The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-06-12
An AWFUL FISH STORY.

4 man living few miles north of /
what is known as "World's Ferry" on |
Noxubee river, brings an account of n |
tremendous fish found in that stream on |
Thursday morning last, that transcends
anything in all fiction we ever heard, and |
would stamp the narrator as an imposter
if testimony supporting the story we're
not too we'll substantiated to admit of
moments doubt.
1t seems that on the morning in ques-
tion, himself aud two negro men, about
five o'clock, went to their troutline in n
common skiff They had no arms with
them Of any kind, save an ordinary Colts
six-shooter, the property Of gentleman
himself, expecting nothing unusual
Arrived at the cypress root to which one
end of the hne was attached, they found to
their chagvin that all was broken short off
at the reot. Supposing some foul play
on tho part of thieving parties, they pre-
pared TO return to their standing place
below, when they heard terrific blowing
and splasaing that seemed to come sever.
oil hundred yards from where they were
Waiting with beating hearts and strained
eyes a few moments to see what would
develop itself they beheld suddenly turn
ing bend in the stream, horreadam
nlonSiTHBi-an awful monster of the fish
tribe, With head raised at least seven. feet
out of water, eyes glaring like lanterns in
dark night and emitting jets of water
from two holes that answered for nostrels,
lashing Its tail with terrific fury Coming
In contact with saplings on the bank, these
curled under the tremendous power like
chaff before the wind. The water for
hundreds of yards in its wake, boiled like
cauldron, aud appeared of muddy col.
or, tinged with greenish black Several
detached skifs were floating behind the
monster, while all around in shoals leaped
and shivered numberless small fishes
whom the stirred muddy waters had
brought to the surface for breathing pur-
poses. A peculiar spray rose aud floated
around and above the fish as it powed
the troubled waters, that emitted most
horrible and revolving smell. Under its
oyerpoweriDg inReunce, one of the ne
groes tainted, and was saved from drown
ing only by the presence of mind of his
terrified companions. These, with not a
moment to lose, seized their paddles and
worked for dear life to gain shore. Too
late alas for hardly did the bow tuch
shore ere the monster was en- them, aud
with one turn of It's red tongue jcrked
the steersman into his mouth, aud in the
twinkle of an eye, made Jonah of him.
Then, as if toying with its victims, the
horrible thing turned tail on the party,
aud come down on 1t with an awful crash,
Al. L :. = J 4
Of crockery, and throwing one Of the ne.
groes, by the rebound, almost lifeless in-
to the fork Of projecting tree. The
white man, with wonderful presence oi
mind, although nearly straagled, siezed a
fin quivering from the side Of the mon
ster, clambered to Its back, and at 4 mo
ment when the leviathan rested trans
versely with the stream, ran along Il,
back 20 the western bank, grasped some
oTerhanging vines, and with whose length
he now recollects as marvellous, reached
the bank and was saved Here, acting
on impulse, utterly hopeless of killing ths
thing, he fred every barrel of his pisto
into its belly. In few seconds tbs
monster became sick at the stomach
heayed ike mighty bellows, and-n1irq
bile dtetH began vomiting, first, high
and Shiny on the bank popped the swal
lowed freedman, then two skiffs, Wagon
load Of bears, seventeen fshs- baskets
twelve cows horns, about ten bushels o.
trout-lines and hooks, and twenty-siz
freedmen, who, by Identification yester
day, proved to have voted for the Radi
cal Constitution.
The enormous fish has since died. and
measured II feet long, and 50 feet IL
circumference. Truly these arc mos
wonderful times.-ScOo5q Hiss, Spec
EGt0r