Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-12-31
THE MAN IN THE RESERVOIR.
BY CHARLES FENNo HOFFMAN.

BY CHARLES FENNO HOFFMAN.
You may see some Of the best society
in New York on the top of the distrib-
Rting reservoir any of these fine October
mornings. There were two or three car
riages in waiting and half dozen Sena
torialIooking mothers with young chill
dren pacing the parapet as we basked
there the other day in the sunshine-now
watching the pickereI that glide along
the lucid edges of the black pool within
and now looking off upon the scene of
rich and wondrous variety that spreads
along the two rivers on either side
They may talk of Alpheus and Are
thusa, murmured an idling sophomore,
who had found his way thither during
recitation hours, but the CrotOn in
passing over an arm of the sea at Spuy-
ten-Duyvil, and bursting to sight again
in this truncated pyramid, beats it all
hollow. BY George, too, the bay yonder
looks as blue as ever the Hgean Sea to
ByrOn's eyes, gazing from the Acrop-
oils! But the painted foliage on these
crags! The Greeks must have dreamed
of such vegetable phenomenon IN the
midst of their grayish olive groves, or
they never would have supplied the want
Of it in their landscape by embroidering
their marble temples with gay colors.
Did you see that pike break, sir?"
" did not"
zoundsl his silver fin flashed upon
the black Acheron like a restless soul
shat hoped to mount from the pool"
The place seems suggestive of fan
cies to you" We observed, in reply to the
rattlepate.
g 1t is, indeed, for I have done up
good deal of anxious thinking within a
circle Of few yards from where that
fish broke just now
3" A singular place for meditation-the
middle of she reservoir
You look incredulous, sir; but it's a
fact. a fellow can never tell, until he is
tried, in what situation his most earnest
mCditations may be concentrated. am
boring you, thought"
mot al all But, you seem to be so
familiar with the spot, wish you could
tell me why that ladGGS leading down to
the water is dashed against the stone
work in yOnder corner?"
THAT ladder" said the young man,
Frightening at the question; why, the
position, perhaps the very existence, of
that ladder resulted from my medita
tlons in the reservoir, at which you
smiled just now. Shall l tell you all
about them?"
Pray do"
Well, you have seen the notice for
bidding any one to fish in the reservoir.
Now, when I read that warning, the
spirit of the thing struck me at once as
inferring nothing more than that one
should not sully the temperance pota-
tions of our citizens by sleeping bait in
it Of any kind; but you probably know
the common way of taking pike with a
slip-noose of delicate wire. I was de-
termined to have touch at the fellows
with this kind of tackle.
q chose moonlight night; and an
hour before the edifiCe was closed to Wis
itors secreted myself within the walls,
determined to pass the night on the top.
All went as | could wish it. The night
proved cloudy, but it was onlya variable
drift Of broken clouds which obscured
the moon | had s walking-cane rod
with me which would reach to the mar
gin of the water, and several feet be-
yond if necessary. To this was at
tached the wire, about fifteen inches in
length
provided along the parapet for
considerable time, but not single fish
could soc. The clouds made flicker
ing light and shade that wholly fooled
my steadfast gaze. l was convinced
that should they come up thicker my
whole nights adventure would be
thrown away. Why should | not de-
scend the sloping wall and get nearer
on q level with the fish, for thus alone
can / hope to see one?' The question
had hardly shaped itself in my mind
before | had one leg over the iron rail
ing.
g If you look around you will see now
that there are some half dozen weeds
growing here and there amid the ifs
sures of solid masonry. In one of the ifs
sures from whence these spring / plant
ed foot and began my descent. The
reservoir was fuller than it is now, and
q few strides would have carried me to
the margin of the water. Holding on to
the cleds above, l felt round with the