Evening Star Newspaper, October 28, 1923, Page 67

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTO: Largely by Producers in Maryland BY GEURGE H. DACY. ARKETING gold, not in the form of ore and nuggets, but in the gulse of more than 20,000,000 ornamental gold fish a year Is the extraordinary avo- cation of some thirty-five Maryland farmers, who annually produce the bulk of this fancy fish crop which finally adds to the attractivemess of your home or mine or puts beauty into the iridescent waters of some private: or public aquarium. Right In the heart of the farming region through which Stonewall Jack- son’s invading army of gray-coated soliders marched sixty years ago, close to the former hearthside of the ccurageous Barbara Frietchie and up among the rolling ruggedness of Frederick county, Md.—some yearsago Frederick was supreme as the rich- est agricultural section of the United States—gold fish farming has de- developed into & most profitable busi- ness. The annual Incomes from raising corn and wheat on the prodigally fertile soils of that neighborhood, the bank balances that are builded from dalrying pursuits, fruit production and the methodical manufacture of champlon beefsteaks are Insignificant compared with the cash turnovers that result from the homely bu: ness of ralsing the midget gold fish —the ornate peacocks of the plsca- torial family. Twenty-five years ago gold fish| Were unknown in Frederick county except for the few bowls of orna- mental fish that adorned the fromt; pariors of some Frederick familles. | Today the little land of wealth and plenty, which George Washington | over a century ago called “the most beautiful valley in all existence,” pro- duces approximately four-fifths of all the gold fish annually grown in the United States. These Frederick farmers are among | the most progressive in America. They are not at all hidebound or neighborhood-rutted as to the crops they grow. They will try anything | that seems well adapted to their soll, climate and location. This explains the “how come” of their novel gold fish farming enterprises. PR HE Powell brothers, over near Walkersviile, &nd “Old Man, Hoke"” at Thurmont, Md., were the| venturesome ploneers who read about the profitable possibilities of gold- fish farming in several government publications, and translated these lterary pursuits Into experimental ponds which they stocked with brood fish. They studled the business their fish muitiplied and grew. By practical test and daily experience they mastered the rudiments of their adopted side line. The firat crops of fish that they har- vested were shipped to Philadelphia— ‘and ylelded much larger returns on money, time and labor expended than THIRTY-FIVE MARYLAND FARMERS U | i SORTING AND GRADING GLDFISH PREPARATORY TO SHIPMENT .TO MARKET. did any other farm crops which these energetic producers had previously ratsed. Wisely enough, these first fish farmers of Frederick did not let the news about their remarkable gold- fish discovery leak broadcast, so that every Tom, Dick and Mary that had satisfactory pond sites available would rush pellmell into the busi- ness. Only gradually did the ploneers extend their ponds and thus it was several years before other farmers became Interested in the novpl in- dustry and harnessed some of the water of Fishing creek and its tribu- taries in artificial pools for the curt® ous purpose of producing fancy dec- orative fish. Accordingly, & great goldfish raising rush which probably would have paralleled the epochal transcontinental drives to California and the Yukon in search of “easy money” and natural wealth wai averted. . Slowly, steadily and steadfastly goldfish farming has outgrown its swaddling clothes in the Frederick longittude and now is established permanently as a conservative indus- try. The successful and stable farm- ers of the country are the ones that operate the business. There are enough Intricacles to the novel game, sufficient production hazards as well 2s certain special requirements of the industry, which deter the or- dinary run of “business adventurers” from taking a hand at the goldfish game. -To the producer of experience who will carefully live up to all the laws of the business and who will expand his enterprise only as he learns by experience, goldfish farm- P P FREDERICK WAY OPERATE FISHPONDS AND SELL ANNUALLY 20,000,000 GOLDFISH. ing offers exceedingly attractive re- turns. It is not a sideline activity that can be fostered by neglect, care- lessness and mismanagement. G. Lester Thomeas, -the king of the goldfish producers, now ships more than 1,600,000 fish every season and operates more than forty acres of ponds. Charlie Remsberg markets between a half million and one mil- lion fancy fish a year, while the Powell Bros. handle twenty acres and sell a million or more of the royally colored Tom Thumb swim- mers each fall. Walter Rice and Joseph Weller are other producers who raise at least a half million fish & year. All of these operators and their associates in the business are reliable, reputable farmers of Fred- erick county—the best element of countrymen who reside in that beau- tiful country. The future and per- manency of the unique fish traffic are safe in such hands. LR ‘HERE s a peculiar something about the waters of Fishing creek that causes the goldfish to color as well if not better than any other place in the country. Maybe it is the limestone in the water, per- haps the blend of adequate daily sun- shine and water temperature s ex- actly right, or, perchance, it may be due to certain vegetation. Goldfish grown In these waters put on a splendor of hue and tint and a glistening sparkle of raiment which make them market-toppers wherever they are sold. Sclence has not solved the secrets of why gold- fish will color properly in Frederick county waters while the same kind of fish produced in the artificial pools of Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and other parts of the United States will not develop the de- sired golden hues. The fish ponds up Frederick way range from one-half to three-quar- ters of an acre in size. Some of the pools are expansive enough to cover from five to ten acres. One consists of seventeen acres of submerged land. These, however, afe very ex- ceptional. The ponds are located along the courses of creeks and streams whose waters can be geared gravity style to feed the fish pools with the necessary molsture. A fish pond s made by banking earth three to four feet high around its proposed borders. Facllitles are provided in the form draw boxes and draw floats, so that the waters of each pond can be drained amd the fish harvested about the middle of Octo- ber when cold weather is the offing. A fish pond is always at its best the first year, when plenty of grass and natural vegetation are available for the water life. Commonly the producers fertilize and plow their goldfish ponds In the late fall and sow grass or rye to provide fish pa turage the following season. goldfish like mud and will not live and prosper in pools with gravelly bottoms. Some farmers rest their ponds every other year by not flood- ing them. Thus they allow the in- digenous grasses of the reglon to re-establish themselves. The brood fish—goldfish that meas- ure from four to twelve inches in length—are carried over the winter in speclal pools from which the ice is removed as is necessary, in order that the fish may not suffocate. Some growers feed pellets of corn meal and flour during the winter, but the gen- eral practice is to allow the fish to rustle their own feed during this season. Where pools fed by gushing springs are avallable, they make ex- cellent brood fish headquarters be- cause they do not frees About the latter part of April, the brocd fish are usually placed in the artificlal pools. Seventy-five to one hundred fish are generally sufficlent for stocking & half- pond. Great care must be exercised not to over- stock the water as under conditions where food is scarce, the gold fish will develop cannibalistic tendencies and the larger fish will consume their |smaller mates. An ordinary half- acre pool stocked in the proper man- ner will yield a crop of 60,000 to 80,000 fish in the fall when the area is drained. Some of these fish will per- haps be off-color—they will be dark, almost black in hue—and will be thrown away or carried in special pools over the winter with the (Continued on Sixth Page.) STEPHEN LEACOCK ON FICTION The Trained Reader and What He Now Expects to Expect UPPOSE that in the opening pages of the modern mélodra- matic novel you find some such situation as the following, in which is depicted the terrific combat between Gaspard de Vaux, the boy leutenant, and Hairy Hank, the chief of the Itallan bandittl: “The inequality of the contest was apparent. With a mingled yell of rage and contempt, his sword brandished above his head and his dirk between his teeth, the enormous bandit rushed upon his intrepid opponent. De Vaux seemed scarce more than a stripling, but he stood his ground and faced his hitherto invincible assallant. ‘Mong Dieu,'!” cried De Smythe, ‘he 18 lost' * Question. On which of the parties to the above contest do you honestly feel inclined to put your money? Answer. On De Vaux. He'll win. Hairy Hank will force him down to one knee and with a brutal cry of *H har!” will be about to divk him, when De Vaux will make & sudden lunge (one he had learnt at home out of & book of lunges) and— Very good. You have answered cor- rectly. Now, suppose you find, a little later in the book, that the killing of Halry Hank has compelled De Vaux to flee from his native land to the east. Are you mnot fearful for his safety in the desert? Answer. Frankly, 1 am mot. De Vaux is all right. His name is on the title page and you can't kill him. ‘Question. Listen to this, then: “The sun of Ethiopia beat flercely upon the desert as De Vaux, mounted upon his faithful elephant, pursued his lonely wuy. Seated In his lofty hoo-doo, -his eye mcoured the waste. Suddenly a solitary horseman appeared on the hori- zon, then arother, and another, and then six. In a few moments a whole crowd of solitary horsemen swooped down upon him. There was a flerce shout of ‘Allah!’ a rattle of firearms. De Vaux sank from his hoo-doo on to the #ands, while the affrighted el phant dashed off in all directions. The | bullet had struck him in the heart.” ‘There, now, what do you think of that? Isn't De Vaux killed now? Answer. I am sorry. De Vaux Is not dead. True, the ball had hit him. Oh, yes, it had hit him; but it had /! glanced off against a family Bibl ‘which he carried in his waistcoat in case of {llness, struck some hymns y! that he had In his hip pocket, and, klancing off again, had flattened it- self against De Vaux's diary of his life in the desert, which was in his knapsack, * K X Kk UESTION. But even if this doesn’t Jill him, you must admit that he is near death when he is bitten in the jungle by the deadly dongola? Answer. That's all right. A kindly Arab will take De Vaux to the shelk's tent. Question. What will De Vaux re- mind the sheik of? Answer. Too e son, who disappeared Question. Was thl Hank? Answer. Of course he was. Any one could see that. but the sheik never suspects it, and heals De Vaux. He heals him with a herb, a thing cail- ed a simple, an amatingly simple, known only to the sheik. Since using this herb the shefk has used no other. Question. The sheik will recognis an overcoat that De Vaux is wearing, and complications will arise in the Of his leng-lost ars ago. son Hairy DE VAUX WILL MAKE A matter of Hairy Hank, deceased. Will this result in the death of the boy leutenant? Answer. No. By this time De Vaux has realized that the reader knows he won't dle, and resolves to quit the desert. The thought of his mother keeps recurring to him, and of his father, too, the gray, stooping old man—does he stoop still or has he stopped stooping? At times, too, there comes the thought of another, a fairer than his father—she whose—but enough. De Vaux returns to the old homestead in Piecadilly. Question. When De Vaux returns to England what will happen? “Answer, This will happen: “He who left England ten years before & raw boy has returned a sunburnt soldierly man. But who is this that advances smilingly to meet him? Can the mere girl, the bright child that shared his hours of piay, CaR she have grown into this ess, graceful girl, at| whose feet half the noble suitors of England are kneeling? Can this be her? he asks himself in amasement. Question. Is it her? SUDDEN LUNGE (ONE HE HAD LEARNT AT AND— HOME Ol.l'l". OF A BOOK OF LUNGES) Answer. Oh, it's her all right. It is her, and it is him, and it is them. That girl hasn't waited fifty pPages for nothing. * kxR UESTION. You evidently will gue: that a love affalr will ensue be- tween the boy lieutenant and the peerless girl with the broad fest. Do You imagine, however, that its course will run smoothly and leave nothing to rercord? ’ Answer. Not at all. The writer will not feel satisfled unless he intro- duces the following famous scenme: “Stunned by the cruel revelation which he had received, unconscious of whither his steps were taking him, Gaspard de Vaux wandered on in the darkness from street to street until he found himself upon London bridge. He leaned over the parapet and look- ed down upon the whirling stream below. There was something in the still, swift rush of it that seemed to beckon, to allure him. After all, why not? What was life now. that he should prise 1t? For a moment De Vaux paused irresolute.” Question. Will he throw himself in? Answer. Well, say, you don't know Gaspard. He will pause irresolute up to the 1imit, then, with a flerce strug- gle, will recall his courage and hasten from the bridge. Question. What has happened to De Vaux, anyway? Is it anything he has eaten? Answer. No, it is nothing that he has eaten. It's about her. The blow has come. She has no use for sun- burn; doesn’t care for tan; she is go- ing to marry a duke, and the boy leutenant is no longer in it. The real trouble is that the modern novelist has got beyond the happy marriage wmode of ending. He wahts and a blighted life to wind up with. Question. How will the book con- clude? 3 Answer. Oh, De Vaux will go back to the desert, fall upon the sheik neck and gwear to be a second Halry Hank to him. There will be & final panorama of the desert, the shelk and his newly found son at the door of the tent, the sun setting behind a pyramid and De Vaux's faithful ele- phant crouched at his feet' and gas- ing up at him with dumb affection. i (Copyright, 1923.) < * D. 0, OCTOBER 28, 1923—PART 5 America’s Gold Fish Trade Supplied . [TOGO IN A FOOT BALL SCRIMMAGE Wallace Irwin’s Letters of a Japanese Schoolboy. To Editor, The Sunday Star, who get wpery, do he not, acting as Umpire tor News. EAR Gentleman: anese Thinking which I are a mem- bership, are pretty -up- to-dated, by golly! What you think we did next? Last Wed p. m. we meet at Rising Sun Billlards, Pool & soft drinks to uncorporate our- selves in & footballing team. What could be more excited than that? Hon. Bunkio S8amuraf, Japanese Peace Educator, commence the en- thusiasm by word: “In this loudish time of world- rumpage,” he dilute, “when great na- tions like Germany, Spain, Italy, Ire- land, China and Oklahoma are in hands of military dictatoes, all The Jap- Soclety of friends of Peace must act pretty | bootlegging, by golly. Therefore we must find some place where the League of Nations will run withoyt bursting, *““Where if any?” I ask to know. “Colleges,” he peruse. YIf League of Nations could be introduced to Footballing, then something umpor- tant would happen. “Are not Footballing too dernly dangerous already without that?” re- quire Arthur Kickahajama. “In time of danger Hon. League of Nations should be on the fromt row,” snagger this Bunkio Samural. “And what more fatting and timely than that the Japanese Thinking So clety should choose eleven strong kickers to rush pigskins, be printed on Sporty Page and everything hero- fek? I ask to know.’ That brite I. D. filled us all full of flames, s0 with immediate quick- ness we held our hands and oggan- ized following rude club: Japanese Thinking Feotballers. Middle Man—Jumbo Futomato, Jap- anese whale-weight prize-fight. Left End Man—Bunkio Samyral. Right End Man—Cousin No Left Guardian—Arthur Kickaha- jama, Y. M. C. A. Right Guardian—8, Sago, grocer. % Back—K. Furo. The other %~—Miss Mamle Furioki's ‘Husband. 3% Back—Hashimura Togo, golly! Entirely Back—Uncle Nichi, anese statesman. 2 Tacklers—K. Soda. Japanese drugger, and his brother, Samuel, who are slightly febble minded, but quite strong. by Jap- L FTER that were over, Mr. Editor, we drunk 4 bottels Ginger Ail to make us snappy and decide when to play that energetick game. Cousin Nogi snuggest that we save ourselves cansiderable knox & bruises by og- ganising Jumbo Fatomato into a team all by hisself. With«his suburb strength and couridge he could push Harvard off her pretty stadium and dun right on to Yale, carrying fott- ball and pleces of scalp which he tore off. “Oh, could not do!" narrate Bunkio Samural with statisticks on his eye- ‘Hon. Princeton once try that havior to Harvard. Then what Harvard did not speak to her since.” “Would it be righteous for us to try this flerce bumping game without knowing something about him?' I require nervi “Otherwisely we might lose.” “Poo (twice)” snift Fatomato werial “people what knows nothing about games gets rich. Observe Hon. Angel Firpo. He knew nothing about prise-fight: Yet see how he amass 100,0008 merely by golng to slee “You should not speak so fluffily about Footballing,” dib Arthur Kick- ahajama. “It are a tensely serial sub- ject. In every college from Queback to Arisona this feet-game are & more important study than Eckonomicks, History or borrowing money. Look “WHEN NEXTLY I KNEW, BOTH TEAMS WAS PLAYING WITH ME.” at Hon. Percy Haughton, celebratted college coachman. Yrs. in & out he work hard with vjgger, keeping his nose close to the gridiron so that he would know how to get victory out of defeet. Are we too proud & bilfous to do the same?" Answer from us are times). “Mr. Chair,” corrode K. Furo, plum- ber, “T second the motion.” “How can you 2nd when you have not moved? require Hon. Chair. “I are moving next week Into larger store, Japanese bath-tubs specialty,” he devote. “Out of order,” snarrel Hon. Chair. “Any 2nd to that emotion?” ‘I emove,” snuggest S. Sago, grocer, “that the Japanese Thinking Foot- ballers ajurn for 23 yrs so that they can study footballing, commencing with the feet and learning every- thing. That vote was unaminu: ‘There- fore we go home to think lonesomely. LR R. EDITOR, from that moment onwards I have been gaining rapid education in this muscular sportsmanship. I should intensely love to go to Yale or Harvard for study, but too axpensive for my cheapness. Howeverly, ystdy p. m. I got my first lesson, and quite ad- vanced, thank you. In backlot behind the rear of Mrs. C. W. Quackmire I could see the sound of noise rising up enthusly. I look see. O!!! Two (2) Colleges was thers, kick- ing while everybody report Raw- Raw-Raw. I sippose maybe Yale & Harvard was beginning already, so I tape-toe sneekretively out of Hon. Kitchen where 1 get to backlot and observe heroism with cansiderable dust up my nose. “What two (2) Colleges are fighting to day?’ I require from yg. man with flags on his hat. “Epsteln’ Business College are having 'sus with Piccallili’s Bar- ber College,” marrate Hon. Youth. “You think maybe I could learn new from it?" I ask to know. No (1000000 “Here you will find plays that never could happen again,” he toll. So I stood with a watch in both my eyes. Pretty soonly one enlarged Herolsm walk out to middle of the dust with & leatherly watermelon under his desperate elbow. Every- _body holla Raw! Raw! Raw! and I aippose it were. Silences. “O Mr. Sir,” I require from Hon. Youth, “what are that powerful Ath- eletick doing there with his brutal foot?” “Hushy!" he did. “He are going to kick. “Some people are always kicking,” I narrate, yet before the words were past my teeth Hon. Heroism threw out his shoe. O look at Ball! Uply, uply it sore till it bounce against heaven, then downly, downly it flopp while dangerous players come elop- ing from all directions. “What they shall do now?" I ques- tionaire. “Run away with the Ball,” snagger that Youth. “Nothing are safe these days” I develop. ‘Hold your mouth shut!" snarrel that yg. man. “Cannot you see the excitements?" Yes. There it was. Somebody obtain Hon. Ball in his tight hug. Then such a scamper & prank. Dodge.up & down with bump, collision, knock- about, breakage, skinoff, etc. At last- ly Hon. Runner flopp down while everybody kick his head, thinking it ‘were football. *® x k% é¢ A FTER such behavior,” I snig, “no wonder Col. Harvey come home to see about his country. How depraved! What are objeck. of this Game, if anything?” “You see yonderly high clothes- horse?” as Youth, alming his finger. “That are named Goal Poast. Objeck of game are to carry Hon. Ball be- hind Hon. Goal Poast and be quick about it." “How much tally do that count?’ I ask it “Oh, § or 9, depending on Weather conditions,” dictate him. “Shux!” I whazz. “With less loss’ of life I could ¢ arry 3 balls from here to Denver & return. I cannot see how Footballing can be such in- tellectual gamé without getting any- where very fast.” “If you think 50, why not?” howell Hon. Youth without any love in his eyebrows. Just then Hon. Umpire holla, “Sth down, 200 yrds to gain” while 22 Atheleticks scrouch down like angry turtles. “Hon. Kicker will do so again,” ex- plunge this Youth. And so he dld. With uply spurt Hon. Ball commence elevate hisself 80 flercely that he got lost from all players, which runn around circular like dog-fights. And where was Hon. Ball? Ab. Iknew. Coming stralght- forward across dust I observe him shooting straight into my lapp. How nicely! “Thank you, I shall oblige,” T snag- ger while tooking that fat Ball un- der my sleeve and eloping strongly to Gole Poast. I reach almost there when sounds of noise struck my ear & I could behold 67 Footballers chass- ing me with mad toes. Frantick got hold of me. I run rapid, yet others run rapider. O Sudd! I could touch the breath of one § ft. % Back what knabb me by the hole in my collar. “What you do with Hon. Ball?" he growell while stopping me with his knee in the seat of my stummick. “Goshes” I war-cry. “Why you halt me now? In onme (1) seconds more I should make 6 or 9 points for your Team.” “Which Team you playing with?” he monopolize bluffly. “Both, if convenient,” I narrate. “You shall cantinue to do s0,” he opulate, And when nextly I knew both teams were playing with me. After 4th attemp I were kicked over Gole Poast. How much do that count for both sides? I am confused. Hoping you are the same, Yours truly, Hashimura Togo. wpupepee TAKING CHANCES zsspzezs By J. A. Waldron. performed prodigies with her cars to married Old Flint?" RISCILLA, who had married [) with expectation, realized on the investment of her youth and beauty and still possessed these attributes as capital. Highly educated, she had found herself without means and with ex- pensive habits at & period when, as she had calculated, she should be able to enjoy life to the utmost. Priscilla had meant to postpone matrimony until she had analysed possibilities without it, and resolved not to fall in love until she could measure the distance to the solid ground of unemotional life below. She meant to be sure where she should alight, for, according to her philosophy—which was the philoso- phy of many of her young woman companions, who discussed this sub- Ject above all others—Ilove is epheme- rality, and one who is reasonably healthy is in & fair way to live quite & period after & homeymoon. Priscilla’s father, rated as rich, lost all in & single speculation, “Daughter,” sald he to her when he realised his pecuniary condition, “you don't even know how to cook. You have been reared in luxury, Old Flint has asked permission to pay his addresses to you. Nobody knows how much money he has, but it's & plenty if you can make an ante-nup- tial agreement. I know it's a shame to talk like this, but he's seventy- eight, and confesses it.” “And looks older! Why, daddy, I'll marry him tomorrow, if necessary— provided, of course, the ante-nuptial agreement can be arranged. I know 1 ought to tell you I'm vexed at your loss of money, but you've always been indulgent.” “Life is a gamble, daughter. didn’t expect to lose.” “I know! And life being s gamble, I'll marry Old Flint." Feminine nature is full of mys- I tery. Some ot Priscilla’s woman friends actually envied her as she left the church with Old Flint lean- ing on her arm. And how they en- vied her after Old Flint had passed! Priscilla had ‘engaged a chauffeur. Adolf was & gifted conversationalist and could drive a car beautitully. Jealous as the old man was, Adolf was plainly a servant. Priscilla or- dered him about superciliously. She never even amiled upon him when he il S meet her whims. But after her pe- riod of mourning—in which her modiste and her milliner were the chlef elements—she began to note that Adolf was her slave While his | devotion pleased her, she was still| exacting. Thus it went on until Priscilla, usually without nerves, became nervous. She never minced matters. “I fancy you are in love with me,” she said one day, rightly interpreting a glance. .“Why not?" was Adolf's reply. “Or is it with my money?" “Why, I'd marry you if you hadn't a dollar.” “If 1 were willing, perhaps’ But I'm not in love with you. If I were to be o foolish, T should only gain a tolerable husband from one view- point, make a very poor match from another viewpoint, and lose a capital chauffeur.” “Oh, no! T'd be happy to drive your cars just the same.” “And claim them as your own." “I'd be satisfled Wwith you. “But what would people say?’ “What dld people say when you “You are Priscilla’? winced. “I don’t mean to be.” - They had stopped opposite the pub-* lic library. “Can you give me any good reason ' why 1 should keep in my service a chauffeur who makes love to me?" .. “How long before you want the car again?” ! Priscllla looked at him, and w der was mixed with vexation. “I'm stopping here but a moment.” “Well, some day—unless you dis- charge me—I'll give you a thousand reasons why I should make love to you." “Indeed? And where will you dis- cover them, pray?” “If 1 wanted to give them the au- thority of history, I should find more than a thousand in human chronicles over there.” Adolf indicated the pub- lle Iibrary. “But if I should rely upon my own impulse and sight of you, I think I could give 2 thousand offhand." Months have passed. Adolf is still driving Priscilla’s car. (Copyright, 1023.) tmpertinent!” SN AN AN AR PIAR -\ SN, N