European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A tale of a Cape cod fishing Captain who landed something a Little bigger and a Little More unusual than the Ordinary run of flounder and halibut  Kurt Glaser i t was a saturday afternoon jus like any other saturday afternoon when we pulled up to Dan Garvins. Wharf at Woods Hole. Not the tire or place for anything queer to happen. And yet what started to happen that afternoon still has me coming and  Hod in a certain Way when i Start to Tell it. I d wonder if iwas a Little off myself if i did t have two Fellows who la Back me up on it every time. Maybe folks think they  a Little crazy too anyway it was sunny afternoon and everybody was taking it sort of easy after a hard week. Filipo Lopez was sitting on the deck of his Espiritusanto debating with himself whether " to have a time up in Boston or go Home quietly to his wife and kids at Teaticket. Joe and Sam Bacigalup were in the door of the warehouse giggling with Dan Over the Price of flounder. Then there was the James r., a big. Brand new Lump of a boat that belonged to the Goffin boys of Nan Tucket the time they did t spend fishing they spent washing. Right no they were coiling their halyards in Little round Mats like it was a new Yor yacht club and not just Dan Garvin wharf. There were several Little boats whose names i Dis remember maybe they just had numbers. They we Redan s regular Trade. They d be Back to Woods Hole most every night and saturdays for sure. The bigger Boa Sweren t Iso regular. But they d be in every now and then because Woods. Hole s As Handy a place As you could think of and Dan Garvin is a Square fellow to do business with. About the Only big boat that used to hit Woodshole every saturday night was the Henrietta Jabez Helburn s 50-footer. I m Angelo Mariotti and i worked for Jabez Helburn along with Ned Donahoe and Vic Kruschek. The Hen Rietta is a real sailing ship not one of those motor boats that sail a Little be fore the wind. She was a lobster Man up in novy when Jabez went there and got her ten years  thing that always struck me funny is Why Jabez Helburn always came Home so regular to Woods Hole when he could sell his fish just As Well at Boston Plymouth or new Bedford. For if there Ever was a shrewish woman her name was Henrietta Helburn. She was just As mean As they come. Vermouth was thin and Sharp from want ing better than her neighbors. She spent Jabez s Money on High priced Boston clothes that misfit her arid perfumes that had fancy names. She d go to every wednesday night prayer meeting and Pray her fool head off. But whenever suffered Little children to come unto her they might Ruck up her rugs or soil her lace curtains. And she was suspicious of Jabez though i never knew Why. His Only love was his boat. On this saturday there were still four boats ahead of us to be unloaded. So Jabez says Why Don t you boys go Home and get your suppers come Bac about nine tonight and i la pay you  so i went Home and played with the kids and ate and then Maria and i illustrations by Bele Bachem drove Back to Garvin s in our chewy. N. When we got there Jabez Ned Dona Hoe Vic Kruschek the Bacigalups and the coffins were All sitting on the deck of the Nancy q., a Long Low sword Fisherman which came in after we did. Joe Bacigalupo was passing Roxada Jug of Dago red and Jack Randle the Nancy s skipper was spinning some kind of Ai yarn. He seemed to be Over blowing it a , we Aren t going to believe that Nat Goffin was saying. I Don t care said Jack but it god s own truth. We was three Days Down there about 20 Miles off no Man land. First two Days we got six fish Young uns. Third Day that s today i started to blow up dirty like from the Sou West. So we started Home. Just after Sunset abeam of Gay head there s a Nice big fish ten lengths ahead of us. It s getting dark so you could t see much but i sent Jed Harris Forward on the pulpit but he missed in the dark and grazed that fish in the belly i m telling you that fish let out a scream just like a woman. Why it Nide me shake and i m not ashamed to say  now Jack Dat s a Prowty tall Story Sam Bacigalupo said. You Musta Paida Beetle Meesit to your forty gee friends Over to Cuttyhunk. Dose port gee de make a Strong Gin. Cowee Hells Bells said Jack i Ain t had no Likker in a week. I Tell you that fish screamed. Did t it Jed Damn right said  from the , i heard it too said another  turned suddenly and spoke in a Low voice. Angelo Ned Vic com aboard the Henrietta a  then to the others will you excuse us gents we be still got to Settle our a  w Hen we got aboard the Henrietta Jabez fished in his pocket an handed us each 33 dollars and 12 cents. Then he took a big puff on his pipe. Loo kit boys he said i know you Don t like to work sundays. I Don task you often. But i be got a Hunch there s swordfish below no Man s land More than Jack Randle Ever Laid Eye on. That Sou Wester smells of swordfish. Furthermore Henrietta Ain t too pleas ant  nobody said anything for several minutes. Then Vic Kruschek said you know i m a Bachelor  s All right with  "o.k. With me too said Ned Dona Hoe but How s about laying Over two Days next week if we hit the fish i was thinking of that Spring coat Maria wanted. A Good catch of sword fish would buy that coat and to  me ask the wife i said. She s waiting in the  an hour afterwards we were heading out into Vineyard sound. We had a foul tide most of the night so it was Dawn by the time we had Gay head on our port beam. It looked like it would be the kind of Calm Day when the swordfish come up and snooze on the  Ned stood up. There s your fish he declared. Two Points of the starboard  " Jabez sat up grabbed the binoculars and took a Good Long look. We could see a Fin about 200 Yards away but it looked shinier than a  took another look then he muttered under his breath. Hell he said that Ain t no swordfish. In fact it Ain t no fish. Port the Helm a Little Ned.". The Henrietta. Turned slowly and Jabez went Forward to the swordfish pulpit still muttering to himself. He a hitched the line from a swordfish Iron and tied a Slipknot. Cut her Down As Low As you can he called Back toned. Just keep up Steerage Way 1 now what s the skipper think he s going to catch with that line asked Vic. Maybe it s a stiff said oh-oh." gasped Vic turning a Little Green. It sure looked like a body As became up to it. Anyway part of it looked like a woman s body with Long hair and White arms stretched out on the water. But the  it looked like a fish Tail and the rising Sun sparkled on the shiniest Scales you Ever saw. Ned and Vic and i looked at each other without Mouths open. Just then Jabez wound up and cast his line and Lassord whatever it. , Angelo he called. Don t stand there like a dope. Come Forward an help me haul this thing in i ran Forward and we paid in theline. I did t know if i wanted to look at what was on the end of it. We gave a great heave and there it was on  looked once and then i Felt a Little dizzy. Because it was something that was t supposed to be Only in kids Story books. I be been to High school and i knew enough or thought i knew enough to know there was t any such  there she was. You could t deny it. An honest to gosh Mermaid like any sensible fellow will Tell you there in t. She had Long Light Brown hair lots of it about three feet  face was Pale White and More Beautiful than any movie stars Only not like a Star More like the Angels they Tell about in Church. She was every bit a Beautiful woman Down to he Middle. But the Bottom part of her was a big Silvery fish. She had a bleeding Gash in her Side As if someone had har pooled her and her Mouth was All twisted with pain. Jabez looked at her and then he looked at me. Then he took a puff on his pipe and growled. Damn stupid sons