Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-03-23
How Mark Twain was Fooled.

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 miss
ing, 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
cosy yacht, and waiting for the slow
and lazy nibbles of the denizens of the
sea.
In those days Alexander Bedlam
and Fult Berry owned the steam tug,
Fanny Ann, and to crafty Mark S
piscatorial within they fitted her up
one day with dozen or two bottles of
bait and 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 a 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,
o. p. Sutton, formerly Secretary of
the Pacific Bank; General John Nc
Comb, then editor of the Alta; a prom
inent San Francisco Judge, now de-
ceased; Alexander Bedlam and Full
ton Berry The two latter, knowing
full well that there were no red cod
fish on this side of the Farrallone Is
lands, purchased large fine specimen
in the market, and placing it in gun.
ny sack, struggled ii on board the
steamer After pleasant sail across
the bay the Fanny Ann was anchored
across the stream at point on Angel
Island known as Ralston's Quarry, so
called from the fact that the rock of
the Bank of California was taken
from that place. The tide was ebbing
strong, and after anchoring, all the
party except Berry and Bedlam drop
ped their lines on the lower side.
These two gentlemen dropped their
lines on the upper side of the steamer,
with their lines drifting under the
steamer, while those on the opposite
trailed toward the sea. When unno-
ticed Bedlam attached the large rock
cod to his line, and apprising the
others of the fact, pulled him to the
surface amid great excitement. The
fish was Immediately placed in bar
rel of water, which had been provid-
ed 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 be loosed.
In few moments the red rock-cod
was taken from the barrel and hooked
on Mark Twain's line. A vigorous
pull was given and at the top of his
voice Mark yelled out: Il have got a
whale, have got a whale" He land
ed him in fine shape, the two jokers
taking him off the hook and placing
him in the barrel Mark Immediately
procured a piece of chalk and com
menced 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 fifty or sixty
times on the lines of all the parties,
and pulled up in the same mannerand
placed in the barrel of water, Twain,
of course, having caught the largest
number When the fun became mo-
notonous, Berry hooked the shin the
tail, hoping that. Mark would drop on
to the joke, but he did not, and sim
ply said: 1T takes an artist to catch
q fish on the wrong end. | have often
done so when trout fishing in Nevada"
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 fished up
Twain's line and Sutton's line at the
same time, and tied monkey-wrench
on the former and hatchet on the
latter. Screams were raised that they
had got deyil-fish, and the wrench
and Ratchet were landed on the deck.
Words cannot 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,
WORKOUT red rock cod, and holding it
aloft, said:
BOYS, we have had lots of fun to-
day, let's go home He was the only
one in the party who took it good ma
turedly, the other gentlemen refusing
to converse on the sport of red rock
cod fishing, and always looked on the
transaction as a 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 &C
count of the fishing expedition that
he went upon and had such rare sport.
San Francisco Chronicle
Consumption Surely Cured.
ToTHE EDIToR-Piease inform your readers
that have positive remedy for the above
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