Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-01-12
A Joke ON MARK T.aIH.


san Franrisco Chronicle
/ Away back in the sixties. when Marx
Twain resided IN san Francisco and
was the regular correspondent OF tia,
\irginia City, tNev.l Enterprise, h,
: WAS a acharacteramongt lac Bohenians
and associated with many Jolly soul,
who are now numbered among the
missing. and many who a~e still wei
known in San Francisco.
Mark was an ardent angler. and was
never happier than when sitting Will
his legs dangling over the side of n cosy
yacht. and waiting 10, the SLOW ard
lazy nibbles of tlie ,ieniler,- Of the -ea
! In those dava Alexander Ba,lian s,i
/ F'uit Berry owned { l.r ;eani tus Fam,
/ Ann, and to gfatiiiy Marks piscato
/ rial whim they iittel her np on,. aay
with two dozen bottles of bait and Il
| tine lunch, and wit, ,ia few choice friends
steamed oil for An..l island. Mark
had constantly expressed as the desire
OF his litc tina: he might catch u mess
OF red rock cod: those in san francisco
markets being ot II bright red. very at
7 trartive to look ut and very choict
I iood fish.
| The party consisted OF Mark Twain,
-. u. Sutton. formerly secretary of the
| Pacific bank: Gen. John N,Coub. then
editor OF the Alta. Il ;rominen, San
Francisco Judge. now deceased: Alex.
Bad!am and Fulton Berry. The two
latter, knowing fully well that tl,er,
u,f. M 4 IL. l. q l..
/ Farallone islands. purchased n Inr,,r.
tine specimen in the market. and ul,e,
ing IL in n gunny sack sm,,pcled il on
board the steamer. After - pleasant
sail across the bay the Fanny Ann
was anchored "A ross the stream ,t ;,
point on Angel island. known ns H,l.
ston's quarry. so called from the fact
that the rock for the Bank of Cali
fornia was taken from that nlnc,.
The tide was ebbiup strong. and nfter
anchoring. all the party eyceut Berry
aad Badlam dropped their lines ON the
lower side. These Two gentlemen dron-
ped theirs on the upper side OF the
steamer. with their lines drii, inc un,le,
the steamer. while those. ON the other
Sile trai!ed toward the sea. When
unnoticed Dadlam a.tn,.i,.J tho I,r.,.
red rock cod to his line. and. npprnis-
ing the OF hers OF the fact uu,b,i him
10 the surface amid nrcnt excitement
The fish WAS immediately placed i'm n
barrel oi water. which had been nro-
yile,l 10 keen alive vhnt ii.l, mi,hi l,e
caught. Ii was suggested To Marx
i NIi1Ii TI11 iiIS ifIen1s ln1i inTl Ind
better fish on TN, u,,n,r .i,,r of tbe
Steamer. as they ,,rrler shady nloc,..
which wa, cour,,rrnl i'm. After the
lines had trailcd under the s,cnmer
Berry removed the bait from his hook.
aud on the opposite side trailed and
caught Mark Twain's line. Tnc latter
complaining that his line was ioil.
was assured that upon the swinging
ol the steamer IL would soon loosen
In n icw moments the red rocl, cod
MAS taken from the bn ,rci and hooked
Oh 10 Mark TNain's line. \ vigorous
prill was given, and at the top of his
voice Mark yelled ont: II have got "A
whale. ! have got n whale IIcland-
"d him in fine shape. the two jokers
taking him Off the hook and placed
INN IN the barrel. Mark immediately
procured piece oi chalk and com
mencei to score the catch q. each
fisherman, aud during the next two
hours this same fish va, hooked on in
the same manner fifty or sixty times.
on the lines of all the pirtics. and
puiiei up III the same manner and
pinced ~ the barrel ol water, Twain,
ot course. havlu. caught the largrs,
number. When the fun became mo-
moi onous Berry hooked the fish ia the
tail. hODin. that Mark vnuII 1ron pu
the loke but he did not, but simply
said; 1T takes an artist to catch II
fish on the wrong end. have often