Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-04-25
SOME FISH STORIES

After leaving the West Virginia peni.
Tertiary, an sccount of which institution
was published in the recent Sunday issue
of the REGISTER, l came to this part of The
State, en- route for the interior. l met
here a number Of gentlemen who are mem
bers of the Ferret Club and accepted their
kind invitation to Join them for q few
DAYS relaxation. The subioined account
of this club and the good time they are
having will be Of interest BY way OF va
riety.
STEWARDS STATION. W. - FERRET
CLUB.
The West Virginia Ferret Club is q we'll
known and popular organization OF bust
ness men and young fellows along the Lit
tie Ksnagha river. In the winter the sport
outside the club rooms consists of hunting,
in which q number OF highly trained ferrets
from which the club takes the name) are
important factors. With these intelligent
animals small game, such as rabbits, &c,
are captured by the dozen. Bot as Caloric
is too profuse just now to write or talk OF
hunting and long excursions through the
woods, the writer will carry the reader
directly, with seven-lesgue boots, to the
present spring and summer resort OF the
club, which is cooling it's numerous heels
at Lock No. ! on the Little ksnawhs river.
Having determined to accept the cordial
invitation extended, the writer boarded q
B. d o. train on Wednesday morning and
was whisked along the banks Of the X na-
VIVA to Stewards Station, where he was
met by q deputation of the club n es-
corted to headquarters.
The point selected for the present camp
is situated on the bluff ~overhanglng Lock
No. l. On O narrow grassy plateau be-
tween the river and railroad stood O large
marquee tent, about l6 feet square, with a
long alley attached, under which
the tables are spread and esculents pre-
pared. Upon entering the grounds the
writer found IL or Is members reclining
upon blankets. which were spread upon
the straw at the rear of the tent. The
Ferrets present were Major l. N. Logan,
President; W. q. Brown, Treasurer; Hon.
P. V. Dolan, Attorney General; Messrs.
= Samuel Duval, VIM. Harris, NJ, j. Clark,
Ed Clark, d. Charnock. John Maddox,
8 Will Stewart, Alt. Simms, Thos. Clark,
Jos. Barrows, Capt josh King, Commodore
3 John +. King and Samuel Stewart. the
Sheriff, and others.
Capt. Chas. Butcher, Writ Heaton, Frank
Verheiller, Lemuel Griffin and several
prominent members were absent. Cspt.
!. Butcher, who is an engineer, was on duty
. somewhere on the Ohio River railroad ex'
: tension. Henry Hanke, OF Wheeling, has
been elected an honorary member OF the
Association"
+ The reception given the REGISTER CORE
3 spoudent was not only datteriug and kind
. but ple,horic of good will, and eatsbles ad
hbitum Eleven kegs OF Schmulbach's Book
8 hanked the entrance to the right and LETT.
n The tables were loaded with everything
8 good the markets and country could afford
J, Fish in every style and of half a dozen
species were spread before US, and every
8 fellow kept insisting on a trial OF this BASE,
that salmon, pike, cat, perch, shad, etc.
g until | felt as though | had eaten enough
to have fed half the children Of lsrael who
o got lost in the woods sometime ago. Then
another pail at the barrel, and as it perco
lated downward a feeling OF reple,ion fol
lowed. The Amslgamated Association q
the inner man unanimously resolved &c
boycott anything further to eat tor a fort
n night
Then accepting a campstoo!, all of which
we're empty beer kegs, a general smoke
:, council Of war was held.
!. About an hour later the entire camp ex
cept the cook, left for the river. Two Oh
o three couples took the light boats belong
ing 20 the company and ran" the line
while the remainder took poles and line;
p and with winnows for bait, dropped down
'r 10 the apron OF the dam aud began to fish
for bass In two or three minutes out ran
Logan's line, making the reel sing rs i,
spun around. Before any one could think
n almost two or three other lines began T.
stretch as the fnny game took the bait,
] Then followed q lively scene; the Stacking
winding in, and landing of lake bass about
ten inches in length occupied the attention
of each individual fisherman. One fellow
g. (Dolan, l believ captured a large blue
cat which weighed seven pounds, while al
most every one else was satisfied with a
bass Or Jack salmon. For about one hour
we eat on the logs Of the sproG
and threw in, hooked and landed
g our prey until the Major called US oil,
n saying that he had enough, after which VT
adjourned to the shade OF the Marquee and
RECALLED ourselves with a put of beer. Their
n followed the inevitable smoke. The cluC
then elected one of the number to tell a
q fish story or something appropriate for the
n occasion. The lot fell to Brown, who OBJ
iected on the ground that he was a news
dealer and not u storyt .ller. The demurrer
was overruled, and Bro IN would have been
z compelled to submit, bat just in the nick
of time TO save Browns reputation fol-
d v~eracity' Lem. Gri[ia, who had been alb
sent on a visit to the city, appeared upon
the scene. AS Gritfn's capacity tor story
telling was uuquestioned, the whole camp
Immediately agreed to release Brown and
let Griffin entertain us. After g general
d libatiou, ex-oficer Griffin agreed TO the
proposition, and begin the story Of the
famous cstish called
THE BLACK WARRIOR
Just above this dam" inteFpoiated
> Grimm, as he waited a pint Of beer toward
{ the inner depth, is a deep hole, which is
- dUOuL IWO uuhuIch Jaiuo S"Nuu'OiOhSO
, The bottom of the hole has never yet been
) found, although dozens of fishermen have
= tried to ASCERTAIN its depth: Two trot'
: hues have been tied togethar and sunk
= With q heavy weight attached, but they did
not reach bottom. For more than half q
: century o story has been told of an i'm,
mense catfish which mskesits headquarters
there. Along back about 1926 the fish was
=. frat seen By white men, although there is
? a tradition LETT By the India ls, the original
! settlers, that a big fish had often been
; hooked, but always succeeded ia getting
away by breaking lines or upsetting their
canoes. Almost opposite the camp, on the
: -.L-r SidU VT tbu liver, STOOD the Hrst fort
3 or blockhouse erected in this part Of the
county, and tie Indians would collect there
in peaceful times, exchange hides and furs
for tobacco, whisky aud produce, and there
it was that the irtt story Of the big fish,
which the Indians called the BLACK War.
rior," OF account OF his color and size, was