Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-26
SENATORIAL FISH STORIES.
Seasonable Yarns Told by Distin-
tinguished Legislators.
FROM fks washingtop Star.


great interest in the Yellowstone Park,
by special invitation accompanied Presi-
dent Arthur and Gen. Sheridan on tour
through that extensive reservation year
| before last. The Senator is q genial com.
| panion and superb story teller, and 1t
was admitted by the party after their re-
| turn that he was the life OF the excursion.
just after Congress adjourned Senator
| Vest was one of group that was en-
| gagged in a discussion OF angling and in
| relating fish stories.
SENATOR KENNA's CATFISH YARN.
Senator Kenna had just related an in
cIdent showing the yoracity of the cat
fish, which came under his immediate OBJ
| servation.
Accompanied by several other Senators
among them Mr. Vest-M Kenna was
fishing In West Virginia. A sudden ram
had muddied the water, and bass were
not feeding. One of the party had caught
! three catfish, each q size or two larger
than the other. He strung them, putting
| the largest first on the string and at the
! bottom, then the next in size, and the
smallest on top, and then tied them in the
water, intending TO take them in the boat
upon the return home. Several hours
later, when the party returned, they
| found that while upon the string the sec
Ond fish had attempted to swallow the
small one, and had succeeded in taking
him in up TO the fms; and the largest, at
the bottom Of the string, had endeavored
| to make q meal off of his next neigh Dor.
snow, Vest saw that" concluded Sem
ator Kenna, Sand can vouch for the truth
of the story"
| TALE ABOUT PRESIDENT ARTHUR.
Senator Vest asserted that he saw and
examined the string Of catfish, one swal-
| lowing the other, and then said: ''Presi-
dent Arthur Is tue most expert and grace
| tul angler l ever saw handle rod, and |
have seen some of the best. While we
were doing Yellowstone Park, one Sun
day, the President, and several others be-
sides myself, rode ahead of the main
party, and reached our camping place
quite early in the day. 1t was a beauti-
full spot, well shaded, with splendid
spring at hand and near the
bank of river, After we mad
dismOunted l str6lled to the edge OF
the stream, and on the opposite side
in a hole just below aiitteKrill l saw
splendid trout playing. He wac mag
nltcent fellow, and seemed to be dispOrt-
ing himself in the clear water--it was as
clear as crvstal-foE his own amusement
| called to the others to come and have a
look at him, and expressed b eregfeb that
l had lett all my rods and ta6kte'wtth the
pack mules. One OF the party remarked
tudb ne HdO bIOuRuG HIS FOu diO08, anu ne
at once returned to the horses for it. In
a few moments he placed it in my hands
and rtgge1 it snd attached fly. The
President, with arms folded across his
breast, was quietly watching the trout.
AS soon as | had the fly properly &C.
cured extended the rod to the President,
saying: 81 want you to catch that fell
low"
"No, no." he responded earnestly, half
a
rod Oh the Sabbath"
II was determined" continued Senator
Vest, "that the President should have
that trout; so | stepped to the edge of the
brook, which was high and almost per-
pendlcular, and pretended to make a cast
or two. Pm no SLOUGH with the fly, and
could have made the cast had | wanted
to. After several inefTsctual efforts ]
again turned to the President, who by
this time was eagerly alive to the whole
proceeding, and said: Mir. President,
you must make the cast. 1t is too tar for
me.'"
The keen instinct of the sportsman was
fully aroused in him, and his eyes were
fairly swapping. He replied: "Well,
not land him on the Sabbath" i said
very well and passed the rod over to him.
He stepped forward to the spot on which
l had stood and made a cast. 1t fell a
little short, but the next time be put the
fly within two inches OF the trout's nose
and with a swift dart the fish seized tie
lure. The President hooked him, and
turning towards me he extended the butt
of the rod in my direction aud said hur-
| riedly: Take 1t, Vest; take it quick,
quck. won't land him on Sunday"
81 grabbed the rod" continued the
Senator, land after PLAYING the fish for a
while landed him. He weighed three
pounds and quarter, and the President
ate part OF him for supper"
SENATOR BECK's CONSTITUENT.
Senator Beck not long ago received q
letter from Kentucky constituent in
forming him that some person in Cumber-
land, Md, had promised the constituent
n pair of pointer pups. The hentuckIan
was anxious to get the pups provided
they had certain marks, but unless thus
distinguished he did not care for them
He wrote to Beck that as Cum berland
was not very far from Washington he
wished he Beck) would go up there, ex-
anime the pups," and If marked as he
described have them shipped 10 Kentucky.
HOW SENATOR BLACKBURN LOST HIS
PUPS.
AS illustrative OF the peculiar requests
made of Congressman, this letter was
mentioned in the presence of Senator
Blackburn. SWELL" he declared, ''if
Beck had gone and the pups had been
any account that constituent would never
have seen them. When Beck gets hold
OF really fine dog he holds on TO it. In
the Forty-fOurth Congress / was chair
man Of the sub-eleotions committee to
which was referred the contested election
case Of LIE Moyne against Farwell. AS
lie Moyne was the Democrat L found the
equities of the case with him, and after
time we got him seated. lie Moyne Ia
very wealthy, and he imports the finest
strains of bunting dogs. Some time after
he was seated he told me one day that be
intended to send me one of the finest
Laverack settlers that was ever seen.
Well, he went out OF Congress, and for
got all about the promise. Five or six
years elapsed, ana one day, just as Con-
gress adjourned, l received IA letter from
LeMoyne telling me he had been waiting
to get a pup that would be proud Of, and
that at last he had purchased one that
he could vouch for. He sent the pedigree
and wrote that the pup would be shipped
by express at a certain time then near at
hand. very foolshly showed the letter
to Beck and boosted to him of the fine
dog / would have. | had to leave
for home, so | made arrangements
with friend to receive the pup here, take
him out OF the box and feed Tim UP for
several DAYS and then resoip him TO my