Smyrna times., 1886-01-13
For the Smyrna Times.
A Fast Age,
GETTING THROUGH THE WORLD FAST
AND PERsEVERING UNDER Diff
CULTIEs.


been trying for several years to procure
some black bass for stocking the mill
pond at this place, but failed of entire
success until the present effort which
has been coupled with such incidents
as 1 thought might be interesting to
some of your readers as a newspaper
article.
On the last day of the past year, late
in the evening, l received a dispatch
from B. D. Chambers, an intimate
friend and former Delawarean, now
residing at the Point of Rocks, on the
Potomac river, forty-three miles west
from Washington, on the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad, that he had obtained
some two hundred young bass and
wished me to come for them if could,
if not he would send some one with
them, but being little egOtistical in
the matter, and fearing to trust the
care to others, concluded to go and
give it my personal attention.
Arose early on Friday morning,
drove out to FELTON, with my fish cans,
for which had procured an order
from the officials of the P. w. & B. and
B. & o. Railroads, for free transporta-
tion of cans both ways, took the eight
o'clock express, having previously tel
egraphed Mr.. Moore, Fish Commits,
sioner, to meet me at the Wilmington
depot, which he did, but could
not go with. me because of a business
engagement in Philadelphia that could
not be postponed.
The train arrived at Baltimore some
thing after u o'clock, when we were
transferred three miles across the city
to Camden station; waited there until
two o'clock, procured ticket on the
Chicago express by way of Washing
ton, where we arrived at ESQ, being
forty miles in fifty minutes. Arrived
at Washington Junction at four o'clock,
about a third of a mile from the village
known as Point of Rocks.
On landing the first thing that
strikes ones attention is the COchOstin
Mountain Ton the south side of the PO-
tomac), which rises abruptly from the
waters edge at high water and looks
as though nothing but squirrels, cats OF
other claw-foOted animals could scale
its steep sides and reach the top.
Mr.. Chambers met me at Washing
ton Junction and took me to his pleas
ant home. On Saturday morning
after a good nights rest in warm
cozy, room and after partaking of 8
warm breakfast of good things pre-
pared to return, went over to the live
box where the fish were kept anC
found something over four hundred
bass beauties from three to five inches
long, averaging about a half ounce il
weight.
1 will here relate an incident whicl
will no doubt be construed into a tisl
story, but it is so well vouched for by
Mr.. Chambers and others that l do no
doubt it. The water had been let ou
of the canal, all that would run out
though there were places where it wa
several inches deep, some bOatmel
during the season had thrown or los
overheard an old coat which happene,
to lodge in one of those places wher
the water did not entirely leave.
Mr.. Cross, fisherman or labOrer Ou
of employment, took the job of sup
plying the fish as far as he could
though there were quite a number c
boys that took hand in it, and Will
walking down the canal in pursuit c
his object saw the old coat and draw
ing it from the water, took out with
and under it seventy eight young bas
at one time and set his trap again an
got ten more next morning. This
the most singular fish trap that W
have ever heard of.
The fish were counted in the cam
numbering 4O2 alive and % dead: pal
the bill, which was nothing more tina
the actual expense, Mr.. Chamber
kindly volunteering all his trOubl
without remuneration, for old al
quaintance sake. Having a few hour
to wait for the trains, we took a stro
around the Point of Rocks, from whic
the village takes its name. This is
spur of the mountain on the north sid
of the river. Near it's base runs th
Potomac canal, which was made man
years ago. At this place the BaltimoI
& Ohio Railroad met a barrier thu
barred its further progress for SON
time, but by the labor of several hun
dred men blasting and removing a
enormous amount of rock from I'll
side of the mountain spur they finall
obtained a road-bed by the side of Il
canal and eventually reached the poll
for which they started. The compan,
however, was not satisfied with the a
rangement of going around the moul
t tain spur, but some years ago tunnelC
! through the solid rock like muskra
r through an earth bank, and now II
the cars straight through, not only tn
spur but perhaps a dozen others.
Z 1t now being near train time M
4 Chambers had my cans placed in /
carriage and took them to the static
where they were supplied with frei
water and took the express at 49,
which reached Baltimore at $50, the
: ordered the cans transferred to t
Union Station with all possible dispatC
But they did not arrive in time
change the water, without which t
fish would have been dead befC
}. reaching Wilmington. Here was
fxl 1t was now impossible to connt
with the P. NJ. train on the Delawa
road, the next day being Sunday, W
!, a prospect of having to remain ov
until Monday, by which time the e
would all be dead and all my trou
> lost together with expenses amounti
= to near twenty dollars.
. Hoping to induce the railroad G
j cials to let the midnight express s.