The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-17
A GENUINE FISH STORY.
The Fishy Joke Which Was Played Upon
Musioally-Inclined Old Gentleman.
TMarnuatta Minipo, Journal1

Ine f1Bny joke Wnicn was PlayeO UBOn
Musioally Inclined Old Gentleman.
marquette Mining JournaLl
A Journal reporter listened to FISH
story few evenings ago, the truth Of
which can be vouched for by many
who were residents of the city many
years ago. 1t may not properly be re-
garded as what is commonly termed a
'fish-story," but, rather as "nshy"
joke. twas somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of ten years ago, at a time when a
stream of water ran through the lot on
which was located the old fremont House.
The department used for a wash-room was
directly over this little brook, and trap
door was put in and through this water
was taken from the stream as required.
The Peak family bell ringers were making
tour Of the upper peninsula that Summer,
and during their stay in Marquette occu.
pied rooms at the fremont, which was then
the leading hotel. The old gentleman and
proprietor, VIM. D. Peak, was very
fond of fishing, and soon after his arrival
inquiries were made for a good trout
stream where he could satisfy his pisca-
torlal proclivities and ut the same time
treat the members OF his troupe to rare
Dish. One Of the party, whose name we
have forgotten, took it into his head to
have little sport with the old gentleman,
and with that end in view, procured the
assistance OF an able accomplce in tie
person of the hotel clerk, who was also
fond OF joke. The porter and bell boy
were dispatched to tae nearest trout
stream with instructions to bring in o pail
full OF live trout. In those days II was
not much of trick 70 ca oh pail full OF
the fish, and the boys were not out long
before large number were brought in
alive and swimming about in a pail Of
water. A large wash tub was then
filled with water and placed under the
wash room, just far enough down stream
TO be hidden from view. The live trout
were Ius into the tub and the porter took
up his position alongside of it. When all
had been arranged to the satisfaction Of
the jokers, and several others of the troupe
let into the scheme, Mr.. Peak was in.
formed by the hotel clerk that II he was
anxious for mess Of fish he might try his
luck In the little brook under the house for
time, adding that trout were quite fre.
quently captured bv standing to one side
of the trap door and casting into the water
and allowing the hook to float down stream
a short distance. At first the old gentle.
man was inclined to regard the matter as
an absurdity, but being prevailed upon by
the troupe-who had congregated to see the
sport-to try It just once foI luck, he
brought out his fishing rod, and, stealing
noiselessly up TO the open trap, so as not
to alarm the fish, he dropped in his well.
baited hook; then, followed the in.
junction of the clerk, he allowed
the current Of the stream TO carry
II toward the tub, and in less than a
jiffy, Mr.. Peak had the satisfaction of
landing fine brook trout, Here the sport
began in good earnest. In went the hook,
and out came another lively speckled trout.
A pail of water was brought and as fast as
he could pull them out, they were put into
It. When he had caught about four dozen
or so, and II was thought that the tub and
the porter must be running short Of nsh
the joker would slip few through crack
in the floor into the tub, and on went the
sport, to the delight of all present. No
one offered to "spelln the old man, and he
didn't appear to offer his rod 10 anyone
fact was, the old gentleman had struck II
rich, and was having too much sport him.
self to give 1t up, and 80 he kept right
on fishing. Every time the hook came
within reach of the porter a trout would
be hooked onto It. Just before sup
per time tho pail Of fish was carried into
the kitchen to be cooked, but a lot Of dead
ones had been prepared for the occasion,
and the live ones found their way back in.
to the washtub. After 'worlsing" the old
bell ringer all the afternoon, the flna re-
suit was a grand brook trout and cham
payne supper at his expense. The matter
was kept quiet until just before the de.
parture Of the family, when Mr.. Peak was
told Of the joke. So well hadit been played
that he had failed to detect 1t, but ho took
It in good part, and in after years was
won't to relate IL on the road with as much
zest apparently as II he had been the per.
petrator instead Of the victim Of prscti.
cal fish joke.