Morning journal and courier., 1885-07-01
on the streets of Tampa with negro whom

on the streets of Tampa with negro whom he was offering for sale.
 Tommy Tiger-Tail could only say 'tyes'' and "no, " "white man" and few other sim pie English words. We each bought an eg- ret plume of him in parting, paying the pal try sum of twenty-five cents for what would retail at $2 in the North
 While we were crossing Lake Kissim1nee, the captain pointed over to the right and said: "There is the point where Tiger creek empties into the lake, draining Lakes Tiger, Rosalie and Walk-in-the- Water. The creek did not admit of navigation at all, but we improved it, so that now Fort Meads and Peace creek are directly accessible. Our snag boat removed 8,0S5 snags, cut out l, ,- 932 trees, and strengthened 218 bends These operations drained and improved @ large track of valuable country"
 The trip down from Lake Kissimmee to Kissimmee river was essentially repetition of the trip down to the lake,. save that the country on both sides had more of the aspect of prairie. The course of the river was ex- ceedingly tortuous, despite the fact that the drainage company have shortened it from sixty miles to forty-fve. The space at com mand does not warrant detailed account of that novel journey, inasmuch as there are some incidents that occurred by the way which I have set my heart upon relating.
 On the moonlight night when we were tIO5Sll4S 1ahO Sy ypISSS III RO1uk uOWAj WO suddenly described on the lake speck of a rewboat, which was being half paddled, half propelled by wind up stream. The course of the Rosalie was altered, and we came up alongside. "Well, Jim," said the captain whats ss4!le ma teri" Fuels most gone, sir, and thought I'd go down and tell you to get some more here before night tomorrow D Each man knew that it was a lie, and yet thus do men cherish the lie when they know that deception is futile. "All right" said the captain, 'tget on board and we'll tow you back; we've saved you a hard journey by happening along' Then the captain added aside to me, q can feel for that man, but discipline is discipline. He's just get mar ried, and his wife lives down to South Port. You can imagine how much he wanted to see her in that he has rigged up this boat 1sing blanket from his bed as sail, and started out in the face of five miles of canal in which the current is about three miles an hour, and three miles of lake. He worked on dredge No. g."
 Just as we were emerging from the river into Lake Hatcheneha on our way back we met another boat,-a small sai1boat, loaded to the waters edge with household goods. in the stern sat the Florida edition of Robin son Crusoe and his man Friday" "Do you see the foremost of those two mens" queried he. captain. ''He is a hermit by the name of Driggs. He has been living all alone.for S0luo tlul6 OIl d 1lGGlS SttulDduk III Iu0 MISS immee river opposite an estate which he has purchased and planted with orange and lemon trees. His furniture was contained in one trunk and two boxes up to year ago. He had{no roof to his head, but crawled into one of the boxes when it rained Now he has just erected little hut, and is evidently moving certain furniture and conveniences down to the place. He is 8 man of real cul- ture, taXidermist by previous profession; and hia ratirpp1nnt ia acpOrdinO1V inaYnl1c0- ble to me, except on the theory that there is some love affair behind it. There usual ly is women at the bottom of such strange proceedings-eh?'
 "Have you any more strange cases down here in this wild, forsaken region" "A few miles inland there is a man living with his wife and four daughters. The daughters are wood-choppers by business, and furnish all the fuel that is consumed by one of our big dredges. Their prospects for matrimony do not at present appear to be comforting; but suppose few years hence will find thriving little villages distributed along the rivers course" On the return trip we stopped and fshed from one of the dredges. I shall remember that occasion as the most remarkable piscatorial event in my career up to that point. We caught nothing that weighed less than two or three pounds, a catfish or black bass falsely called trout in the South) weighing four or five pounds were the rule. had the pleasure ot landing afteI some difficulty fine old catfish said to be one of the largest caught with hook and line. Bystanders estimated the weight at eleven pounds, and averred that I had fairly out done President Arthur.
 People in the South are inclined to elevate the nose at the thought of eating catfish, which they call ''nigger dish;" but our captain had eaten catfish at the North, and gratefully accepted the trophy of my skill at howl Houa1 and droSSo6 for hic own table. I have never fshed where large fish bit so fast anywhere else. EMILE.