The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-08-04


SOMERSET COUNTY TRoUT.-MR EDITOR
| am pleased to learn that ''Uncle JAY Bee, -
the trout man, is a minister or to use his
own words, "a plain old Lutheran preach
er." By-the-way, this fish question reminds
us of one of the HERALD's poets, who, in
writing poem headed The Devil Fishing"
said that adept angler caught a Congressman
with check, but when he wanted 10 catch
preacher he baited with lady's garter,
and landed the preacher safe on shore ~
However, | would be happy to have Uncle
Jay Bee come to Turkeyfoot To fish We
have another preacher friend who intends
coming from his city home to 90 fishing,
and will agree TO carry the bait and fish
for both of you, although no fisherman my
self Ny !atchstring hangs out for you, Tn
Gle
had, after reading Jay Bees firSt article
giving such wild figures ON fish, concluded
that he was one of that famous Fish Com
mission, which decided that the United
States Government should pay seven mil
lions of dollars for catching 4 few heads and
tails in British waters | know better now.
| agree with Jay Bee that some people should
give fish culture their attention. We think
if the farmers could have a fish pond. and if
they have destroyed their timber, they could
plant swift growing shade trees around the
pond Our mountain trout will not remain
in a sluggish stream without any shade. nor
in a brook filled up with old logs and debris,
a fit abode for snakes and Lizards.
Speaking of the ''fine-haired fishermen
reminds us of paying visit to deserted
camp of these gentry, on the bank of the
Yough-broken jugs and bottles lay around
in profusion; they had consumed all their
'snake-bite remedy and gone home TO their
dear dear families. Just look out of the car
window, Uncle, when you pass along the
Yough river and be convinced.
If Uncle Jay Bee, by his reflection on the
business capacity Of the Macs, refers to de
scendanis of Scotch-Irish, with a sprinkle of
Welsh and English Through intermarriagel
who settled in the Turkeyfoot region from
one to two hundred years ago, then that's
our nationality, although we're not a native
of the State.
Uncle Jay Bee thinks raising and trading
four year old steer for one and half bush
els of salt was not a mark of a sharp trading
capacity. | presume he took market price
for his steer 100 years ago. The Macs Of
that day hadn't advanced in the art of put
-. a ,,-,-,,s- ~, .attlo - i,.,. lpfs
although one of Turkeyfoot's sons, at a later
period, became the cattle king of Illinois,
and could corner the cattle market of 81.
Louis al his pleasure; but judging from the
name Jacob Straughan) he was not a Mac. =
Doubtless the butcher who paid such prices
100 years ago for beef cattle was one of those
gentlemen of the Faderland who was rented
out by the Prince of Hcsse, and obtained a
free passage to America under peculiar cir
cumstances, and after the unpleasantness al
Yorktown, found il more agreeable and re-
munerative 10 buy beef cattle of the Macs
than To shoot at them while they were un-
der command Of Washington BY the way
many of these veteran Macs are sleeping in
the old cemeteries of the Turkeyfoot region.
Speaking o Billy Braddock's road, we can
show Uncle jay Bee 4 man whose head is
bowed with the weight of years, who says
that his grandfather Captain Friend passed
over the battle field a few days after Brad
docks defeat and saw hog running with 4
mans leg in his mouth fact denoting that
one Of the hog-eating Teutons (who Sherrard
Clemens. of Virginia, said in his famous
speech in Congress, would eventually mon
opolize the Mississippi valley was living
near Billy Braddock's road.
We are aware that the Macs are not proy
erbial for making three kegs Of hutter 10 a
COW. or understand the AT Of packing kcs,
with old buekskin hreeches or potato mash ;
they are strangers to wooden nutmegs and
mahogany hams.
But 70 the text.-Fish questiOn-wJuld
not the forefathers have better passed on to
the Mississippi valley, leaving the Ale
ghenies as a reservation for the red man, his
natural fishing and hunting grounds can
take Uncle jay Bee 10 a s.ope of country
not over 100 miles south Of here where the
timber stands in all It's primitive glory
where no farm houses, bank barns, or mod
ern Improvements molested the trout, i,deer or
bear. VIII Uncle Jay Bee have plenty Of
game and trout aud no civilization of i'm
provements and no Wild trout OF game? II
cultivated trout is the idea then he needn't
upbraid our forcfathers with earelessness.
We certainly meet here culture without aid
of pioneers.
Mac
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