The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-16
ADesr.Fishing story"

in some other newspapers published in the
State, presume the Dispatch is now open
"to receive proposals for the biggest fish
ing story OF the season." IL we are right
in our conclusions, can you not stretch
your programme so as to make it applica-
BILE to " deer-fshing story?" IL you can
do that, then please enter me rs candi-
date for the premium you propose TO give
for the best fishing story sent you this sea-
son. The story is short, but 1t is to be
boped will not prove to be dry one. To
commence, will say that / am most in
tense disciple OF IZaak Walton, and among
nv friends there is one who says he can
beat me both as a fisherman and also as
killer OF deer at the same time. doubted
the former, but as / have never liked guns
since the war, and having lost my teeth, l
don't take much stock now in deer
meat, still l told him that / would
like to hear his story. Now you must not
forget that nv friend is an old man and
wears spectacles, and that he is also "ma-
ior." / never asked him how he won his
title as major; but as he was too young 10
have "ft' in the war Of 1912 land wasn't,
think, i'm the Mexican wary, and was too
old to have taken part in "the great rebel
lion,o presume he won such title in the
"good old time" when Virginia had her
"militia mustered ABOUT twice a year.
Now, the major, after taking "a cbaw"
Of that precious weed which kings, preach
ers, and Yankee internal-revenue officers,
all combined, can't kill, thusly remarked:
One cold, frosty morning in October he
was on the banks Of that great river for
fish (the Eottoway) quietly following that
which gave Sir Izaak so much pleasure (and
so quiet time to reflect on the things OF
81 haxspor hod
luck as q fisherman and reasonably expect
ing more, he heard in the distance that yelp
OF dogs which indicated that the hunting
Of deer, notwithstanding our improved
civilization, was still INDUCED in with as
much interest as it was in the days OF Cap
tain John Smith. That music caused him
10 keep an eye open for anything that might
"turn up" or swim along. AS such music
came nearer and nearer, the less closer did
the Major swatch his corks." He began
TO look all around and very often up the
river. While he did this, it never once Oc-
Cured to him before leaving home what
might turn up, or rather, how soon it might
be that royal buck would be seen SWIM
ming down the river in a few feet from his
corks. This proved to be the case, and not
having provided himself with firearms to
s'fish WITH" or rope to hang himself with,
when he saw such buck gracefully coming
down the river he at once took steps TO cap
ture him, but being a fisherman, Of course
would not disturb his poles to which
was attached his lines and hooks. The
consequence was, that IN an instant the
Major threw off his coat and boots,
cut about ten feet OF a grapevine. picked
up lightwood-knot, and jumped into that
q" ar river" and went for the said buck.
After making (while swimming lassO out
of the grapevine, he threw it over q splen-
did pair OF antlcrs, and then the game !"
seemed One-sIded one; but rs buck can
swim like a duck, he found that ii he did
not Use his lightwood-knot that the said
buck might carry him so far from home
that it would have been better had he never
"tackled" him. This being so, and fear
ing that some big club would run away
with one or more OF his poles, and as he
did want to eat some deer-meat, he hit that
buck such ticks on his head with that
ligbtwood-knot land such knots are pre-
cious heavy as soon began to cause him to
show signs oil sinking. AS the Majors
strength was giving out, il was with
10Y he noticed raft a little ahead of
him down the river, and as he neared such
he fairly laughed for Joy that large, broad
fence-rail had lodged so as he and his buck
would run against 1t. Such being the fact,
he soon brought to his aid the aforesaid
fence-ral. After binding his now dead
buck to such rail, and as there was no place
he could land at there, he struck out down
the river with his buck for landing.
Fortunately for him he did not go far be-
fore he was able to land fat buck that
weighed GIG pounds" After telling lis
this he took long breath and asked us ii
we did not think he was good fisherman.
We told him no. With establishment he
asked us why. Thereupon we told him he
wasn't circumstance 10 a party we could
tell him Of who was a fisherman. lie
wanted to know how such party could have
beaten him. Says L: "Major, you are lust
about half fisherman, because you don't
Ego prepared for an emergency. While il Is
true as general rule that club don't strike
at sbobs' In October, yet you ought
10 know that there are exceptions to al
general rules (say, for instance, that just
nov everybody opposed to boss rule, Tho
'infernal' revenue and the gross injustice
done Virginia by it, and the corruption IN
breeds, ought to so for Parson Massey).'
lie admitted that such was the fact. "Now,'
says /, "if you want to hear something O
a fisherman listen to me-" His eve
have 'bob' that morning?" Says he
al did not" "Now," says /, "tbat fish
erman l want to tell you about beat yor
badly" Says he, "Hows" Says ], "Why
he was fishing with hook and line, Just a.
you Were, except that he had his bob in
his breechcs-pocket. Like you, he heard
the hounds, gathered up his grapevine and
itghtwood-knot Is he saw 20o-pound buck
swimming down the river, and, cold as II
was, went for him. lie used ali the means
you did to capture his buck, and not wish.
ing TO waste any time fishing, slipped out his
bob and tied II on the tail Of his buck,
The consequence was that on landing his
acknowledgement buck he found that on
his bob (which was attached to the
bucks taiD he had caught an eight-pound
chub." '.N0w," says ], "Major, that Is
what Icall a fisherman" "Weil,1 saws he.
"that Is a good one, and MS poor as / am
would not take o dollar for that story"
AS there Is so much disposition 10 discount
any big fish or snake story, it Is best, per-
haps, Tor my own comfort and the character
sOf the gentlemen interested not to give any
names. II we are wrong In supposing
that the Dispatch Is the paper that wants
70 pay "premium" for the best fishing
story Of the season, then we are sorry for
~ and our labor ID In vain, as we presume |
that what we have written viii go into that |
hesket whose bottom can never be reached,