Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-16
CORRESPONDENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE.
 The Cotifishing Experience of ssN. c. S.'' ON BOARD STEAMER ELM C1TY, August 14. l To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 few evenings ago when I came home l from business found on my table letter from one of our ''City Fathers inviting me to go codfshing few days later in the week. We'll knowing how good time I should have | in his company from former experiences we | have had together, I at once accepted with
 out a second thought about the fishing, of | which it is needless to say I am exceedingly ! fond
 The time for our departure came, and at 9:15 p. m. we started via the city horse cars, loaded with baskets of provisions, fishing tackle, extra wrappings, and above all with the happy idea of not only supplying our ] own tables with fish, (to be cooked in all manner of forms for the next few weeks but we had also promised our numerous \ friends an abundant supply, and had even gone so far as to ask them not to provide ! themselves with any more of that kind of 1 food for some time in the future. We really snelt fish in the air we breathed, and every | time the car stopped to take on more passen- 1 gers, we imagined that every person who came on board with basket was, like our ] Se1YeS, gong a-nSnlnS.
 Arriving on board, we saw parties turned away, not being able to get satisfactory ac- commodations, and we felt ourselves exceed 1 ingly happy in our good fortune of securing I our rooms and tickets long in advance The wharf was full of men going a-ishing, the gang-plank was fianked on either side with men going a-fshing, and when once on board the whole of the main deck and the upper saloon, and, in short, every part of the boat, was well filled with men, (only a very few I ladies) all going fishing. So were we, and we all were exceedingly jolly, wonderfully ] full of spirits, (dont misinterpret, however, the meaning of that significant word).
 What happened during the night I know ! little of, for was exceedingly tired, so with out going through the ceremony of disrobing ''turned in,'' as the sailors say, ''all stand ing" It being little rough, and my bed 1 being very hard, I did not sleep well, and to- I wards morning it began to be intentionally cold, so both my friend and myself arose early. He said he had passed wretched night, and felt little ''stewed" myself, but | "bracing up" at the sight of Block Island in l the distance through our stateroom windows l we took courage and went on deck. Just as 1 the sun rose we took on pilot off the island, l who at once said, ''No fishing today" but | still was willing to go with us and try. This l speech of his was not publicly made, or he l would have soon been @ second Jonah fear. l So we went on our way, while all began to un- l ship fishing tackle, ''bend on" new hooks
 | add additional sinkers, adjust fishing rig, 1 and, in short, get ready for the sport. 1 The boat stopped and scores of lines were soon in the water. They were there about ] three minutes, and the steamer moved on g ] short distance, halted, and then started fo1 | Block Island, while it soon began to be whis- pered through the party that the fishing had 1 been abandoned for the day, and we should l spend the rest of our time ashore before l starting for New Haven. What mad set ] of men we were q mean those who were l not sick For my part I was only too glad 1 to go. I had tied up my line and was lying on my back after the first stop. Others l might fish (if they wished), but none for me- l I believe one of the party caught a small bass
 but that was all that was taken, and except l the party had bought a supply on shore we
 1 should have brought back small show fo1 1 our days excursion from the Block
 Island codfsh ground. But the 1 day was not altogether unhappily spent.
 1 True, we found ourselves with about six 1 hours on our hands to spend ashore, but l what was that in such a place? My friend | and myself wandered along the beach about l two miles, and sitting upon high bluff en- ] joyed the sensation of looking off towards 1 the old world, over the trackless water for 1 over two hours, then tramped slowly about l over the fields, saw the beautiful crops grow | ing on the exceedingly uneven but fertile soil noticed the sheep and cattle quietly pastur- | ing, looked at the bathers in the distance, l slyly watched the firtations going on among l the young folks, admired the healthy com | plexion of the numerous children that were | romping about, wondered why the hotels
 were set in an open lot without sign of g
 roadway leading to or from them, passed ou1 l comments upon things generally, and then | returned to our stateroom on the boat, ate our dinner and at p. m. started for home. M. c. s.