The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-27
MARK TWAIr,S FISH.
How Two Frisco Men Helped the Humcy-
ist to Catch Rock-Cod. go

MARK TWAIr'S FISH.
How Two Frisco Men Helped the Hum ~
ist to Catch Rock-Cod. ~
1 Away back in the sixties, when
Mark Twain resided in San Francisco
and was the regular correspondent of
the Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise, he was
a character among the Bohemians. and
associated with many jolly souls who
are now numbered among the missing.
and many who are still well known in
San Francisco.
Mark was an ardent angler, and was
never happier than when sitting with
his legs dangling over the side of a
coy yacht, and waiting for the slow
and lazy nibbles of the denizens of the
sea. In those days Alexander Badlam
and Fult Berry owned the steam-tug
Fanny Ann, and to crafty Marks
piscatorial whim they fitted her uu
one day with dozen or two bottles OF
bait and a fine lunch, and with few
choice friends steamed off for Angel
Island. Mark had constantly ex-
pressed as the desire of his life that he
might catch mess of red rock-cod;
those in the San Francisco markets
being of bright red, very attractive
to look at and very choice food fish.
The party consisted of Mark Twain,
0. 7. Sutton, formerly secretary of the
Pacific Bank; General John McComb,
then editor of the Alta; a prominent
San Francisco judge, now deceased;
Alexander Badlam and Fulton Berry.
The two latter, knowing fully well
that there were no red rock-cod this
side of the Farallone Islands, pur-
chased large, fine specimen in the
market, and placing it in a gunny
sack struggled it on board the steamer.
After q pleasant sail across the bay
the Fanny Ann was anchored across
the stream at a point on Angel Island.
known as Ralston's quarry, SO called
from the fact that the rock for the
Bank of Califorr : was taken from
that place. The tide was ebbing
strong. and after anchoring all
the party except Badlam and Berry
dropped their lines ON the lower side.
These two gentlemen dropped theirs
on the upper side of the steamer,
with their lines drifting under the
steamer, while those on the opposite
traied toward the sea. When I'M
noticed Badlam attached the large
red rock-cod to his line, and apprising
the others of the fact, pulled him to
the surface amid great excitement. The
fish was immed lately placed in barrel
of water, which had been provided
to keep alive what fish might be
caught. 1t was suggested to Mark
Twain and his friends that they had
better fish on the upper side of the
steamer, as they prefer shady places,
which was concurred in. After the
lines had trailed under the steamer,
Berry removed the bait from his hook,
and on the opposite side trailed and
caught Mark Twain's line The latter
complaining that his line was foul, was
assured that upon the swinging of the
steamer it would soon loosen. In
few moments the red rock-cod was
taken from the barrel and hooked on
to Mark Twain's line. A vigorous pull
was given, and at the top of his voice
Mark yelled out: 81 have got a
whale! l have got whale!' He
landed him in fine shape, the two
jokers taking him off the hook and
placed him in the barrel. Mark i'm
mediately procured piece of chalk
and commenced to score the catch of
each of the fishermen, and during the
next two hours this same fish was
hooked on in the same manner ii fly or
sixty times. on the lines of all the par
ties, and pulled up in the same man
ner and placed in the barrel of water.
Twain, of course, having caught the
largest number. When the fun be-
came monotonous Berry hooked the
fish in the tail, hoping that Mark would
drop on the joke, but he did not. but
simply said: at takes an artist to
catch fish on the wrong end. have
often done so in trout fishing in Ne
vada.'
The fish having had its gills all torn
out, scales most all torn off, and no
place to hook on to him any more, the
jokers in desperation fshed up Twain's
line and Sutton's line at the same
time, and tied a monkey-wrench on
the former and a Ratchet on the latter.
Screams we're raised that they had got
a devil-fsh, and tho wrench and
Ratchet were landed on the deck.
Words can not depict the faces of the
fishermen. Twain pulled off his coat,
looked at the score, looked at the
monkey wrench, at the Ratchet, and
then at the barrel, rolled up his sleeves
and fished out the POOR, solitary, worm
out red rock-cod, and holding it aloft,
said: "Boys, We have had lots of fun
to-day; let's go home.n He was the
only one in the party who took it
good-naturedly, the other gentlemen
refusing to converse on the sport of
red rock-cod fishing, and always
looked on the transaction as q very
mean joke.
We have looked through all of Mark
Twain's writings on his life in Califor-
MIA, and we have failed to find any ac-
count of this fishing expedition that he
went upon and had such rare sport
San Francisco Chronicle.
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Co-Ope~ation IF tho Capsae