Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-15
A BLACK BASS STORY.
Stirring Them Up with Electricity, and
Making Them Hungry with Tonic.
From the Belo York Sun.

Making Them Hungry with a Tonic.
From, The Neto York Sun.
One afternoon of last week little gray
haired mar, with mild blue eyes and clean
shaven face, sat upon the mill dam Of one
Of the chain of ponds which check the
flow OF the Whippany river in Morris
county, New Jersey. He held in his hand
fine split bamboo rod, while at his side
was polished mahogany box with wires
running from its corners, and a brass
crank projecting from its side. 1t was
evidently an electric apparatus, and one
OF the wires dropped straight down into
the water, while the other led away along
the side Of the pond to its upper end.
Near the box WAS twO-gallOn demljOhn
and graduated glass such as chemists
use for measuring liquids, while at his
left was can containing score Of hid
eous water insects known as bOgerts or
helgramites, aud basket in which two
fine black bass were lying upon bed of
oak leaves. At intervals the old gentle
man carefully attached a helgramIte to
his hook, and deity cast it into the pond
with turn of his lett wrist, and at the
same instant vigorously turned the crank
on his box. For ten minutes he cast the
bait and turned the crank at frequent in
disappointment, put aside his rod and
turned to the demijOhn and removed the
cork. Then, carefully wiping the glass
with his handkerchief, he poured out
about a fluid pound OF yellow liquid,
which he cast out upon the pond. A mo-
ment later he was struggling with a large
bass, and his whip like rod bent nearly
double rs he skilfully handled the reel and
walked slowly toward the shore, with his
I'M n Narff
pleasure.
"He's got a whopper,' said a bare
footed boy who had been watching his
maneuvres for halt an hour. Turning to
the youth with a triumphant glance, the
old gentleman said:
at was the tonic that fetched him."
After a struggle of three or four min
utes' duration the angler landed three
pound bass, and as the fish painted away
its life on the grassy bank he danced about
it saying:
"The tonic Ia success; n great success.
The callsaya was what it needed. Less
iron, more calisaya; that's the thing"
did understand you to say that YOU
caught that bass with n tonic!" asked a
stranger who stopped to view tive captive.
''NO, sir, not directly with r tonic. do
not put tonic on tn bait, but administer
it through the medium OF the water In the
and Will reVolutioniZe the art OF angling.
Bass are sluggish in August and will not
take food regularly, but the tonic mixture
stimulates their appetite and they take
the bait vOraciously."
wv hat is the electrical apparatus tori"
"Ah, that is another triumph" an
swered the little old gentleman. cit is
one Of my most important discoveries. In
that box is a powerful magnet0-electrical
machine with which | can reach the
deepest recesses of the pond and awaken
the sleeping fab with thrilling shock Of
electricity. 1t is a most remarkable sue
cess. Most extraordinary"
"You have caught three bass l OBJ
server"
Eyes, three beauties, and I have been
here only about five hours. As soon as
receive my inheritance from Spain ] shall
patent both inventions. ] am staying out
here for my health, and am giving full
sway TO my genius."
"Come, Doctor; 1t is time 10 return"
said burly-looking individual in a blue
suit who had just arrived on the scene,
and the old gentleman, with his assist
ance, wound up the wires and packed
away his tackle.
SHE is pretty well fixed and we have TO
humOr him." said the man in blue to the
stranger as he followed the cid gentleman
up the mill leading TO the asylum.