The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-05-26
A New use For Fish Hooks.

tStockton (Cal) MALL
"Bin Charters was a very original man
that Is, If he was out of job he'd devise
some way Of his own to procure the where
withal to keep fire in the CRATE and provis-
ions in the pantry" said man in Main
street cigar store. Bill was also fond Of fish
ing. On winter evenings at home, IL he had
nothing better to do. he would haul out his
fishing tackle and inspect 1t thoroughly. and
then, after making two or three new
tangled fly hooks he'd place the outfit back
in its box, at the same time knowing that he'd
be unable to use his tackle for probably six
months.
"Bill lived in Boston when first knew him
That was Is or 20 years ago. He was tin
smith by trade. | went up TO see him one
night concerning homework be had been en-
gagged on for several days. Bill was In the
dining room examining mis- fishing tackle
when / entered. After settling our tinsmith
business he began explaining the different
methods used TO catch the various species Of
the finny tribe. This hook was fine for
trout early in the morning, that brown
tackle was immense at noon when the sun
was shining, and that white moth fly hook
was simply perfection in the evening Just
about the time the sun was setting.
zone huge batch Of hooks attracted my at
tention. There were probably 30 very small
eye-hooks, all ;sewed securely to a jagged
piece of cloth drilling about the size Of your
hand. BILL said /, taking the hook-coy-
cred cloth in my hand, did you ever catch
any fish with this arrangement
Yes, sir he answered with laugh. i
caught sucker on that collection last fall
that weighed 160 pounds.
"'where and howp asked. hardly know
ing what Bill meant, as bad never seen q
sucker that weighed more than three or four
pounds. Just this way, replied Bill one
night my wife and decided to 60 to the the
atre. When we reached the box-office there
was perfect jam OF people. L left my wife
near the door while struggled brayely 10
reach the ticket window 1 asked Ior 1--WE
dress circle tickets, and when put my manu- sl
in my pocket to get the money % pay LOT
| them l discovered that my poeketbook was
zone. .Stolenp exclaimed ], and retreated.
"sMrs. Charters and walked home. she
felt disappointed, she wanted 70 see that
play. A thought struck me instantly, and
inst as quickly as possible put my plan into
execution. Turning my money pocket IN
side out hastily sewed all the small fish
hooks had 20 the inside Of that pocket In
such manner that when my POCKET was
showed back to Its proper position the barbs
OF the hooks stood out and pointed down.
- took some more money with me-but
placed it in another poeket-and again we
Considerable OF a crowd in the neighborhQod
OF the box, and once again began edging
my way through for the purpose OF procur-
ing tickets. | allowed my nsh-hoOk money
pocket 10 look albcl itSoh'
s,Just as / was being handed my tickets i
felt bite. / attempted TO turn round, when
found had hooked very hne-looking
sucker in the shape of q welldressed man
who wore a shiny tile. i paid no attention
IN his Juggling at my pocket, as knew after
one or two tugs he'd quit. When i reached
nv wife she said William, who. Is this
gentleman with your | told her he was
Very particular friend Of mine.
~ An officer standing at the door accom-
panied my friend and me, at my request, in
10 an adjoining room, where explained
matters. | recovered my lost poeketbo0k
and greenbacks. II was keeping company
with seven other similarly situated purses.
/ had TO cut the pocket out to hand the THIEF
over TO the officer, but II was returned 20 me
after the doctor succeeded in getting the
hooks out Of the fellows hand.
Yes concluded Bill, he was tile biggest
sucker ever caught-must have weighed at
least 100 pounds. And this Is no fish story,
either.