European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Manhattan s big fish Aren t All businessmen by Mike Mokrzycki the associated press 10-minute walk from Wall Street almost in the shadows of the world Trade Center s twin towers anglers Kevin Stanley and Rufus lightly have found Tranquillity. In fishing fishing in Manhattan of so they Haven t caught a lot of fish on this cold blustery Day but they do have peace of sorts a no blaring horns or choking exhaust fumes no roaring subway trains no throngs of people shuffling Down sidewalks past the hot dog carts and the Knockoff watch near the southernmost tip of Manhattan Island you hear the Breeze blowing through nearly Bare Trees and the Waves foiling across new York Harbor lapping at the Battery Park City promenade. You see Trees on Shore and seagulls in the sky ships in the Harbor and the statue of Liberty across it. And you smell clean Salt air. Quot this is like a Little Oasis Man Quot Stanley says. Quot you see How it is. It s quiet. Once you get out Here you re at lightly is fishing Here for the first time at Stanley s recommendation. Quot when he was telling me about this spot i said yeah right Quot lightly says. He s not sceptical anymore. Quot this is Worth a week s working just to get out lightly begins and Stanley finishes the sentence Quot. One when some City dwellers hang out the Quot gone fishing Quot sign and get away from it All they Only go As far As Manhattan s 25 Miles of Shoreline. In fact word of decent fishing a for More than a dozen species of fish from Palm sized orgies to striped Bass that can top 30 pounds a brings anglers like Stanley and lightly to Manhattan from their Homes in the City s outer boroughs. It May seem incongruous going fishing in one of the world s largest cities but it s not so improbable. The indians who initially populated Quot manna Hata Quot a variously translated As Quot Isle of Many Hills Quot or Quot Island of great Beauty Quot a fished Here and dutch and English settlers turned the Island and rest of the Harbor into a great maritime Center. William Horton with his dinner a flounder caught in new York City. With settlement came pollution however and new York Harbor and the Rivers that feed into it a the Hudson East and Harlem a became an open sewer for a population that grew into the millions. But new or renovated sewage treatment plants and a crackdown on Industrial dumping of toxics since the this is like a Little Oasis Man. You see How it is. Its quiet. Once you get out Here you re at a Kevin Stanley Manhattan Angler 1972 Federal clean water act have made the Waters the cleanest they be been this Century. Within the past few years most Waters around Manhattan have even begun meeting standards for swimming though there Are no beaches or docks in the Harbor to swim safely from says Thomas Brosnan chief of Marine sciences for the City department of environmental Protection. And pollution sensitive Worms and crustaceans that feed on wooden pilings have returned an Masse causing piers. A even some new ones to collapse. Biologists say it in dear whether the cleaner water Nas attracted More fish. Other factors play a role including weather and shifts in the offshore Gulf Stream. There is anecdotal evidence though from anglers such As Anthony Peterson who helps run fishing programs for school Field trips and the Public at Battery Park City. He recalls fishing a couple of Miles up the Hudson under the George Washington Bridge a decade ago when he was in his Early teens. Quot what we used to do is get a bucket of water to keep the fish in and. You could t see through the water. And you could be there five six hours and not even get a nudge Quot Peterson says. Quot now if you pull out a bucket of water it s pretty Clear and you re always getting bites on your and yes health officials say you can eat most of the fish a just not too much of them. New York state s health department recommends that people eat no More than a half Pound per week of most fish caught around Manhattan and that women of childbearing age and children under age 15 eat none at subject the real . Barnum he was no one s sucker by Bill Ryan the new York times . Barnum never said there a a sucker born every minute. Quot he might have thought it but he never said it Quot said Robert Pelton who knows As much about Barnum As anyone is Likely to know since the legendary showman died More than a Century ago and there seems Little More to be Learned about him. The Quot sucker remark Pelton said was actually that of a contemporary of Barnum a a Confidence Man named Joseph paper Collar Bessemer. But it continues to be attributed to Barnum decade after decade Many times by people who should know better. Pelton is curator of the Barnum museum in Bridgeport conn., where the myths and realities of Phineas Taylor Barnum collide. Outside of the Quot sucker Quot quote the most famous myth about Barnum Pelton said is that he was nothing but an unscrupulous charlatan a con Man who Only wanted to deceive. And that Pelton believes is the unkind St Cut of All about Barnum who lived from 1810 to 1891 and changed the face of show business for All time. What people should understand about Barnum said Pelton a former history teacher who has been associated with the museum for almost two decades is that he simply enjoyed playing hoaxes on anyone who would tolerate his outlandish sense of humor. It was something that evidently ran in his family. . Was named for his Grandfather who had a similar Bent. The grandson coaxing into the Public Domain at his museums in new York and later in his circus. Barnum used the hoaxes to interest people in his shows Pelton said but once inside the duped patrons really saw a Good even educational performance. Quot his american museum in new York had exhibits on history geography science Quot Pelton said. Quot and after he went into the circus it really was the greatest show on Barnum was basically a great showman Pelton said a master of advertising and of crowd psychology. He created the first International superstars when the word itself had not been coined bringing the swedish Singer Jenny Lind to America for a triumphant tour and taking a Bridgeport midget Charles c. Stratton renaming him general Tom thumb and sending him to Europe to amuse even Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. But Barnum was also Pelton said a Man of enormous Energy and wide ranging interests outside of show business. He was mayor of Bridgeport for two years and a Developer who was far ahead of his time bringing Industry to the City and then building Homes that working people could afford. He was a state legislator for two terms. . Barnum wednesday january 26, 1994 the stars and stripes 17
