The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-04-12
FISH AND POTATOES.
By W. r. DENNIS.

!
that in the magnificent rivers of our State,
among which the Tippacanoe stands peerless, we
have that prince of gamy fish, the BLACK Bass in
his full meridian splendor; The PIckEREI (of whom
more anon;) That solid meated pirate, the PIKE and
his bastard brother, the GRASS PIKE; WHITE BASS
per se,' which found in vast numbers in the nu
merous lakes which abound in the northern portion
| of the State; EELs, from whence that noble trbu-
! tary of the Wabash derived its cognomen with
large amount OF that class of soft meated sucker
mouthed, ossious clan, who live and and
have their being in every aqueous indentation.
| Then we lead the Ton in Cats, for we have the
Catfish, proper the Channel Cat and the Yelloo Cat
| all of whom nearly and closely allied to that
class Of fish which in our boyhood days were freely
| and not complimentary known Bull PoUrs.'
Added to this is the family of what Hoosiers know
Google Eyes smaller (but in that alone inferior
to Bass,) with Sun Fish 10 variety, and that Capt.
Jinks of worthless fish, the Red Horse,' whose
mother Sucker, and his father Blathcrs-
kite 1t is true that to list of worthless fish can
be added the sturdy Dog FTsa,' and it would he
sturdy dog that would eat him, with a few others,
whose names will never live renowned in story.
In times gone by, the Seine, the Gill Net, the
Fish Trap and the Scoop Net relied upon for
supplies Of Fish of any kind and this inhuman and
piratical mode Of warfare upon the finny tribe
suited in the capture Of millions Of pounds of fish
for food and in the destruction of hundreds of mil
lions of pounds of fish in embryo. Our streams
were thus ruth'essly depopulated annually, and
while large amount was each year added to the
store of those who We're the fortunate owners of
these implements of conquest, and torture, yet it
was penny wise and pound foolish practice much
akin to killing the goose which laid the Golden Egg
in order to SECURE all the golden eggs at once.
Things Piscatoral were in this gloomy condition
when beam of sunlight CLEANED athwart the
murky cloud OF Political wisdom which embodied
our General assembly, and that body astonshed its
friends and enemies alike, by passing really
spectacle Fish Law.
Fish murder by the ordinary engines was stopped
for two years, and after that time it brought
within more reasonable limits.
ANGLING AS A FINE ART.
| The law thus opportunely enacted rendered it
necessary to inveigle fish by strategy, and skill,
or to go without him. few of US who belonged to
the old Guard, hailed this fact with delight, and
during the latter part of the period of prohibition,
we cast our hooks with hope and success.
| There productive capacity of Fish is great that
! the second year of the embargo witnessed most
wonderful filing up of all our streams, in all the
varieties of fish for which they were noted. In s.
tern Indiana, Whitewater and its tributaries, afforded
| fine sport and bass weighing four pounds and under
rewarded the patient angler for his toll. In north
ern Indiana, the Wabash, Eel River and the Tippe-
| canoe, yielded thousands of pounds of this choice
| fish together with Pike and other varieties.
| The genuine enjoy ment to every true gentleman,
which angling affords has been recognized ON the
earliest ages, in fact it received its stamp of Chris
tian nobility, when the simple Fishermen CALL
ed as apostles by the great head Of the Church.
That they were fishing with nets is undoubtedly to
attributed to the fact that there Limerick
hooks, jointed poles artificial hes at that ca rly
! period of the worlds history.
= 1t however that when Il became a matter of
fact, that fish md fine too. could be caught in
the broad and beautiful rivers, which traverse our
State, that the spirit of Isaak Walton seized upon
| our people, aud during all Of last season, parties
were whipping their waters and in most with
very satisfactory results.
These results; and brief history, of them far
our own exploits concerned, shall leave for
another chapter when shall endeavor to keep up
with the season, and its Developments.
But one word in regard to
! OHIO RIVER SALMON alias PrcKEREL.
When at Cincinnati few days siner, we followed
our nose and inclination, and dropped into the
we'll known establishment of the MONUMENTAL OYs-
TER COMPANY, s. FIEGLEY Co, s. E. Cor. 5th and
Vine Streets, attracted by the fine display of Fish
aud Game, which form largely the staple of their
/ trade. We had caught Salmon at CULLuMs' RIP
! PLE, at HARRIsoE and at HAMILTON; we had caught
! the same variety with a spoon hook while trolling in
the Tppeca noe and all attendant voyagers pro-
nounced them salmon; found many experts at
Monticell, Ind who had caught them in large
numbers, wee hing from to Is lbs, at the first
dam on the Tippecanoe river, below that pa ce early
in the spring. but more particularly in the spring of
1859, found them in the 9th street arket, and
at the popular establishment above med, and
knew them well. Our object to identify them,
and to know what to call them for any gosling knew
that salmon darkened tie waters of the
Ohio river, or its tributaries 1t all revealed in
the twinkling of Catfsh's eye. THEY ARE PICK
EREL, and nothing shorter, and they only differ from
the Lake specimen, which hawked and jay
hawked in every considerable town in the west, in
being darker colored the back and in having
of the golden tinge in the color of their Sides They
are, think, rather trim built less inclined
to obesity, probably in consequence of their natural
element, being running water which better
developes, their muscular symmetry and improves
their quality for the table.
One word about the Monumental of FRrEGLEy d
Co., a famous Halbut had met gaze, and we
concluded 10 STEAK him for small amount when
the gentlemanly proprietor called attention to
splendid 'SALMoH' just received from California,
and which being sliced up in most ravishing
steaks. After getting modicum of Halibut he
gently iusinuated that pair of Salmon Steak would
be fitting counterpart for those of the Atlantic fish
which we could not help thinking to be a most re-
al BILE fact, and recklessly undertook to de-
fray the transportation o. the salmon steak, as far
might go that R. r. line, and we did.
Think of it, We mud turtle grabbers. What dinner
there, my count rymen, which brings US to the
POTATOES.
The first time heard of the Neshannock
Potato, it was spelled with H. and was supposed
to have been 'BoRN in Maine and to have taken its
name FROM some blue nosed town in that boundary
agitating State which worried Danl Webster
and upset John Taylor's administration. When i. is