The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-07-29
GAYUGA LAKES MONSTER
"A Sea serpent in Central New
YOrk---A Terrific Struggle with the
Monster
New York Evening Star.

Monster.
New York Evening Star.
The most graphic, and considering
Its source the most authentic, story re
garding the mysterious sea serpent
that has yet found its way into the
columns of the daily papers, was relat-
ed to one of our reporters yesterday by
a gentleman, who declares that he not
only saw the redoubtable submarine
monster, but actually WAS engaged in a
terrific struggle with it, barely escaping
with his life.
The gentleman in question owns
neither hotel, boarding house nor fish
ing boat; nor has he any interest in
putting any particular country resort.
He is u salesman in Z, Broadway cloth
ing house, where he is held in the
highest esteem and regarded as u man
of unimpeachable vcracity both by his
superiors and his fcllow-employcs.
"You'll remember" he said to a report
or, as a prelude to the narrative,
''when / left town two weeks ago l
promised to send you mess of fish.
The scribe nodded affimatively.
'And you'll also remember that yo,,
failed to receive them ?"
Again was the reportorial head Os-
cilated.
"Well, I have dropped in to see why
you were compelled to subsist upon
the cold charity of neighboring lunch
counters during that fortnight, instead
of gorging yourself upon the delicious
trout and the equally palatable pick
erel."
"You sce," he began, I engaged
quarters in 81 farm house on the shores
of Cayuga Lake, up here in the state.
The landlord is all enthusiastic fisher
man, and when he found that 1 was a
lover of the sport and willing to pay
literally for its enjoyment he was fair
ly beside himself with delight He
fitted up his boat with every conycn-
fence and provided the very finest kind
of tackcl: We tried trolling for day
OF two with the most successful results,
but none of the fish were large enough
to send home On the fourth dav we
tried our skill with the rod and were
equally fortunate. Floating behind the
boat were two fish cars. In one we
placed all the small fish, and in the
other we deposited the big fellows. BY
I o'clock in the afternoon we had nine
pickcrel, averging five pounds, in the
big car. These were intended for you.
[ had arranged to have them packed
on ice and forwarded by the midnight
train. At this time the water was
comparatively smooth, only Il slight
ripple disturbed the surface of the
lake. J. was standing ami,lships care
fully playing monstrous pickerel that
[ had hooked, and Father Lish' (that't
the farmers namc) was sitting in the
bow sharpening tish-hooks. Suddenly
the boat began swaying violently, and I
instinctively turned my eyes astcrn.
About six feet back of the boat the
water was violently agitatcd by what
seemed to be q whirlpool. The car
containg the nine pickerel, which had
been attached to the boat by twelve
feet Of rope, had disappeared from
sight, and the rope was pulled so taunt
that our gunwale was down to within
an inch Of water. looked down into
the depths, but failed to discover any
thing unusual.
"'Father Lish,' said I, chow do you
account for this?"
'sDod burn me if can tcll," he an
swered. peering over the side of the
boat; there's somethin' mighty onnat-
ural agoin' on down there
"Suddcnly the tension of the rope
ceased, the boat slowly righted itself.
the water subsidized into it's previous
calm state. land that fish-car arose to the
surface. Although somewhat puzzled
by the phenomenon immediately con-
cluded that the tish-car was in some
way connected with it, and dctermin-
ed to investigate it. Ipulled it up to
the boat, opened it, and to my surprise
found that the fish had disappeared"
care you positive the door was
fastened?' asked the reporter.
"Why, yes" he replied; II secured
1t myself with three small bolts
GLOW wide were the openings be-
tween the slats?"
:Only an inch and u quarter; not
wide enough for the smallest of them
to slide through Sideways"
''Yound don't mean to say that a five
pound fish could escape through an
aperture only an"
Now, contour it," he replied, rather
holly. Il don't intend CARRYING it into
IL mathematical calculation. If YOU
want to hear the story, you have got to
keep your mouth shut"
"Well," he continued Father 'Lish'
was more surprised than / was: but
neither of us were the least bit fright
ened.
.'You can jest depend ont, said the
old man, that neither them fish has
jined together to get out'n that box or
that some 'amhvcrbus' animile, that's
escaped from some trav'lin show, has
a-takin bo'rd at the bottom of the wa
ter. He's been dedicated to wait on
til his fodder is brought to him, an I'LL