Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-10
From the N C. DemocratsN
OLD CLARDY, OR VARACIOUS ANEC-
DOTES OF A MAN OF ED!
From the Chrnnifles-


Some thirty or forty years ago, say the
Chronicles Of that region, there dwelt upon
the banks OF the river Dan. an ancient fisher
Rod, !" who drew long seines, and delighted in
long yarns, as Old Clardy. Now Clardy it
must be understood was quite character in
his way, and was much sought after by all
who enjoyed the pleasure of his acquaintance
on account of the marvels he had witnessed
both by flood and field, which he was never
tired of reconnting to his delighted auditory,
and that too with truthfulness, and, convin-
cling suasion of manner, that might have caused
Munchansen himself to burst with envy
Among the many marvellous incidents which
he narrated, and to substantiate which, he in
sisted that he had, and could produce, the
most ndisputable evidence was the way in
which he secured the largest Sturgeon that
ever swan the Dan, while hauling the sein
for shad. You see. says Clardy. weed been
maxim of pretty considerable of haul,
when jest as we was gittin inter shoal water
seed the master sturgeon ever sot my eyes
on Topping about among the shad and green
fish, was behind a carryin the lead line,
and know'd if ever he once struck. bottom
he'd get skeared. and bust right through the
seine and make off, I war determined not 10
lose him; an thought if l could only creep
round, and jump upon his back at once,
could run him ashore before the seine got in.
Sure nuff creeps round, gifts over the cork
line, makes spring, lights upon him, and
claps both hands in his gills. Bless your
soul Instead of gwine the way wanted him,
he busted through the seine, and before you
could say Jack Robinson, we was both high
dry, on the opposite bank. You see men, the
bank was mighty sloppin on that side, and the
critter went so fast, that, when he struck it,
he slid up moren twenty feet.
I'm putty considerable of a smoker as you
all knows, an gineraly speaking carries my
pipe with me when goes in seining. Wei
had it in my mouth at that time, and the
thing war done so all fired quick, that though
we was under water all the time, it never put
ii out. ICES 1-
| If any doubt should be expressed, as to the
truth of this wondrous narrative, the old fell
low was always ready. You don't believe
me men, heb Well then, Jest look here
rolling up his trowsers and exposing 10 view
pair of exceedingly sore and scaly shns.-
Jest look here, if you don't believe me Hold
in on ter his gils you see, war settin righ
behind his side fins, which the crtter worked
so orful fast and strong they skinned my leg;
so clean, they amt got well to this day. They
do say, that hurt from sturgeon, fin is
mighty hard TO cure! .-
Clardy, it would seem, was as spirited fow.
Ter as he was fisherman, but not quite sc
successful, if we may judge by the manner in
which the wild Geese served him.
was pleughing one day, says he, down
in the river bottom, close to the bank, jes
forenent the falls, when hearin' mighty
quackin', squatterin', | creeped down ter the
fence, an seed the prettest batch of wild geese
that ever flutiered in Dan, or Roanoke either
They was dippin an dlvin' in the shoa
water, and lookln' SO perte, and so clean. ant
so nice, that thought must have some o
um anyhow. Well, hadn't no gun, no pow
der and shot, no ramrot, no nothin', 'cept my
plough line, and determined at last I'd try
and see what could do with that I'd beer
used to carryin' the lead line of the seine yor
see men, and was a putty good diver, so tut
my plough line off my mule. an drappln' dowr
the river some 40 or SO yards, with the plough
line in my hand, swum under water up tie
the geese, an commenced tyin' um by the Leg
one arter the other. When I'd got sumthir
like 80 fastened, ris my head above the wa
ter to fetch breth, and, by George, away they
went. The Lord want in fix then? A
fust thought they couldn't play that game
long, hut they few'd, and they few'd, ant
they few'd, till it sorter struck me, may b.
they mout tote me clur out inter Chespek'
Bay, wherein cut loose an let 60, an whel
| found myself was curchug, neck an heels
in holer gum. right on top of bars nest
a settin' on the cubs. An there was An
there | sot for gracious knows how long; Blu
| thot it war week, when all at once bi,
black cloud seemed TO darken the hole at tn
top, and presently felt sumthin harry 'bou
my face. felt about spell with my teeth
when whew thing jest like big pain
brush damned itself inter my mouth, an may
be didn't clamp it, Bless your souls [tha
was mighty word with Clardy,l 'twar tn
Old Bars tail
The ole critter riz, and went off squealin' al
clawn', an ] went with her holdin' on lik,
} grim deth, tvell we both hit the ground
Which war the wust skeered, the bar or me
never inquired; but the ole thing pulled foo
wun way, while the way CIardy claw'd it TO
up stream war caution TO quarter horses |
war good long tramp back home, but whel
got thar, found that the mule had ploughe,
the patch by herself, jest as well as if I'd
been along. Everything war gwine on strote
so that arter all my fly with the geese, an,
I playin' ole hen 10 passed. of cubs, thar wa
no damage done, onless that Bar mout com
planned some bout her hinder eend.
/ Curious Fact.-Tt is stated that not n sin