Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-26


/ sTATESMEN-ANGLE s
Noted Disciples OF the Disciple who
| Said, ssI 60 a Fishimg.',
Mr. George Dawson, for many years editor OF
the Albany Ecening Journal. is contributing to
Forest and Stream q pleasant series of papers
entitled winter Talks and Summer Pastimes
from the last number Of which we take the fol-
lowing extracts relating to several gentlemen
well known to readers of The STAR:
--- "a. is,lTssssss.S.s.-
General Arthur now President Of the United
States, Is a we'll known 'brother of the angle -
He has all the best qualities of the most famous
disciples of the gentle art. He is patient, cour-
teous, companionable, enthusiastic and expert
He is. withal. an ardent lover of all that is grand
and beautiful and picturesque in nature. AS
| have said Of another can say of him. in all that
moves our sensibilities and kindliest sympathes
nc is as impossible as child and as gentle as
woman. In spite of the rough school in
which he has been lifelong pupil his heart is
'open as day to melting charity, and his poetic
tastes enable him always and everywhere to see
sermons in stone, books in running brooks,
Ana good In everytht 49,"
| His love Of the art is the outgrowth of his
main with him long after the dazzling glorics of
! Office shall have lost their charm because the
! beauties OF nature are as varied and cXhaustless
as the mnnicence and majesty of their benef-
cent author. The pleasurablc emotions they
excite. Ike the eternal principle nySteriOusly
! linked to our infinite humanity never die Than
General Arthur no man can pitch tent more
quickly aaorn camp more tastefuIIy cast fly
more deity, fight q salmon more artlsticaly or
| bring him to gaff more gracefully. | owe to his
! fn frCt col
mon. have been with him in every phase of an
anglers experience and know him to be the
/ peer OF the most accomplished and most ap-
precatIve OF the masters of the art. 1t has
been his good fortune to kill the largest salmon
ever taken with fly on this continent: and it
was because knew his intense fondness for
/ the pastline that | appreciated how deeply he
felt his disappointment when. after his nominal
! ton as vce-president, rendered him my con-
gratulatiOns. he said: '' | thank you OF course
! but | am afraid that. for this summer at least
| it will keep me away from our grand old river -
A pastinle that could be remembered and spo-
Ken OF under such circumstances must have a
strong hold upon ones affections am sure he
looks forward hopefully to the day when re-
lieved of the cares Of his high Office he will be
! once more permitted to pitch his tent upon
| the Restigouche or Cascapedia and angle for
! salmon.
VICE-PREsIDENT WHEELER.
Is one of tile distinguished anglers of our own
time. His visits to the Saranacs and adjacent
waters were and still are as regular as the sea-
| sons His home is in close proximity to the
best fishing grounds in the state and he has
! grown up as familiar with all of them as he is
With the various rooms in his own doniicile He
has been member Of our state legislature has
repeatedly served his district in the House of
| Representatives, been c-Presdent of the
United States and busy man always, but he
hn int ff.,,1
beautiful lakes which make a terrestrial para
| disc of the 1ar-tamed Adirondacks When
years ago he was talked of for the high nOs;t!on
! which he subsequently filed, ventuled'the pre-
! dicton that he would take no office that would
preclude him from these annual visits to any
! ling waters. In 1876 Hayes and Wheeler We're
the candidates Of their party. and | was pro-
Gained a false prophet But not only knew
my man. but the fascinating pastlne OF switch
! he was a yotary. and the result yndjcatad nv
prediction. He more than once mysteriolsly
| disappeared from his place Us presiding officer
OF the Senate and while Others were guessing his
| whereabouts, his more intimate friends knew
he had gone a-fishing. His robes of place
! We're laid aside tor the garb of the angler and
the restraints and iormaics of his office for the
| quiet and freedom which can be found no.
where so perfectly as in the primitive forests
and on the crystal lakes and flowing rivers
Where the veteran angler finds his most refresh
ing rest and highest deectaton.
Although the eX-Vice President is as skilled
| III all the mysteries of the craft as he is in all
the lntrcacies of the civil law, and with all the
| profoundest principles of craftsmanship, he af-
fects the troll rather than the fly and is oftener
seen leisufeiy floating over the slvery surface Of
the beautiful lakes than casting in either brook
or river While this mode of angling does not
come up to the highest standard of the art, and
fails to satisfy the more ardent. robust and en-
thusiastic of the brotherhood it is full of attrac-
ton and affords supreme delight to the more
reposeful and contemplative. Indeed. the most
enthusiastic of the craft-even those who fancy
they would soon weary of the sport if they could
not least" for their prepare often lured by the
pleasure available to those who spend the
sunny summer days casting along the pictur-
esque shores and among the fairy-like islands of
our charming inland waters. Every measure of
the oar reveals some new bit of landScapeto be
admired. Sunshine and shadow are ever busy
painting pictures OF ever-yarying beauty. The
gentle summer Zephyrs float down from the for
est-crowned mountains like heavenly benedic-
tons. The balmy air. as free from the germs of
disease and the doors of decayas the mind of the
angler is from strife and contention fills his
lungs as full of inyigorating elxiras his heart is
OF gratitude and good will Those who have
felt all this-and all Of us have-will not think
the less of our distinguished fellow citizen be-
cause he mostly angles with the troll and seeks
his pleasure and recreation in moving to and
1ro upon the lakes. which sit like sparkling
gems among the everlasting hills of the far
famed Adirondacks. l hope, when my right
hand shall forget it's cunning and when from
old age or decreptude l shall have fought my
tast battle on salmon waters to be able to glide
gently toward the dark river in the quiet and
peaceful and happy way in which my honored
friend has so long found his highest pleasure
and most perfect repose.
JUDGE EDMUNDs,
the distinguished Senator from Vermont, has
been for many years regular visitor to salmon
waters. He has fished MANY of the best rivers of
the Provinces, and is as expert as he is enthu-
siastic in the practice of the art OF late years
his daughters have accompaniment and shared
with him the great pleasure to be derived from
these annual visits to the quiet places where
salmon and seatrout gather in their season for
the deectation of the angler. One of his daugh-
tiers was long an invalid, and although she was
temporarily benefited by these summer So
journs in the silent woods, she recently 'entered
into rest" Hereafter the pleasure the honored
statesman may derive from his angling excur-
sions will be hallowed by the memory Of the
heart-gladdening companionship of the .loved
and lost"