The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-28
MRS. HAYES AS AN ANGLER.
How She Won g Fishing Contest
Against Jay Cooke.
Fyop. the ye0 York Star

From the Neto York Star.
PUT-IN-BAY, Sept 16.-The recent visit
of Gen. Benjamin Harrison, the republican
presidential candidate, to this resort for
rest and for the fishing there is here. recalls
a visit that occurred about ten years ago.
President Rutherford B. Hayes came to
Put-in-Bay in 1878. accompanied by Mrs.
Hayes, then the mistress OF the white
house. Mrs. Hayes was very fond Of
fishing, and was decidedly an expert
angler She boosted a good deal of
her piscatorial contests and victories. Jay
Cooke, the Philadelphia banker and we'll
known promoter of the Northern Pacific
railroad. was here them. He had a pretty
cottage-one of TIE assets that be retained
after his great failure in 1873 Jay Cooke
is one of Americas most famous anglers.
He has spent his summers for quarter of
a century with the reel and rod in all the
best fishing waters of the land OF late
years Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor,
down on the Jersey coast, have been his
favorite fishing grounds. Ten years ago,
however. be divided the sport between New
Jersey and these northern waters.
1t was the proud boast of Jay Cooke that
he had never been outfished by any angler
he had encountered. he could sit on all
easy chair at the stern Of his yacht and
pull i'll more members of the finDy tribe
between sunrise and sunset than any Of his
competitors. Some of his daily records are
remarkable. 1t mattered not what the fish
might be, or the kind of angling necessary
to catch them, Jay was always equal to the
emergency. Mrs. Hayes became very well
acquainted with the Cooke allily. She
heard of jays proud record, and promptly
challenged the Philadelphia t. an angling
contest. OF course the ex-banker accepted.
He could not do otherwise. The day was
fixed, and the deck of Mr. Cookies hand
some yacht W rs the scene of the encounter.
The best spot for fish in the bay was Sc
lected. Soon after sunrise the struggle be-
gan.
Both the contestants were in dead earnest
The Presidents wife proved a foeman, or
rather foewoman, worthy of Cookies rod
and skillful reel. Up to noon the battle
was pretty even. Mrs Hayes landed the
first fish and was promptly provided with a
fresh line, so that no time would be lost.
Early in the afternoon Jay began to gain,
and he soon saw that he could win with
ease before the sun went down. But then
it suddenly occurred to him chat it would
never do for him to win. In the first place
it would not be gallant; then it would be
compliment to the administration to have
the fair mistress win. 1t would be also
compliment for the banker to say that
he had succumbed to the angling of the
wife Of the President OF the United
States. Jays mind was suddenly made up.
Not a muscle Of his face moved after the
decision. His basket had a plurality of
the fish caught. Gradually the majority
dwindled down, aud as the last rays of old
Sol crept over the water for the night, Mrs.
Hayes found half dozen more fish to her
score than the Philadelphia fisher had She
had won, aud she was delighted. Jay
appeared to be very much crestfallen. But
there was suppressed twinkle IN his eye
when he acknowledged his defeat
And since then when Cooke tells the
story, and he has told it frequently, there
is a ripple of subdued mirth around the
corners of his mouth. Only very few of
his companions, however, know why it was
that Mrs. Hayes won that day.