Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24

SOMETHING ABOUT CATFISH "A gentle
man writing from Con Cow, Butte county,
to one who has been much engaged in fish
culture in California, says: 1.-The catfish
that we placed in the reservoir here year
ago last July seem to have done we'll As
for the young of last years spawn, they
are from four to seven inches long, and
some of them are full of spawn, notwith
standing their size and age. | went trout
fishing the other evening, and to my sur
prise | could catch nothing but catfish
the first two were about SIX inches in
length each-then l caught one or two
smaller, and put them back in the
water, saving the first two to
take to the house to look at,
for they were the prettiest fish | ever laid
my eyes upon, except gold fish. They
were of a beautiful golden hue, the under
parts of the head and the sides We're yell
low, while the backs were dark or brown,
and the bellies were more whitish. They
were as pretty as bright twenty dollar
pieces, if alleged with silver. | did not
wish to catch these little beauties, and l
moved to another point with my hook and
line, and the first thing | caught was one
of the old stock fine fellow be was,
too, about fourteen or fifteen inches
long and as fat as fish could be. He,
too, was of a beautiful golden tint.
Then | caught three more of the golden
beauties, small ones, and put them back,
and moved to still another place with the
same result-nothing but catfish, so l con-
Guided to quit for the time. Trout have
begun biting here, and we have caught two
fine strings, the first this spring. The
reservoir fell very low this winter, and the
water is quite muddy perhaps tina is
partly the cause of the catfish being so
yellow; for the present, if you please, we
will give them the name of golden cats,
which lthinkvery Inappropriate. Iseeby anar-
ticlein the SACRAMENToW WEEKLY UNION that
some were caught of the same kind near
that city. hardly think they will grow
to be larger than twelve or fifteen inches
in length, but those here are certainly
sweet and delicious fish for the table. If
we only had some of the lake whitefish up
here we would try to propagate them i'll
lakes not far off. We are anxious to re-
ceive some carp whenever they are to be
had" Regarding the "golden cats,
they are well-detined and distinct species
of catfish, and naturally of that color.
They will grow to greater size than the
darker colored ones and are deemed mere
delicate food. A correspondent of the
RECORD. UNION some time since set forth
the facts concerning them and how they
were brought to this State and where
planted.
Practical HINTS TO SWIMMERS. Prof.
u, ~ 81 D. D,1,,
London, Eng, gave an exhibition OF swim
ming on Friday last at the Central Park
Bathing Establishment IN this city, which
probably has never before been equaled in
this country. His programme contained
nine parts, the majority of which were full
of instruction, and contained many new
aud useful suggestions to both tyros and
experts, treating of g How to act in case of
shipwreck, y illustrated How to undress
ON the surface of the water" g Useful
swimming, showing the different variety
of strokes F." How to breathe while swim
ming, and how non-swimmers NAV save
their lives = EASY ways of turning in
the water on back and chest, was the
Professors amusing way of showing a
cleaners difficulties without teacher
" Ornamental swimming" Swimming
with hands and feet bound" Parts and
So Submarine feats, " 50 How to save
person from drowning" " How to break
away from the grip of a drowning person,
and Chow to restore the apparently
drowned " - were the most useful
parts of the exhibition. The Professor,
using his attendant for drowning person,
showed that a single lock of hair was
sufficient to draw the floating body ashore
with, if the person retained sufficient pres
ence of mind to keep quiet. If the person.
struggles, as is usually the case, he should
be approached from behind, his head held
On the rescuer's breast, and both 90 ashore
on their backs. The drowning person fire.
quently grasps his rescuer, and endangers
both their lives In this case, if his head
can be got under the surface again for a few
moments it will confuse him, and breaking
away is comparatively Should The grasp
his rescuer by the wrists, quick wrench
of the arms will break his hold Should
he grasp him from behind, his hold must
be loosened by wrenching back his fingers,
as in ordinary cases. When the drowning
person gets his arms firmly clasped around
his rescuer's neck or around his waist, or
gets any other dangerous hold, the rescuer
may instantly free himself by putting two
of his fingers to the drowning persons nos
trils, and thus forcing his head back. This
will make a man loosen any hold, in the
water or out of it, Even drowning man
cannot keep his grip when this plan is re-
sorted to.-[Forest and Stream, April Sth.
A PLEA FOR ExERcIsE.-T Chicago
Field says With spring, the birds and
sunshine, comes the season of athletic
sports. The book-worm, moldy in the
solitude of his library and dusty archives,
thinks lightly of such e-glving and mus
reproducing enioyments. The tireless
broker, with shattered nervous system and
no thought save of an increased per cent
per month, or scheme to shave the already
hard-pushed borrower, contemptuously
passes all notice of cricket or rowing. The
sallow-faced and over-worked merchant
calculates only upon wheat, pork and mar
gins. He forgets that he is buying his
wealth with his health and paying fear
full interest by his one-sided sedentary life.
He scorns the animated spirit and fresh
blood of the man who so forgets his bust
ness as to take outdoor exercise and re-
creation. New York and Philadelphia
support social clubs in every ward, and
some OF them IN their elegance copy from
those of no other cities. New York does
untold traffic with all nations in day, and
yet the young men have time to support
score of athletic clubs, someof whose mem
bers are worldwide in reputation and I'M
rivaled in ability. Chicago feebly supports
one or two clubs, and its gymnasums have
hardly enough bones in them to hang to.
gether. Merchants and professional men
have only time for business. They only
exist by force of circumstances between
business events. Man usually either rusts
out or wears out" The above applies for
chilly to the men of California who are
burning themselves out with overwork
NOTABLE SHOOTING. Yesterday, at Will
low Grove, Sergeant j. S. Green of this
city, holder of the Division Champion Dia-
mond Badge, and Major A. f. Klose, Bril-.
gade Inspector of Rife Practice, engaged
in rifle shooting contest, fifty shots each
Of two hundred wards with onu ap,,,,,,,;