The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-16
1he ga9erala anil g 0gep5'
PUBLISHED
EVERY THURSDAY AT
Ni7WBERRT, s. c.
THE zTRoUBLE WITH GOLDFISH
Hard to Make it Palatable AFTER IL
Has Been so Long in the Ocean.
Chicago Tribune.

We accepted the urgent invitation
of the foreman Of Crook county,
Wv, stock ranch to stop and take
dinner with him one afternoon. AS
we sat down to the meal he passed a
suspicious looking dish and said:
That's what they call Goldfish"
Goldfish always goes to the right
spot with me-" replied Briar, politely.
That may not, though" continued
our host ss he wiped his knife on his
boot leg before helping himself to
some butter. i've had the doggond-
est time rastlin' with that air critter
of fish that I ever had in all the
cookin' l ever done
What was the trouble with it?'
$50 thuuderin' salt This is the
fourth or fifth whack I've took at it,
tryin' to git up mess that we could
eat 'thout goin' down to a deep place
in the creek an standin' in the water
up to our necks the rest Of the day.
1t was worse than they usually
are, eh?'
"Worse'n ever tackled, anyhow.
You see, | sent down after it by
Shorty, mere, and told him to git a
bic un--we'd been havin' bacon
every meal for between three an four
wears, an l was bound to have a
change or bust. Shorty packed it
home tied onto the SADDLE, an when
he brought it in and busted it off
with his hat and looked at it, / says ::
Shorty, she's dandy. Goldfish for
breakfast or Pm a Mexican? 1t
wasn't no slouch of fish, either; it
was long and we'll put up, g little
heavy in front. thought, but then
the fish amt built like a steer or
hoss. It's head was cut off and it
was all dressed in good shape,
only its tail WAS left on, but Shorty
said that was to handle it by; an
then he tried to pound me over the
head with it in fun, but I yanked it
away from him an huugit up by my
Winchester. where the dog could ut
git it. and left it there for the night.
Next morRiu' we got up early an
eat off steak from round the neck
of our fish, cooked it, slapped it onto
the table, an yelled Breakfast?
Then we waded into it. 1t tasted a
deal like takin' big lump Of salt on
your fork, bitin' of a mouthful, chew
in n swallerin' it, sn goin' for it
again. The boys kicked, but told
'em Goldfish was arays salt, an so
We cleaned it out at last. Then we
went down to the creek an sorte O
laid round till noon an robbed the
1000 head O cattle th.re is on the
ranch Of the water they orter had. 1
never saw nothing hang by feller
like that fish did. Bout noon | come
back up an put the critter to soak
in water bar'l. We left it there till
the next mornin' an tackled i. again,
Still too salt. Then I left it two days
an took another whack at it. Couldn't
GO it yet. Then l tied one end of a
lar'at round its tail an let it down in
the well and left it week. By that
time the water was so salty we
couldn't use it, but it hadn't freshen-
ed the Goldfish enough to speak Of.
Then hove it upon the roof an let
it rain on it couple O times an af-
terwards r'sred it up on a pole in
front O the shack an let the wind
kinder blow through its whiskers for
few days. 1t seemed to be gettin'
some better, but we still went in
more on bacon than we did on fish.
l was mad by this time an I took it
to the creek an staked it down to
the bottom, when the current was
rapid, an said if it didn't spoil the
water for the stock I'd leave it there
aom nth. 1t staid there till yesterday
when one O the boys brought it up.
1t was gettin' quite soft an timber
like, en- I reckon we've downed it at
last. 1t may be a: little water soaked,
but the salt is knocked. I tell you
the ocean must be powerful sight
saltier than ever lowed it was to
git fish loaded plumb full Of it like
this un was. This ranch buys fresh
water fish after this. I'll be hanged
if | b'lieve fish is fit to eat after
it's swuln round in salt water mebby
ten years an got it all soaked through
it. l should think they'd have scales
on 'em to kinder keep it out partly"