The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-16
A FISH STORY.
Of Course It's True, For a Fisher
. man Told It.
The Great Catch of Finny Beauties Made
by Sunday-SchOOI Excursion on
Lake Superior-Eight Tons
Landed in One Day.
uouisvilIe Courier-Journal.l

sion?" inquired Judge Burnett the other
day, while discussing the pleasant modes
Of passing the dog days. "Why, gun and
dog, good camping outfit, a servant 70
take care of it, and last, but not least, pIen-
ty of good fishing tackle and bright days
passed among the forest streams That,
gentlemen, is the acme of primitive enjoy
ment."
His audience gave him glances of aP-
prevail as he concluded his remarks, and
then followed anecdotes of the mighty hunt
from different members of the party, as
well as some most marvellous fish stories.
as each member warmed up with crowdinG
memories of bygone pleasures, found IN
pursuit of the favorite pastime of Sir Izaak
Walton. During the recitals Mayor Jacob
sat slightly apart, an attentive listener,
but taking no part in the conversation. AT
last question arose as TO the best kind of
bait for certain fish, and it was referred to
him for decision.
'tGentlemen," he said, in sad tone, 81
am unable TO decide for you, for l have
never had the pleasure of catching fish in
my life. 1t has been my unhappy lot not
only never to have landed fish, but in
deed have never been able to get bite.
Ihave tried often enough, and spent valu-
able time and much money in the vain hope
of inducing one of the finny tribe to nibble
my bait, but alas! my efforts to hook fish
have always been attended with failure,
and 1 have about become resigned to my
fate, and suppose 1 will live and die unsat-
isfied."
Looks of increduIity were exchanged by
his hearers, and at the conclusion of his
original confession there was a spontane-
Gus chorus of: 'FWhat never caught fish!
Poor fellow" and glances full of COM
passionate sympathy were directed toward
His Honor. Then an unaccountable silence
fell upon the hitherto social group, and it
was becoming positively painful, when an
ex-sailor, who was in the party, elected
about a quart of tobacco juice toward
neighboring cuspador, and thus delivered
bis opinion:
..Mr Mayor, man who never caught
6sh is in my estimation unworthy the con-
ddence of his fellow beings. But there is
a chance for you to retrieve your past,
that Won may henceforward be able to
look all men in the eye when this vital
question is brought up in any conference,
and be able to exclaim, i too have shared
such joys, I have experienced the trl-
umph.'"
'sAlasl I fear that happiness is forever
denied me- for l have lured the finny tribe
in all climates and all countries" replied
the Mayor, shaking his head desPondently.
'.Did you ever try for fish in Lake Supe-
rior, Mr.. Mayor"
aNo, but 1 have tried deep-sea fishing
and fly fishing among the rapids OF the Up
per Columbia"
swell, you take my advice, go to Mar
quette, charter yacht and go out to
STANDARDS Rock, where you can troll for
lake trout, and if you don't get as fine
catch as the luckiest fisherman in the pro-
fessien, you may nominate me for Con-
sress as a rival of Tom Ochiltree! Why,
the fish arc so thick and ravenous around
that roc- that all you have to do is to tie q
silver spoon above your hook, throw it over
board and pay out few fathoms of line,
when there ', i'll be a nibble and then q
Jerk, and in five seconds you will be able
to land a fish ranging in weight from three
to thirty pounds. why, party OF us
went out there once, and in about five
hours we caught a little over eight tons ~
Ipcredulous looks were exchanged by the
auditors. and then some one asked, quiet
ly:
s1How many were in the party?"
"Obl this is no Jonah and-the- whale
story, replied the sailor, somewhat an
moved, ''but bona fide fact There were
about 100, old and young, for it was Sun
dav-school excursion, and we had thir-
teen boats, besides six belonging to the
steamer"
DWELL. tell us about it," said the Judge
eWeu. gentlemen, STANDARDS Rock Is
one of the most peculiar places in Lake Su-
perior. It is located about thirty miles
due east of the end of Keweenaw Point
and sixty north by west from Mar
quette.
"Only about twenty square feet project
above the surface of the lake; it is nearly
dat table. and
tends but two feet out of water. From thl:
strange platform submerged reefs extend
ont in the shape of crows foot for various
distances, some of them exceeding ml
and a half in length, and are mere marrow
ridges rising abruptly from the bottom
the lake The peculiar formation is on
that attracts the attention of every on
that visits the place. A large round bea
con of massive stone surmounts the plat
form to the height of ten feet, from tn
center of which arises large iron column
which supports a great ball of iron baske
work. visible in clear weather at dlstanc
of eight miles. The place has long bee
the terror of lake navigators, lying as !
doas near the course of vessels steerln
+bair 1vav from Duluth to Sault Ste. Marie
Numbers of shipwrecks have occurred
the dangerous rock, among the most no
table of which, it is supposed, was the toba
loss of the brig Enterprise away back l
the ssforties' - with every soul on board,
valuable cargo and 100000 in gold belong
mo TO the Government, which was bein
sent to pay off the Indians on the reserve
lions at the western end of the lake En-
cuse this depression.
SON a bright June morning i'll 1868 OF
excursion party boarded the steamer Cit
of Toledo at Marquette, and steamed ava
ON our fishing expedition over sea {
smooth as glass and as clear as crystal. !
about four hours time we had left the Ian
ont of sight, and to all appearances were
isolated from it as if in mid-ocean. Short
afternoon we sighted the beacon, and Will
In a half hour the steamer was lying [
within half mile to the westward of Il
reefs. The work of launching and maj
ming the hotilla was at once begun, and 1
fast as each received its cargo of Gag
fishermen, their wives, children, or swee
hearts, as the case might be, it showed c
from the gangway, and the spoon troll
yzere at once thrown overheard. II