Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-10
SIX LTCHES FOR THE BOYS.
CATCHING A SALMON.

names OF its tributaries, the territories |
through which they flow, the direction |
in which the Columbia runs and the ocean
into which its waters are poured. You |
will find it to he Il great river, larger, |
perhaps, than all the rivers of Maine com
blned. Then | want you to learn where |
the Dalles of the Columbia are, so that |
you will know how many miles they are
from its mouth and also the distance |
from the DIlles to the city of Portland |
Oregon.
The Columbia river furnishes the great
est salmon fishing ON the globe. They
are caught by thousands as they SWIM
from the ocean up he river. They are
caught in va or9 ways The fish wheels
tnn them ont Ivy tons. These wheels are
some 81 feet in diameter: they look mach
Ike The side wheel of Il steamer; Il ey are
dt3rhrd to the lower end of fiat boar
this holt is anchored ny the bank of the
river, the swift current turns the wheel,
the fish IN swimming up the river enter
the wire pockets Of tue Wheel and being
unable to eNtrcatc themselves are turned
mp in the wheel, from which they fall
upon a -luce made Of boards, and thus
slide 10 the bank. | saw one wheel that
had turned ont ten tons of salmon i'm ~
hours; another had captured four tons
in two AMI one half hours. Five hundred
thou and cases are each wear canned and
shipped to all the markets of the world
Tins industry gives employment to over
three thousand men and fifteen hundred
boats. During the year 1850 one hundred
and twenty vessels We're 10 ided with
canned salmon in the COlumby river each
car ying on an average one thousand
at hf.
Dalles
rhis is a place where fora long distance
the great Columbia river turns over and
| runs on its edge. The banks Of rock here
come 50 near to each other that the river
mas IA space OF only 60 feet to run through.
y snort distance below, it is Il mile wide
and very deep, but there it Is only 60 feet
wide. No one can tell how deep, but the
current luns at the rae of IL miles an
| hour.
| There is city of some 5000 inhabitants
| which has derived its name from the
| Dalles and which is located about four
| miles from its nHmesake. | reached the
city at night and resolved to remain there
until morning, then walk up and catch
some salmon. During the evening | pro-
| cured Il most elaborate outfit for the work
a fine rod, with a great brass reel, long
| lines and variety of hooks
AT an early hour | arose, and after eat
/ ing luncheon tramped to the fishing
grounds. \ hundred snen We're there he
| fore me. Wheels were turning out the
! fish by hundreds. men were catching
| them with din nets with lines and i'm
many WAYS. 1T was a wild scene. the
waters running white with fOam the
| channel of the river so narrow, above
and below the Dalles where it brOadened,
great rocks lowered above the rushing
current which broke at their base. The
| - lmon by thousands We're sW WINNING up
the river, scarcely IA moment passed but
what some biz fellows would spring clear
of the water then 90 back with a wild
plunge was too much excited to wall
long. and at once began my operations
At points the water had worn on into the
bank Of the river. and in these places the
salmon were very thick. They would not
bite, however, and to catch them with a
hook You was Obliged to DRAG il IN tLe
water until You succeeded in hooking one
of them. was VeIy glad when diScoy
cred that fact. for bad never met with
success in fishing because the fish would
never bite my bait. | have often watched
fish as they nave taken the greatest care
regardless of personal Inconvenience. fn
90 around my hook, aud savagelv bite AZ
the hook of some other fellow. And o,,
| this morning when the facts becuIna
known reiolced in spirit because that
knew could drag "a nook with the hest
of them. Several minutes passed before
anything of an unusual character occur.
red. Then there was sensttinn in tha
water, and at once COMMENCEMENT thar
had caught IA salmon. Swish. slnsh
smash. went something in toe water if
was the most happy moment of nv life
but pleasure soon raye way To bnsinasS
II soon appeared 20 me that I had some
| thing like An army contract on nv hands
| Nv line was drawn taut for a moment
| and then A fifty FOUNDER spranp clear ont
! of the water. then plunged back in the
| toamy mass.
Mvneighbors saw my good luck "Nel
| lean man.catchee muchee bipeeii einc,,.
/ lat Il a little dirty smoke dried Ch,nnrnn,
upou nv left. \ tail biz Indian only
! prunted "u0h " and then disdoinnd ~
| look longer AT the result of nv cool for,
! tune.
! Nv time was now comnletelv occuniad
| As nv nri2e went hack into the water
| caupht the slack of the line nm in NV
| hand Instead of Winding if unon the p, al
| il WAS nor - very wise t6inG 10 do for the
nevt moment if ran thrnuSh nv tingare
smokinr like a hot wire and hid il nni
been for The evritement I sbnnId ba'oa
| a,.i,l - l., -, NJ. ,,;o,i,, - -