Morris tribune., 1883-06-02
FISH AND ORANGES.
The Sport of President Arthur anu
His Friends In Florida.

Inc SDOfb Oh FfCSluChD -AA
His Friends In Florida.
| Florida Letter in New York Paper.
Black bass lined the deck of the little
steamer Okechobee on Wednesday last,
and the president was surfeited with the
sport. He had caught one nine-poun-
der and they were biting SO freeI that
the president said it was murder to
catch them, as they would not begin to
be eaten, and could only be thrown
| overheard. No sportsman, he added'
| caught fish to throw overheard, ana as
it was hot, and "dem insects" were
| biting, it was decided to steam back 10
Kissummee City. The presidents cheeks
| were burned to blisters. he batned
| them with hazel extract, but the sun
| burn had gone too deep; MS cneekS
were almost broiled. Secretary Chan-
dler who had been hopping about al hlg IiS
| catching mosquitoes, was very Lreu. ne
| had a good time, ne said, but tie Jun or
| canning in the everglades OF Florida
| was about exhausted. When a native
| cracker told the secretary that Woodlcks
would bore through the skin into the
| flesh and there lie down and die, he was
| very apprehensive, and imagined every
mosquito bite he got wood TICK:
|
return he was some miles from the
| steam boat, and he padded back through
| the black waters He said be had been
| happy all day in blue flannel skirt and
| q coarse straw hat, perched IN the DOW
| of a duoout. He cast out his fy IN the
| narrow black stream. Alligator tracks
| were on the banks, mocassln was now
and then seen, the paroquets make
| frightful noises in the air, the huge tur-
| KEY buzzards cast shadows on the water,
| the hooking birds warbled away III the
| palmetto trees, ana OtneF
| strange and mysterious tropical
| noises were heard. To none OF these
did the president pay any heed. Capt.
Rose. who is tanned ike sailor, pad
died him about for hours, and not one
word did the president speak. He stuck
| to the yellow hackie fly and cast it with
the skill of an Adirondack guide. 1t
| took no small skill to do this The stream
was narrow and the Gu rent strong.
| Luxuriant tropical vegetation lined the
| banks. and the moss-hung cypress trees
| met overhead. but the presidents cast
| was sure. His shirt sleeves were rolled
| UP, and the sun was playing the MS
| chief with his bare arms, but he sat IKE
| a sphinx, silently casting the fly, and
| when he had rise, gently playing with
4
| the evening the president got fine
strike. He had strong but small troll
| cord on the rod. The rod bent nearly
| double, and it sWayod tins way and that.
| The fish was pulling like a derrick, and
it and the president had Il tussie Tor nj
teen minutes. At length the chief mag
istrate landed catfish that weighed
| thirteen pounds. Mr.. Miller was patient
Iy casting for black bass in another boat,
and got great many, but the president
vas beating him.
Secretary Chandler sat in the steamer
in his shirt sleeves and stocking Ieet,
the happiest man in America. He
couldn't shoot, he cOu,dn't fish he
couldn't swim, but how he could talk.
They rugged up line for him on the
boat and baited it, and induced him to
throw it overheard. BY aid by he
started as though a policeman had struck
him between the shoulders with CLUB.
| He shouted. I've hot Il bite" and he
pulled as though he had shark. His
eyeglasses iell of, and he lad TO feel
| his way thereafter. He landed nIne-
pound catish-bull-head he called 1t
| and he was happy us boy with his pair
| of red-top boots.
Carriages later,in the day conveyed
| the party to Beliar, ex Minister SantorI's
| orange grove, three miles away, where
| on one hundred ana tAirty-tiVe acres
| there are planted over ten Thousand
| trees of sweet oranges and
plentiful variety OF lemons,
citron and msrmalade oranges and pine
apples and specimens of olives, pear
shaped lines, Japanese cherries and
other fruits. The bergamOt IomOI also
grows there, the leaf Of which crushed,
smells ofthe oil that It's extracted from 1t.
10 Il lrn
estimated to yield va1iousiy from one
thousand to three thousand of fruit
year, so that on many trees could be
seen blossoms and bud and matured
fruit within an arms length. The oIean-
er,sladen with bell shaped pink and
white blossoms: the scarlet ph!ox, loath
/ to leave the earth; the variegated, star
formed lantana; the ieatheTy rose apple
blossom, are but few of the rare prod
ucts of this genial estate. The President
enjoyed quite two hours out there.
among the trees and flowers, plucking
and biting into lemons and oranges and
commenting on the wonderful progress
and possibilities of the fruit-growing in
dustry.
Meanwhile Secretary Chandler, de-
taching himself from the main party
plunged of into the grove to knock of
fruit for private and official consump-
ton. Detected in this turtle effort by
others on like errand he gave ready
assent to a more primitive suggestion;
and presently the Secretary of the Navy
was confessedy up tree, with his hat
and coat, in the sand at his base. He
plucked rich cluster of golden fruit
and dropped to the ground shouting
happily.
1t was dark before the evening return,
with ali hands tired and in good spirits
and the Executive fingers purple with
mulberry stains. The thumming of
banjo in the hotel lobby drew attention
early in the evening to an understood
darkey, in blue flannel shirt, loose
waist-c coat reaching below his hips, tiarlng
trousers and capacous brogans. About
nine o'clock he was joined by another,
whom the hotel guests spoke OF as
was not unlike that of "Pick-
erel.r the banjoist, but who fondled
bristling mustache, which furnished him
boundless entertainment and kept the
spectators as well as himself i'll perpetual
merriment. Shad and Pickerel were
not long alone after this. and at about $50
the partythen numbering six, the banjo
struck up jig. Shad disappeared to re-
appear with his trousers tuckedin red
stockings, and while three of them sang
Shad and a companion launched into
plantation shuttle, in which a change of
places like right and left movement in
quadrille called for display of native
grace quite inimitable. This perform
ance was kept up for two hours, the
presidents party taking it in with the
other guests in the open lobby, and the
presidents silver dropping into Shad's
hat as naturally as other contributions.
Bymidnight the lights were lowered and
Sabbath quiet had settled upon the
house.
Imperial Keepsakes.
sThe coronation of the car" says
the Pail Mall Gazette, will bring
to light some curious and ancient