The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-03-16

tr;aing. The Government Of the United
States impose, it is true, . revenue tax Of.
$2za skin, toswhich must be added the
cost Of the maintenance Of an establish.
ment in SO remote spot; but even after
all allowances have been made for this.
ami other expenses III Europe, the price
demanded for a jacket must still be re-
garded as extravagant.. = sz.a5::i<{ .z4ss
|>=1@'S @,S AfYIFIRST TROUT. !. ..ssr.;= :
Nov, there was not much trout fishing
in the neishborhood where my grand.
father lived.:s In. fact, no one knew where
there was any trout except one old man,
! the landlord. of the tavern. Ho would
take his horse and wagon, drive off before:
daylight, and come home with, =. fine,
string Of fish, He never would tell any
one where he went. went one day to
him, confidehtially: ,ztsst :.4:7ls, -, ..,...
.Mr: Dickey. I want to catch some
trout. Can you tell me where to got "
"Why,' he said, Ego up along Bull
trook and you'll find some.'' 1T -.
knew, by the way he said it, that he
was not-telling me where he went. Still
made up my mind 1 would 60 to Bull
brook and try there. Bull brook was
about three miles from the, village, with
not single horse for miles around. It
was lonely place, full Of thickets, and
was called Bull brook because great
many cattle were pastured about there.
Earlyin the morning, started off with
my pole, which being joined could be car.
ricd very conveniently. trudgcd the road,
which kept winding and growing more
dismal, on account Of large beech trees
and poplars and gloomy looking pines
which grew along the side Of the road,
and almost shut out the sunlight. felt
q little afraid of meeting cross bull, but
I whistled y lively tune, and marched on
bravely.
At last I arrived at the brook, and got
over stone wall at the side of the road.
T here was a thick growth of bushes along
the edge Of the stream, SO that had to
walk some distance before I found an
opening where could get close to the
water. Everything was 50 still that felt
rather nervous and almost expected to
see fierce bull rush out upon me from
somewhere. Crickets were chipping, and
different kinds Of insects were buzzing
and humming. No other sound. But
bark! What was that? A splaskin the
brook. .
A bpll.frog, thought I. I looked in to
see if could discover him. There he
was in the bottom of the shallow brook.
No. on closer inspection that was not
bull.frog.- It couldn't be q fish,, for
fish swim around, and this little dark
thing, whatever it was, was lying quite
still on the bottom.
Just then, while was wandering what
it was, grasshopper, which had jumped
by mistake into the middle of the the
brook, went kicking long on the top of the
water. In an instant there was a CLEAN
just where the grasshopper was swimming,
and before you could say "Jack ROBIN.
son" the grasshopper was gone. was no
longer i'll doubt about the queer thing at
the bottom OF the brook. 1t had disap-
peared. knew it must be trout.
''Ah!" said to myself, ''I'll catch you,
Mr.. Trout Then won't the folks in town
be surprised.a and won't they want to
know where caught him.
Iactually believe thought moro at that
moment of what the people would say
than did Of catching the trout. l was
quite excited. I trembled all over. I
captured grasshopper, ard my hand
shook while was putting it on my little
hook. IGot behind bush and very
carefully lowered my line until the bait
touched the surface Of the water.
I was terribly excited, as much so as if
the brook was big cannon and the mo-
ment the bait touched it there would be =
tremendous explosion. There was an cx.
plosion, but of different sort. A plunge,
a splash, and gave jerk stong enough
to tear the bottom Of the brook right
out.
Invent heels over head backwards on
the grass, and on scrambling to my feet,
looked eagerly at the end Of my line to
see my trout. But no. trout was there.
and what was more, the grasshopper was
gone.
"What fool was,' said TO myself,
"to jerk the line out of the water in that
way, and scare all the fish. Now wort
catch any. and the people will laugh at me
when get homc."
| caught another grasshopper, and
tried again and again, but it was no use.
The fish we're evidently frightened. My
feelings, from the highest pitch Of hope
and eAultation, were reduced to those Of
despair and chagrin. almost cried. I
hated to give it up so tried little fur
ther down the brook.
This time the grasshopper laid undis.
turbed on the top of the water for several
minutes aud was just about to pull him
up and try somewhere else, when there
was ripple in the water-a splash The
grasshopper dissappe ared, and there was
jerk on my line !, too, gave jerk
upward. Oh, how delig htfully hard the
line pulled up! And then as I whiskcd
my pole round toward tho land, there
came out Of the water silvery sparkling
fish In moment he was lying OH the
grass-my first trout
How I walked around him and admired
him, and admired his beautiful spots, re.
splendent in the sun!
No more fishing that day. I had my
fish, it only remained now to get home.
1t was in the middle Of the afternoon when
I folded up my rod, and with my trout
strung upon u piece Of fish.line, started
homeward. I went along the road pretty
rapidly, I can tell you. I had no fear Of
bulls now. I 5elive If had met bull
and he had tossed me, should have gone
up in tho mir holding on to that fish like
a martyr. Alexander the Grea:, when
L. ~ l.