Forty years ago, when my father was Captain of an East India trading ship, while off the coast of Africa near the equator the ship’s carpenter was taken sick and died. He was sewed up in canvas, and with him were sewed his kit of tools and grindstone for ballast to sink him. Services were held and the body committed to the sea.
    Four days later the ship’s boy fell overboard, and a great shark came up under the stern and swallowed the boy before he could be reached.
    The next day the shark was still following the ship. A shark hook was baited and put over the stern, and the shark was caught, but was so large it could not be taken on board, and they were obliged to shoot him. He looked so plump and large the mate, who was an old whaler, wanted to go over the side and cut the fish open. He was lowered over and cut a hole in the shark and was surprised to hear voices and on looking in saw the ship’s boy turning the grindstone for the ship’s carpenter, who was sharpening his ax to cut their way out.
    My father, who is eighty years old, can vouch for this that it is a fish story.—Boston Journal.

From— The McCook Tribune. (McCook, Neb.), 31 July 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.