Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-17
CLEvELAND,s FISHING TRIP.
Tho Presfdent's Mugwuup, Whitney,
Dolphin and Villas Offensive Partisan

Dolphin and Villas Offensive Partisan,
From, the PhfladelpAia Press.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-The President
returned to the capital tonight in spe-
cIal car from the WOodmont Rod and
Gun Club on the Upper Potomac, where
he went last Saturday afternoon. The
party, which was composed of Mr.. Cleve
land, Private Secretary Lamont, Secreta-
ries Whitney, Manning and Lamar, Post
master General Villas and two or three
members of the club, enjoyed themselves
immensely.
The first bite the President had was so
dainty that he said he wasn't sure whether
it was bass or a mugwump, as both
nlbbled cOyly at first. After playing with
it for awhile, he landed fine fish and
justified his reputation as a skillful
angler. Secretary Lamar went out in a
boat With a good array Of tackle, and,
after adjusting his flies, waited for a rise.
He didn't happen to etrike good spot for
fish, and, as he felt no evidence of a bite
from anything but a mosquito for half an
hour, he turned his rod over to his boat
man, and, taking out a copy Of Shelley,
was soon lost to all his aquatic surround
ings. His bOatman, however, faithfully
attended TO his work and the result was
that the Secretary of the Interior showed
the largest string of fish of any of the par
ty. and, OF course, mOdestly claimed to
have caught them all himself
Secretary Whitney was just going to
take a boat when he espied u tadpOle sit
ting on the top of the dam. ''Hold on"
said the enemy of John Roach, "pm going
to fish on the dam; wherever you see a
tadpOle there you will lind bass" Don't
be an ass" said Manning, "there isn't
any bass there. is there, JudgeY appeal
ing TO Judge Hillyer, President OF the
Woodmont Rod and Gun Club. The Judge
said he had never caught dam bass
there, but Whitney was obstinate and the
rest went of and left him.
Mr. Whitney seized the tadpole, placing
him on his sprout hook, walked out on the
dam and made a cast far out into the
water. he then seated himself to await
results. Soon be thought he felt a bite
and he let his line run out To give the fish
greater play. He paused anxiously, and
at last, thinking he had hung his game,
he began to reel in. He was engaged in
this delightful occupation when Manning
ami Iiillyer came back. "HellO," said
the Secretary of the Treasury, "haVe YOU
caught anything?" Don't bother me
now" replied Whitney, "Pye got some
thing big on my hook; think 1t must be
a dolphin" and be pulled vigorously on
his line TO draw it in.
Private Secretary Lamont is about like
Private Secretary Phillips under the Old
adminiStratlOn-he is genuine fisher
man. Phillips caught "A 25-pOund salmon
once with an S-Ouuce rod in the RestigOu-
che, and said it took him 30 minutes to
land it. Lamont caught the biggest FISH
of any of the party, il being a splendid
bass weighing over pounds, and it took
the amiable private secretary just IL
minutes by the watch to bring him in.
The fact that the bass was on the end Of
the bOatman's line, and that he played
him until Col. Lamont brought him into
the boat with landing-net doesn't inter-
fere with the reputation Of the private
secretary as q tine fisherman.
Postmaster General Villas only caught
one fish during the entire time, and that
was sucker. which he said reminded
him OF an offensive partisan Post
| master, and so he retired TO the club
house and played whist with dummy
till the others bad finished their sport.
Secretary Manning aid not fish, bat in
specied the grounds Of the WoOdmOnt
Rod and Gun Club with Judge Hillyer.
and finally sat down and figured out 10
the Judge how much retrenchment the
club could make by the discharge Of two
boAtmen aud one unnecessary bait
catcher. He explained 10 the Judge that
! these men dad not come under the civil
service law, and that their places need
not be flled, but that. il necessity COM
PEELED them 10 increase their force here
after, they could exercise the choice Of
selection without correspondence with
Dorman b. Eaton.