Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-01-01
PLAEr.TIoE PLEAsuRrs.
Cid Time Fishing TEetItods-COon
EIunIIslg Ia the Coon GeRson.

Hunting In the Coon Season.
-"GituP, loss e yo's gyvine Wild me 10
dc fish a8slSct2" cred Norris" and
flung myself cut OF red in a iiffy and was
soon tramping along with Morris, watch
ing the purple semi-circle of darkness as
it slowly faded in the west. fringed with a
border of crimson and gold where the first
rays Of the rising sun struggled with the
departing night. Low down on the verge
Of the western horizon burned with bright
ness, intensified by such contrasts, a single
star, glowing and twinklins rs if il were
the last champion of the flying legions of
Ercbus bidding defiance to Aurora's gilded
throng.
"Don'tyou catch 'possums now?" l asked
Of Morris.
Mos too ea'ly in de season, sab. But
wen de 'simmon leabs tu'n red an de
yalIer spots come in de tatah patch, an
pindah lunches tu'n brown, an de cane
patches look DIES es blue as de sky, den de
possum huntin' time begin"
just then we entered the swamp and
passed under a tangle of vines from which
hung, in purple lusciousness, the great
clusters Of muscadines. The old tree had
grown TO a pTodigiOus height, but the
Vine had run up to the top, and above
its topmost bow a tender twig Of the vine
waved to and fIO like a banner, while a
big yeilOw-brown gOss hawk perched him
self on the topmost branch of the tree, and
with its outspread wings fronting the ris-
ing sun he seemed glorified by the blaze of
light, and then saucy little bee martins
tried in vain TO worry him into recog-
milton Of their noisy presence.
% M ro1I NJ tbo,, ,,,r-,I ,;,-,,t
With thy yellow waters murmuring low;
Now smooth, now rough;
By bank and bluff;
On the Gulf of Mexico.
Between two solid walls of vivid green
flows the current of the dashing Throna-
teeslla, The yellow sand banks and duslly
coves Just suffice to break the mighty
moEotony of the grand sweep of its yellow
current. A blue kingfishcr with a top
knot as far out of proportion to his size as
in the tall, plumed cap Of the average
Georgia militia man, sat dreaming on Il
dead beach that reached far out above the
water. His bright eye caught u glance of
our approaching forms and with O spiteful
screech lie few further up stream.
looked in vain for any intimatiOn of a
fish basket.
81 b'licve dey's CT baslit tied out dar,"
said Morris as he peered out among a
mass of willows and driftwood that had
accumulated in an eddy, ''see dat vine out
Gar;" l locked but saw nothing I'M
usual.
Right at my feet he stopped down and
began to unite a bullace vine that was
tied in such way as to deceive any one
but an expert. Then he began drawing it
out of the water and at length The long
basket came to the surface, and we knew
by the tapping that it was full of catfish.
You may suppose that l am going into
details as to how many we look from it,
their size ard so on, but | ON not going
to do it. III have Monis TO tell yon how
the basket is made, though.
"Yo see, loss, we DIES takes some long
white oak splits bout five feet long, an
den we takes come thin splits to weave
'cm tOgeGder. We has huff splits ter
make de bGskit 'bOnt er foot trough. BY
weavin' or rOUn' an roun' we gifts de
basllit made. Den we close &c lower CEN
wild er piece ov plank, 20 cs we can unite
it an git de fish out. Fur dc upper cen
we make or funnel shape COHGIn which
we fits inter de basEit, wild de small cen,
not quite close no, p'intin' iunGrds. Den
we bats it wild years ob CON, Pea bread
and CON bread, an uddcr tiHgS which
easy TO sour an den we frOWS her in Sid
plenty oh sinkCrs. De fish comes in trough
de little hole, am can't fin dey way out
no mo-, an 50 we has 'em safe an SCUM.
Long time | stood and gazed out upon
the broad stream. | thought how tho
screech Of the steam engine would soon
staTtle the sleCpiUg echoes and how the
ruthless rattle of the saWmin machinery
would fTighten away the wood nymphs as
the gigantic bodies Of these great trees
were converted into broad planl.s and huge
beams.
"Dem fellahs wild the dredge boat done
broke up bes' fshin' groun's," said Morris,
as he strung the catfish on Il willow wand.
eyes" thought l, "and soon tie CHATTER
and din Of the wheels of progress will
take the place Of the wild soirecs of the
forest birds and these mighty forests will
melt away before the dawning light of the
new regime. ~ Americas (Ga.) Recorder.