The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-04-25
THRILLING LEGEND.


the big chest, found an Oh parchment.
which, though discolcred hy age, and tat
cred by former hard usage. attracted my
attention, Upon examining /, closely, I
found that il Was covered vito curious
characters, or signs. inscribed apparently
with little attention to order, or regular
ity. The principal characters bore n
distant resemblance 10 certain ttaiic let
icrs. particularly r and .. Oiher, rosem.
blcd a, ~. n, Z, &c, aud we're, perhaps,
intended TO represent these letters, which
IN Tie absence Of proof TO the contrary,
] assume TO he the fact. The minor
cbrac,lrs, which seemed to form the con-
Meeting links in the chain Of the nara
,i.e, rs ] have since found it Ia be, ap.
reared 10 approach mora nearly 10 the
primitive, or hioroclyphic style ofpen-
msnship: but as intend to sranscribe n
few of The characters from tho original
for the benefit Of my readers. it is un.
necessary 10 describe them further at
present.
After some time spent in diligently
comparing the different parts Of the man.
uscript with each other, discovered that
1t was entirely composed Of small groups
OF the above named characters, each
group being perfect in itself, and lis
members arranged with the incest order
and regularity, through tie groups them
selves were so closely crowded together
upon the parchment, that at first, I had
supposed the whole to have been written
at random. This discovery was Of un.
speakablo service to me, in the further
prosecution Of my abs,ruse Investigations,
and, perhaps, to it ! mainly owe the bril-
liant success which has, ut length, crown.
ed by labors,in deciphering aud translat-
ing this mysterious document, for the
benefit of the the present and the future
generations. For, be il known, that this
is none Of your tphemeral works, which
are s,rangled by II critic in their first C.
di,ion, or die natural death in the sec.
ond No sir. the li,erati Of future ages
will speak with gratitude and admiration,
not unmixed with respectful awe, of the
great translation Of the wonderful manu-
script Of The Discomboberated Angler
THE DiSCOMBOBERATED ANGLER;
LEGEND OF THE wIssAHICON.
CHAPTER John JONES.
John Jones was a disciple Of Izaak
Walton. He lived along the Schuylkill,
in general, and no place in particular -
any place between Tamaqna and Phln-
delphia, or in either Of these places, lie
considered himself 'at home In fact.
the deepes, afFront which could be offer.
cd to him was TO designate any par,icu.
lar locality as his residence. On such an
occasion John would assume a tragic air
ard attitude, and cxclaim, Is not the
valley Of the Sclnylkll my home: Yes,
wherever the ripping waters, of the
hidden river" can be seen or heard,
John Jones is at home John had but
two faults, viz. drunkenness and laziness.
While he could get liquor, either for love
or money. he would never be sober; and
drunk or sober, he would not work.
There was but one thing he would do,
and that was .fsh. Morning, noon and
night; in season and out Of season wet
or dry, drunk or sober, he would fish,
and successful angler he was too; sci.
dom failing TO secure suiiciency of the
tinny dup 5. 10 purchase a meal, and ell
l.is black junk bottle with his darling
beverage, old Monongahcly.' though.
perhaps, the rye from which it was dis.
titled, had grown in sight of the Sehuyi.
kill. Often lie would start early in the
morning for some favolite haunt Of the
fnny tribe. and remain the whole day
and par, Of the night. engaged in the
pleasing occupation Of filing his basket
and emptying his bottle. On one Of these
occasions he lad gone TO considerable
distance up the Wissahicon, without find.
ing satisfactory location for the exer-
else Of his calling, when he suddenly
heard splashing in the water near him,
and on looking in the direction Of the
noise, he saw TO his surprise, an cnor-
nous catfish. with his head partly out Of
the water, cycling him in,en,ly. Appar.
emily satisfied with the scrutiny, the cat
fish retired, and is place was taken by a
suHfsh, which was, in like manner, sue
ceeded by pike, and this by perch,
and so on, until Jhon had counted doz-
en- different species Of fish, which had all
appeared to have the same object in
view, viz, tha, Of taking good stare "a,
their terrible enemy, whom they appear,
ed TO recognize the momen, they clapped
their eyes on him, as was evIden; f.om
their looks, which were anything but
friendly. John was rather alarmed a,
first, and lad halt notion of leaving the
neighborhood but here his pride took
| the alarm. What would the world say,
when i, heard that the redoubtable John
Jones had been 'skeered from the per-
formancc Of his duty, by The eros. looks
| Of few fishes For he argued thu.
- ]. is every mans duty 10 provide for
his o1n wants; now only recognize
these legitimate ways Of doing ,his, viz,
working. fishing. and stealing. The fr.l
! never did and never eiW: the las, ID
disrepaisble, and therefore unfit for me,
and besides. the Police have become 70
cunning, thai il j. near about as hard