Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-26
FISH AND OYSTER YARNS.
A Memorable Day Aboard Tweed,
Steam Yacht Julia.

A Memorable Day Aboard Tueed,s
Steam Yacht julia.
From the st. Louis Globs-Democras
This is the season for fishing and, Of course,
fish stories are numerous and ''big catches" are
reported from all parts Of the country. Every
one who knows anything about fishing is aware
tina the waters of the Gulf Of Mexico are alive
with the flnny tribe, and that q majority OF all
species of salt water fish can be captured there.
Julia, the famous steam yacht Of the notorious
William n. Tweed, was bought by Capt. Eads
when the BOSS" was sold out, and went to the
! jetties, where it did good service on the work,
although, except In emergencies, 1t was not
used for anything but pleasure boat. Many
American and English capitalists INDUCED In
enjoyable trips In the Julia, BrittaIne Island
usually being the objective point. OF the is
land the catches were big, as none of the
participants can deny. Reddish, red snappers,
founders, sting-rays, pronounced there sting
a-ree, speckled trout, and numerous other fish,
fine or otherwise, responded to the attentions
paid them by anglers. One gentleman was not
little astOnished after hooking fine red snap
per and pulling him five or six feet from the
water, expecting to land him On the yacht with
out trouble, to see him bitten in two by large
shark, which carried off the ''for-rard" part Of
the snapper, together with the more valuable
part OF the fSherman's tackle, at the same time
nearly jerking his arms out of their sockets
now, but although Capt. Eads parties usually
made good showing when they returned from
an excursion. the biggest catch they ever
made was grand discounted by party near
the jetties, if story told to q reporter yes
terday may be believed. The informant's
memory as to dates was not very good, but
he said he was employed as carpenter at the
jettes six or eight years ago, when a fore
man named Walker. DR.. StOakley. the jetty
physician. (who by the way was also custom
house officer at Port Eads,) and two of the doc
tors boatmen started out after sea trout. They
| found the fish near shore, and had fair luck IN
til the school began moving out to deeper
water. The party was in a light cedar boat, Is
feet in length and followed the fish fully three
miles from land. In gulf fishing shark meat is
usually used for bait, and the sharks are caught
with hook from six to ten inches in length
and attached to chain about six feet long capa-
bic OF sustaining weight Of 1900 OF ], 500
pounds. The huge hook Is baited with from two
to five pounds Of meat, and when an unruly Gus
toner is ''struck" the line attached to the chain
is allowed to run out over a reel fixed in the
bow OF the boat. The reel on this occasion
had about 800 fathoms Of line, and all hands
were busy with the sea trout when the doctor
called Walkers attention to the shark line
at the bow, saying there was bite. Walker
dropped his trout lines and stepped over
toward the reel when the line began running
out with such velocity that the bow Of the craft
was nearly drawn under the water The strain
was suddenly relaxed after about 40 fathoms of
line had been reeled Off and the water which
was nearly calm, was broken by ripple, and
huge dark object appeared on the surface at a
little distance from the boat It was the fish
they had hooked on the shark line, and" con-
tinued the narrator, "Walker and the boatman
swOre that there was at least 40 feet of It's back
visible, and that the upper fiuke Of It's tail,
which showed beyond the body, was at least IL
feet In length. They said, In describing 1t, that
1t was Of dark slate color, and that the part OF
it above water was fully as long. and nearly as
high as the tug Chamberlain. It lay on the sur
face ofthe water for nearly a minute. a portion
OF Its head and small eye on the side toward
the boat being In plain sight Of the four asst
ished occupants, and then, with mighty whisk
OF the huge tail and plunge that left the boat
rocking IN the waves SO caused, disappeared.
The line again recommended running out with
frightful rapidity, and DR.. Stoakley called to
Walker for Gods sake to cut 1t before the boat
was swamped. Walker demurred saying there
were 300 fathoms, and that he wanted a better
acquaintance with the levathan. He weakened,
however, as the line kept running out 90 fast as
to make the wood over which it passed smoke
and almost take fire, and when there were only
30 or 40 fathoms left on the reel he chopped off
the line with a Ratchet. The four men then sat
and gazed at each other and gasped for breath.
They knew that the monster would have pulled
the boat under the moment the line had run out,
and the chances were a thousand to one that
they would have been food for sharks before
they had been In the water five minutes" "What
kind Of a fish was 1t ?" asked one of the listen
ers while another said he was fond of hsh, but
could not swallow such a fish story as that.
81 don't know what kind Of fish 1t was;
neither did they. They thought it might be q
whale, which are often seen In the Gulf and one
species Of which will bite at bait. don't vOuch
for this, but give it as they told it to me and
many Others and believe it to be true. If it
is it can easily be verified, as all the parties are
alive, and there are half dozen men in st.
Louis now who have heard them tell the same
story, among others Dick Nisbet, John Grippen,
Wright, Andy, who was on the Julia, Capt.
Tully, &C."
speaking of Dick Nisbet," said another, II
heard him tell cOck-and-bull story about an
oyster he saw in New Orleans that weighed over
$50 pounds-shell and ALL That would settle
anything in mymind that he could tell me about
Walker catching the whale at the jettes"
The narrator of the whale story gazed at the
last speaker with a cOntemptuOus expression
and slowly said: "Dick told the truth; there is
or was short time ago an oyster shell In front
Of Borges' oyster-house, on Custom-house
street, which is marked as weighing over $50
pounds, and you've seen it, Bill, and so have
you, Tom." (appealing to some river men in the
party) Bill and Tom acknowledged the &c
Guaintance with the oyster in question, and the
uhbelieyer skunk away in crushed state.
Some observations ON Spanking.
From ba Laramie Roomarspo