The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-30
How the Ladies Fish.

There is generally about six of them in
q bunch, with light dresses on, and they
have three poles, with as many hooks
and lines among them. As soon as they
get to the river they look for good
place to get down the bank, and the
most venturesome one sticks her boot
heel in the bank and makes two steps
down-then suddenly finds herself at the
bottom with both hands sticking in the
water and feeling that everybody in
this world is looking at her, and she
never tells anybody how she got there
The other girls, pro6ting. by her exam
pie, turn around and go down the bank
on their hands and toes, backwards.
Then they scamper over the RATS until
they find shallow place where they can
see the fish, and shout:
"Oh, see one!'
''Where?'
'Oh my, so he is''
''Let's catch him."
"Who's got the baits?'
"You lazy thing; you're sitting on my
pole!'
ALI these EXPLANATIONS are gotten off in
tone that awakens every echo within q
mile around, and sends every fish that
hears it into galloping Mysteries. Then
the girls, by superhuman exertions, man.
age to get worm on the hook and throw
it in with a splash like the launching of
a wash-tub, and await results. After
awhile a feeble-minded sunfish contrives
to get fastened on the hook of a timid
lady, and she gives vent to her tongue.
ooh, something's got my hook!''
''Pull up, you little idiot'' shouts
five excited voices, as poles and hooks
are dropped and they run to the rescue.
The girl with the bite gives a spasmodic
jerk which sends the unfortunate
''sunny" into the air the full length of
the line, and he comes down on the near
est curly head with damp flop that sets
her to clawing as though there were
humble bees in her hair.
"Oh, murder murder Take it away
Ugh take it away, the nasty thing y
Then they hold up their skirts as they
gather about that fish as it skips over the
logs, one all the while holding the line
in both hands with her foot on the pole,
as though she had an evil disposed goat
at the other end of the line. Then they
talked it over.
"How will it ever get OFF,"
| .3Aint pretty
/ e'Wonder if it amt dry?"
sPoor little thing; let's put it back "
GLOW will we get the hook from it?"
"Pick it up" says the girl who
rapidly backs out of the circle.
"Good gracious I'm afraid of it
| There, see It's opening it's mouth at
me.''
Just then the 'sunny" wriggles off the
hook and disappears between two logs
into the water, and the girls try for
another bite. But the sun comes down
and fries their necks, and they get three
headaches in the party, and they get
cross and scold at the fish like so many
magpies. If an unwary club dares to
show himself in tine water they poke at
him with poles, much to his disgust.
Finally they get mad all over and throw
! the poles away, hunt up the lunch
| baskets, climb up into the woods, where
they sit around on the grass, and eat
enough of rusk and hard-boiled eggs to
give wood-horse the nightmare, after
which they compare notes about their
| beaux until after sundown, when they go
home and plant envy in the hearts of all
their dear friends by telling them ''just
what splendid time they had
THE AsIATIC VAMPIRE. = The New
| York World furnishes description of
the South Asiatic Vampire, living
specimen of which was recently received
in that city. 1t was veritable ''breath-
sucker" SO much dreaded by the Asiatic
natives. This rare creature, perhaps the
only living specimen of the kind in the
country, is about one and half feet
| long, has a pair of piercing black eyes
( which shine like diamonds, double
row of sharp ivories similar to those Of
the weazle, and its powerful wings when
stretched its full length, measure two
| and half feet from point to point. The
| vampire hangs suspended from bar, in
the center of the cage in which it is con-
fined, by pair of formidable claws, and
when in position of repose resembles a
closed umbrella. It's body is covered
with comfortable coat of brown fur,
while its beautifully -proportioned head,
| which has a remarkable similarity to
that of diminiutive black-and-tan
terrier dog, is surmounted by pair of
large, shell-shaped ears. This strange
creature is almost totally blind during
the day, but at night its little eyes
twinkle with astonishing brilliancy. The
vampire is kept in temperature Of
seventy degrees. in order to conform as
nearly as possible with the climate of its
native home.
Victor Hugo's last book is called
''Toute Ia Lyre" Victor is old enough to