The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-12
Baron Munci,auscn and the Moon Moa 4
OutdOne

VutuOuc.
We are fully aware of the productive qualities
of our soil, but until the following Card, taken
from the "Brother Jonathan" "a monster both in
appearance and contents, as this article will show
published in the city of New York, met our eye,
we must acknowledge that we were entirely igno-
rant of the productive nature of our beautiful riv-
ers. 1t appears from the following, and who dare
doubt its cUrectneSSi that our beautiful Illinois
contains monsters even more to be dreaded than
the ydra-headed-community- destroying-anini
the Sub-Treasury. The gentlemen who have
signed their names to the card for aught we know,
arc men of good character and standing and as
for the Justice of the Peace before whom the ali-
dayt was made on the occasion, we assure our
friend Brother Jonathan" that the name is ia
miliar to us, and we have no reason to doubt but
that ifhe can he found, his moral character will
bear the strictest scrutiny.
We would be inclined to doubt the correctness
of the statement, but coming from such urge aui-
thorty as the "Brother Jonathan" we are inclined
to think there is something more than truth about
the matter. What say you ofthe Alton Gazette!
the scene transpred in your vicinity, it may be
you car inform us of tie authenticity ofthe state
ment. We hardly believ .!
A CARD.-The undersigned, cabin pas
sengers on board the steamboat Peoria, in
order to allay public curiosity and prevent
any further misrepresentation of truth in
relation to the capture of the great fish
las: Friday night, make the following
statement of facts, the truth of which they
are ready to verify. To see is to kno,c;
and what we kno,o we dare arer. On
Friday evening last, while the boat was
taking in wood about FIVE miles above the
mouth of the Illinois river, two of the
passengers engaged in fishing caught two
or three gars and large catfish. This
exciting sport naturally attracted the at
tention Of us all DR.. Mitchell, of Put
nam county, had brought on board two
Berkshire hogs at st. Louis, weighing
perhaps two hundred and fifty pounds
each. One of these hogs died: and the
cook, it seems, obtained the Doctors per-
mission to use it for fish bait. The cook
then went into the larder, and bringing
out large meat hook made of rolled iron
rod, at least one inch in diameter, drew
the stern cable rope through the eye of
the hook, and thus fitted out huge hook
and line. We all laughed at this, but
the cook looked serious, and declared il
was no joke at all. He then inserted the
hook through the loins of the hog, and
with our assistance, the baited hook was
thrown overheard with a loud splash.
Night came on dark and foggy. The rows
of cotton wood trees on either bank be-
came invisible; but still it was thought
safe for the boat to grope along with
feeble head of steam. We retired early
to our berths. AT few minutes past 4
the next morning, the captain found the
pilot sleeping at the wheel, and discover
ed that we were in the channel of the
Mississippi, and moving stern foremost
down stream, in spite of the engine. This
news reached the cabin, and we all turned
cut. The cansa of..h;- -~.-cc,--i- ----.--
nent was soon made manifest in the
shane of an enormous fish, tugging away
la, the stern cable, his back alone visible.
| co,,ncil OF war was then holden. Some
advised cutting the cable, but The majority
We're favor Of towing the pixie into port
dead OF alive A rias being produced,