory absolu
tely true, I shall begin by saying
that the subject of the story Is not
a real flub at all, but astrauge ani
mal that m resembles owe tbat ha
1? known throughout the Houthern
Hemisphere a* the wonderful pilot
fifth of New Zealand. Instead of
being equipped wltb the usual
breathing apparatus of the flub, ho
In a mammal more akin to the
whale. Mm Is a true catucean, but
In hfH movements, ho In much more
active titan a whale. In size he re
semblos Homo species of a largo
fltih. 1 1 1h length Is fourteen feet,
hi* weight In of cotlrve unknown
perhaps 600 or 700 pound*.
Thin remarkable creature'* home
Ik In the center of New Zealand,
in Cook's Straight, which separates
the No^th and youth IsJitnds* nnd
In that part of the Straight known
an I'OlOfu* Hound.' Pelorus Jack In
the name by which it in universally
known. Not 'only is bin name a
houtichold word throughout New Zea
land, but even' the Governor him
aelf Ik not such a. celebrity an Is
Pelorus .Jack; and believe it for it
is true, that New Zealand Parlia
ment haw officially taken pains to
perpetuate hie name and fame to
future generations of New Zealand*
ers in recognition of his disinter
ested service# to the shlppug inter
est s of tl?e country .
It may bo stated incidentally that
thin special legislation on the part
of Parliament of New Zealand was
enacted at the time when the coun
try was aroused over the newH that
Home one Imd attempted to kill
this famous pilot, and it was tho
object of the enactment to protect
him by h< avlly penalizing any slm
ilar attempt in the future
This story of Pelorus Jack is en
tirely authentic I took pains to get
the story or history from many In
dependent sources and only in very
minor detail* w^ih there the sllght
eat variation. Hut to read about
Pelorus Jack 1h very different from
seeing him. We had heard so nluch
about him that my wife and I de
termined to have this experience
no matter what else we might have
to omit anions the wonders of New
Zealand.
A coaching party of three days
took us through the marvelously
beautiful Otlra Gorge and Huller
Gorge and on to Nelson, from which
port, after a quiet rest of two days,
we took passage on the steamer Pa
ttella. for, Wellington by way of
Pelorus Hound. The reason for tak
ing thlH voyage, aH I have already
stated, was to wee Pelorus Jack, the
pilot. He was a trifle late In
keeping his appointment with the
steamer Patee.na, probably* having
gone a little too far while flHhlng
In an adjacent bay. To digress a
moment, it may be added that
PelArus Jack 1b said to substitute
on hU catch of Octopus or Devil
Fish. which is getting rather scarce
In his own Bound, und he has to
make continually longer excursions
in search of his food, though he
doeB not allow tlilH to Interfere with
hlB business as pilot in making his
regular trips six days in the week- ? -
mee.ing steamers on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Haturdays from Nel
son, and. In opposite direction,
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
from Wellington.
While waiting for him to pick up
the Btoamer Pateena, 1 conversed
with other passengers who being na
tives of New Zealand, have made
this trip frequently and are perfect
ly familiar with Pelorus Jack. The
gentleman on my left, an actor, was
so fortunate a* to have gotten a
kodak picture of him on a previous
trip* (he best extant photograph Of
1'eloru* Jack, and waa paid by a
poet-card publisher 9400.00 for the
negative. Not only during the lit'
tie wait, but during tbe eivtlre voy
age. aotne passenger* wn<> wore
making the trip with the aaiue ob
ject ua ourselves apent their time
auking questions and getting infdr
luatiofi as to the history of i'elorus
Jack, which I ahali try to repeat ac
curately. 1
Hut, here comes 1'eiorus Jack htm
aelf, realizing thai he is a little
j (ate, hu ha* hurriedly left hit* flatt
ing ground some iniiea away, traveiB
a circuitous route to get back Into
IviortjM Sound, rounds a promon
tory, and thq remaining three mile*
I between htm and tin- Pattent J???
travels wlih incredible speed, calcu- ]
lat|ng ho accurately the relative ve
locity of his own Hwliuining and
the it teaming of the Poteen*, that j
the trip from the , promontory la
made In an absolutely straight line
u feat thai a human pilot would
hardly be able to accomplish.
We had all been atanding on the
forward deck, scanning the water
ah. -ad of uh, looking for i'elorus
Jack to come, and Just aa lie round
ed the promontory, the gentleman
at my elbow said: "Yonder he
cornea," pointing in that direction.
1 missed the Bight, but continuing
to look, I Haw in an inataut some
thing jump out of the water, again
ftfid again, nearer and nearer until
In an incredible short time he wae
with uh. Hearing the Btoj-y without
an explanation of hiB method of
swimming, one would naturally in
(iUlie, "How la it possible that one
can Bet: a flab in the water Mwint
mJng at. Bay a rate of25 to 30 miles
an hour, aH much aB three mllea
off?" "Could one ?ee that far off,
any kind of a fish at all even if
he were an big aB awhale?" Cer
tainly not, but remember please,
that he travels In the air aB well
as tl< rough the water and It "was
only while he was out in tho air
that w could Bee him on his rapid
run ro meet bin appointment with
cur steamer. r ' \
Or cournt a large aquatic mamntal
like a common whale, being too
heavy too throw his entire body out
of the water, can live only by brlng
iny hiH head to the ?urface to take
the (?lr into bin lungs and as we
travel through tho different oceans,
we are all familiar with tho sight
of whales blowing. It Is different
with PelbruqpJack. Helng a mam
mal. he must breathe, of course,
but he has not the time to do it
in whale fashion. Traveling as he
does, at a Hpeed of from 16 to 30
miles an hour, it is much easier
for him to adopt the method of the
flying fish, and this is what he does,
? swims, jumps entirely out of
the water, without varying his
speed in the slightest decree.
This explains how we watched
him when he came in such a hur
ry to moot UIh appointment with tho
Fateena. This explains also how
It Is possible to get a photograph
of him, and why it is so difficult to
Ket a good oone; for the attempt
to photograph a fish In the sea
would be absurd; and If a camera
should ?nap at him while he is blow
ing and Is covered with the spray
the result would bo an indefinite
mass of white that would not be of
any. value as a picture.
It lias taken longer to tell how
PeloruK Jack ealiie to meet the Ha
teena than it took him to make the
trip.
As 1 was standing on the very
front of the bow, looking down on
tho loft, ' Polortis Jack came up to
the ship Immediately below me and
BIT/? "SIXCJiE" t'lilFFOHl) ? Op era lloucw Tomorrow Night,
the ship'* hjliStiiTiuh
U>ok& "le irtS. It
looKra ?? If thtro were ?om? con
Ueotlon bfttWMn thl* Mud the com
?o? saluUtkm of th? Maori* or nu
I v nl n? meeting wh other
ZlZSf \?f kUhlnL U(>^K lu
Sfr' -v^rp- ?'?
ru?
to tui appreciated by the paasenjcertt
partumyitd 10 *UoW hu im
After these salutations were over
# ? ook charKe of the ?hlp.
ITiSS1!* immediately before her,
exactly lu front of her nose, seem
Ing to nay, "Be careful to follow
exactly where I lead.'"
1 fitncy that the unusual exercise I
[Of trying u> ?,,, to tho WlMtnii Id
"?* ?>??, "Haunt , flHli Iiik
* j ' though I have only the
?taiement of tho New Zealand*?
f! ? n Vrobab,y off looking
for l)ov|l Fish when he 'arrived in;
i elorua Hound, whh probably n the
2!!!."? K ^l*tthlu? (or blowing)
Millie what faster than usual, for hits
Jump out of tho water seemed to
occur at Intervale of a minute each,
It rau?t be confessed that my
surprise ami excitement fend the
?a?Vi!,at# 1 htul not much m<>ro tha?
I, f'f'h of a 8econd to manipulate my
kodak caused me to snap It without
any attempt to Bight K definitely at
*lm; and ho, alt hough I whh fortu
nate enough to get two or three
picture* pf him. In not one of these
did I get him In the center of the
field; and thus. although some of
them were well timed, no picture
that I made succeeded in getting
his whole body.
It must not be supposed that Pel-*
?hS? ?iC J'l pIlotln* ships
that ply between Nelson and Wel
Ington accompanies them thruout
on? J*n.Te voyHge' a,,y more than
one would expect a pilot In charge
of a ship starting from New York
to Mverpool to accompany it all
the way across the Atlantic. There
p ,?"ly ??e certain piece of watei- -
a?tZ l floun(1r ,n whlcl* he does
duty (iV h pilot, the exact distance
I do not know. Naturally in my ex
in?iUeVt^nd 1,ltere?t Pelorus
Jack, 1 did not think to look at
uiy watch, but I fancy that the (line
with the Paieena wa?
about thirty minutes, and the dis
tance was therefore eight or ten
miles. This is merely a guess of
course. '
Pelorus Jack is said to be with
out relatives and without friends
except the people who travel thru
!??*? ^?ters and whoso welfare he
devote^ his life to. There is said
to be an extant animal that resem
bles him? no other member of his
wlf?Cf ' Inay caH hIm a Bn,Rl1
white whale, but he is very unlike
any other whale. Doubtless he is
a freak, disliked by any other whale
nL.L ' f,nd who has ooother com
JfS! I ^!l e pe?PIe on the
thJf he Pil0.t8/ u 18 8ald th?t
whales sometimes live to be 1 000
years of age. As to the age' of
1 elorus Jack, it Is guessed that it
Js about 200 years old. He has
?fwi en*a?ed ,n tW? business of
piloting for thirty-five years.
His duties as pilot take him reg
ularly through these waters six
days In a week. *\>r four, years
??W*ller' .,n,8tead of mnk,ns'aJI six
of these trips, he has kept a very
rigid boycott of the sterner PenqUIn,
and the* most singular part of .the
story that during the entire time,
he never made a mistake in~the
calendar or failed to distinguish be
Uu 8hiPS he plloted- avoid
ing the Penquin unerringly,
w,Th.e penquin was the ship from
which the person to whom I have
referred, made the attempt upon
him Pelorus Jack ? shot at
There is an Incident which would
seem incredible if It were not un
dlsputttbly proven, about the pilot
ing of the Penquin. After four
years, Pelorus Jack decided that he
DUot thJ idraW, hls b?ycptt and
Pilot the Penquin as formerly; and
ho,.r? f?' 2hav vory n,ght' twelve
hours after he had safely piloted
her through Pelorus Sound, the
11 VI ? ,a denae fog off the coast
w?n? ]} Islaml. a? ?he was nearing
Vellington, mistook the shore light
<1 went in at tho wrong piece.
down l*?1*0" r?CkS a"d Went
down with a great loss of life. Of
course there was no connection be
Tn^n ? beinK ploted by Pelorus
wf.u l*noon and her deetructioii at
WelJington at midnight of the same
day, merely a strange coincidence.
\ViU? TJm? Uivvi* <V>.
Mr. (). II. McKagen has recently
acccpted the position of district
salesman of the Davis Acetylene
Co., of Kikhart, Ind. Mr. McKagen
win have as hit? territory the states)
of North Carolina and South CftfO
iina with headquarters at Camden.
A number of these gas plants have
heeai placcd in ispme of the best
, homes and business houses in Ker
shaw county and are proving as con
venient to the rural residents' as
the electric light service is to the
! city man. Mr. McKagen will give
all correspondence his personal at
tention. " *#7
In Old 'Kentucky.
A press dispatch sent out from
Louisville, Ky., dated March 18th,
?ays: "Place, crowded ball room;
time 4 a. m.; actors, two men; plot,
satisfaction of an old grudges by
"shooting It out;" result, both actor
mortally wounded, a bystander shot
through a leg, and the "chorus"
panic stricken. Thus did former
Police l-leutenant Jesse Gardner
and Jack llafferman break into prin
in this city this morning in Licder
kranzx hall."
To lluild New Church.
Bishopvlle, March 11. ? The Meth
odists of this town are preparing
4o let -the contract for TheTr new
church. This is to be a very hahd
somo building. The building and
furnishings are to cost $40,<S?0.
Kev. Mr. Edwards is pastor of this
church. ?
The Presbyterians have let
contract for a now manse.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
WORKING TO HELP
FARMERS OF SOUTH
HA8 INAUQURATEO IMPORTAN"*
MOVEMENTS FOR BETTER
MENT OF AGRICULTURAL
AND INDUSTRIAL CON
CONDITIONS IN
THE SOUTH
EAST.
. ?l ? .
A LEADER IN DEVELOPMENT
How the Southern Railway System le
Working to Aid the People Already
in the Southeast and - to At
tract Capital and Desira
ble Settlers to This
I Section.
Mucii attention has been attracted,
In recent year#, to the work which
many of the great railroad systems
and a number of the lesser compa
nies have been doing in the line of
practical development work for the
territories they reach. There is lit
tle question that this work has had
an Immense influence in the advance
made in nearly all portions of the
country and in the general prosperity
and growth of the nation. People
recognize this fact, and are so im
pressed by it that many communities
and districts have came to look to
the great transportation companies
which serve them for leadership in
nearly all efforts to develop their re
sources. The business of the rail
road company Is to handle traffic.
Whatever work is undertaken outside
of that should properly have a direct
relation to the increase of the road's
traffic.
It is generally known today that
In well planned and effective work
to increase the business of the road
by adding to the population of Its dis
tricts and the utilization of the re
sources and opportunities of the va
rious communities it serves, the South
ern Railway System 1b a leader, while
in many lin.es Of this work It- has
been a pioneer. A resident of Ore
gon, connected with one of the great
transcontinental lines, who has been
making a study of the work of rail
roads in this direction, recently stat
ed that in its development work the
Southern had the best organization In
the qountry.
METHODS OF AIDING FARMER8.
A recent publication of the United
States Department of Agriculture said
that the manifestation of interest by
the transportation companies of the
country In the betterment of agricul
ture has recently become sp pro
nounced and general as to attract the
attention of all who are engaged in
rural development; that this Interest
ha? hf>env shown principally In their
providing and running special trains
for the dissemination of agricultural
information among farmers, and in
their appointing agricultural experts
to position in the management of the
roads to give attention to the devel
ment of rural communities, and to
the proper handling of agricultural
products shipped from distributing
points on their several routes of rail
way.
In all these directions the Southern
Railway* System has been prominent.
Its activity, however, are not confined
to the lines of agricultural work men
tioned, and in the way of industrial
and of general development work the
field of labor hafe been very broad,
The activities of a railroad compa
ny ' In promotion and development
work must be based on the special
needs and opportunities of its field.
Beginning with the organization of
the Southern Railway Company this
work has been planned with a view
to the largest and bestdevelopment
of "both the agricultural and "Indus- I
trial resources of the Southeastern
States.
This has meant a study of the ag
ricultural, mineral, forest and manu
facturing resources and 'opportunities, j
the advertising of them, participation
iu the work of educating our people
regard!]) p.the valuo of their farm I
lands and -'natural resoureee and of
the best - utilization of them; and of
efforts to secure the fullest co-opera
tion of aill interests in the sections
advanced.
EXTENT OF THE WORK.
The Southern Railway System,
through its various linbs, reaches into
and serves, nearly all the industrial 1
and agricultural districts of Virginia,
the Caro'linas, Georgia, Kentucky, Ten- I
nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
Northern Florida and Southern Indl- I
ana and Southern Illinois/ This in- I
eludes a vast empire, in extent, and I
one in which nearly all manner of
conditions, resources, needs and pos- I
Bibilitles are found. To properly I
Berve such a territory the develop- I
ment of work must embrace many I
different avenues of activity.
It har, been carried on with the!
idea that to fully utilize the resources 1
ai.'d to bring about the needed and J
desired development new men and 1
new capital from the outside must bo 1
brought in to work either Independ- -j
ently or in connection with the men I
and capital of the Southeast In devel- I
oping our forest and mineral Wealth I
in- extending our manufacturing 1
: ini crests, that mors farmers must
? ?
Induced to locate on our * unproved
Mid unutilized laud* and that the
farmers already io the Southeast
uuet be made to mpre fully under
?tend the opportunities at their com
maud and to adopt the lines and meth
ods of farming which will five them
the beet results.
Cooperation must be the keynote
of alt tb? development or educational
work a railway company does. It can
accomplish little without the sympu
thetic and active Ob ope/atloci of the ;
people and the various agencies for
development lu Its states. and com
munltles. All the Southern's work,
therefore, ha 9 been based upon the
co-operative idea, has been to assist
national aud state authorities, educa
tional Institutions, commercial organl- ,
zatlona and individuals in efforts to
advance individual aud general pros
perity.
The work for devuloplu/ and im
proving the conditions along its Hues
is done by the'Southern Hallway Sys
tem to increase its traffic and Its
earnings. However favorably, though,
this character of work may affect a
railroad company and its stockhold
ers, it is worth much mote, If carried
on wisely, to the people and the sev
eral communities in the road's terri
tory. The railway can profit from it
only subsequent to, aud as a result
of, the greater prosperity of the peo
ple.
? ? " ? ?? ? '
SOUTHERN BY. ACTIVE
. IN AGKULIIAL WORK
??
Co-operates With State and Federal
Authorities and Hasjts Own Hor
ticultural, Uve gtoek and
Dairy Agents.
Today the greatest attention Is paid
to the development of the agricultu
ral resources. This development must*
be largely through the efforts of the
people already on the farms and reel*
dent In the states of this section. The
homeseekers from the North and ftrpip
Europe will aid by their work and
their practical experience, but Jfc if
through better farm education and
better farming and the. improvement
of farm conditions that the' best and
widest development will result.
To the efforts of the United States
an? State epartment of Agriculture,
the college of agriculture and, the ex
periment stations, the Southern Rail
way is giving the best co-operation it
can. Through President Fining and
through the Land and Industrial De
partment it is helping to dirc^te
the bulletins and other publications
of the Agricultural Departments 'which
are of special talue to the Southern
farmer. A few years ago when, li
was decided by the United Statek 'de
partment of Agriculture ' to Bpfer&ife
model farms in different parts o?
country the Southern secured the lo
cation of many of these farms in its
territory and the farms so located
have been of great value in improved
farm methods in many communities.
To the United States' farm demo^Ptf^
t ion 'work in the South the same co
operation has been given, and
the Southern's own agrlcu^ttyntf
agents are working in co-operation
with the agents of the farm demon
stration bureau. A few months teg
fore his/ death the Land and Indus
trial' Department arranged with tlW
late Dr. S. A. Knapp for a series of 4
dozen addresses in the South in which
he discussed, in the most comprehen*
slve manner ever undertaken, the spe
cial needs and opportunities of the
Southeastern farmer. These addresses
brought about greatly increased inter
est in farm improvements and more
profitable farming throughout the
territory.
The company is in constant co-op
eration with the various state depar^
ments of agriculture, enlisting their
help for the farmers of particular dis
tricts, making use of their investiga
tions and securing their suggestions
in the introduction of new crops or
the development of special lines of
agriculture in various communities ;
and, wherever possible, aiding these
departments to make their work more
efficient.
Special agricultural and horticultu
ral agents arc maintained "by ~ the
Southern Railway to study the agri
cultural possibilities, to do direct work
with farmers in giving instructions!
where*" desired, regarding improved
methods of farming and crop diversifi
cation and working for new lines of
farm development. Go-operation 1b
given fruit growers in the packing
of fruit for shipment and in marketing,
it.
The development of the live stock
industry is given special attention.
President Finley has personally given
much time to the circulation of liter
ature calling attention to the loss to
the Southeast from the cattle tick in
the infected districts and to the prac
tical work of eliminating the tick, A
dairy agent, under the Land and In*
dustrlal Department, is at work to
develop the dairy interests, and; his
work. is doing much for this industry.
A live stock agent, under the Freight
Traffic Department, assists the farth
er in his shipments, in developing
markets for his stock and in othter
ways of advancing this Industry.
The Southern Railway System is
ee-operatlng with the state agricultu
ral authorities in running institute
jnd other special trains. A dozen
The work of these trains Is ?arefutly
followed up.
From time to time pamphlets, leaf
lets and circular letters are printed
for the be&cfttMtf **+ Southeastern
Carmer.
f| Many a man is
ing in a miss-fit posi^
because He hesitates j
start on a canvass (or1
new one.
<5 A want ad will
the place you want an
should have.
m is needless to n
mind you that whe
the position hunts &
man a better salary i
inevitable. ? v& '
' j .'I I.
Wants? For Sale? |M
Ada inserted under thin headii
for 1 cent per word. No ad t&b
for leas than 25 centB.
LOST? Gold cuff link with!
tials "T. A." engraved. Finder
please notify thin office. 4f.
" ? ?' 1 ? " 1 ... -'..ii iff
LOST ? Black ailk Umbrella,,
handle; Initials "M. B."/ Suiu
reward for the return of bum. :
Baruch. r
? ~ ?? tr ?? ?*?
LOST ? Black fur Collar, beta
polo field and the Court Inn; wl
reward Will be paid if retui
the-offlce.
? :
LOST or strayed ? one sitoj
horned red heifer, will weigh &bo|
500 pounds. Finder pleaae noti
Hbberts Market and receive rend
LOST ? Conklin Fountain Pta
Flfider will please notify Wm.|
Stoney. ; X811 Fair street
? -J_ . .. ?
IOGGS FOR HATCHING ?
strain White Leghorn Eggs,
setting Apply to K:
lp .residence or W. R. ?
jg store. |g|
'OR SALE Sweet Pc,
_ ? ilce slips of Triumph and u
glA Bucks for sale by O. 0. Ale*?
doh Camden, S. C. 41
? : .J
FOR SALE ? Having sold my (an
I fitter tor sale cheap the folio*
ink: One 2 horse wagon; two
iflg machines; one hay rake; 1
ctlTtivators and Dixie plows; two?
ton and corn planters; a lot of pta
gears; one farm bell; a lot ?
hoes, shovels and pitch forks; t*
fertilizer distributors; two harrpwij
a lot 5>f bridles, collars, etc. Sal
these before buying new ones. Cl|
pave you. money. F. M. Zemp.
46-47.
- ? ?? ?
FOR SAt-E? Seed com. My W
Cob aeei!Lcorn. guaranteed*)!)!
cent pure corn. Price 50 cents l
peck. Willie Barfleld, Camdeff,
C.. Route No. 3.
WANTED ? Tou to bring us yoi
automobile tires to vulcanise. Woi
guaranteed. H. E. Beard & Co. .
? : ? ?? - ?
5K>R RENT ? Two rooms, eonven
iently located on Broad street, wll
rent them furnished or unfurnished
Apply 1214 Broad street. Op stalh
or Chronicle office.
FOR SALE ? One horse jsml&ji
two horse wagon, comparatively m
cheap for cash. H. Trnesdel, Caai
den, S. C,
FQJl RENT? Tract of land
West Wateree, known as the Do
Place, property of the Santee Rl?
Cypress Lumber Company. AW
to L. A. Wittkowsky, Camden,
C. 39-tf.
.. t
\ r
FOR SALE? My Indian Runw
fWe'WUft1 ribbon- winners 18
layers of large snow white vfMG
can* plense yoti - In - quality *?
price. Have white end fawn *i
whit? runners, black and buff u
Pingtons, _.White Wyandotte, W
horns. Eggs at reasonable P??i
G. A. DeKay. Camden, 9rC. 40 fj
? ? .1 ?-> . ?*-?*
JUST RECEIVE D
ment of glasses of everjr
tion to be sold at 2 for 5c.
!0c Store.
~ --7' ??
FOR SALE ? -My deep graced
leaf seed corn. Guaranteed 99
cent pure corn. Price 50c per PP
Willie Barfleld, Camden,
Route
; 'i-*
WHEN you plant Long
ton* why not plant the be?*- j.
anders Upland Long Staple. '?
a few bushels for sale. jJ}^ -
bustfel. O. A. DeKay, Camden, s.
tuAijmimmk. -
ADMINISTRATRIX'S *oT|C*'
All parties ndebted
of F. R. Alexander,
hereby notified to make
the undersigned, and ? a
having claims against th??*
tate will present them dm*,
ed within the time l-.presc"
TSiv ? S ? tT? ? 1
"7~-rOlr*r -Belljf
^A<1 m
Camden, S. C., March 19. 19
4T-48-la
^end
pointing.
Bend us that next order