San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-06
IN THE RESERVOIR.


of the best society of New York on the top of
the distributing reservoir at Forty second
street any fine October morning. There
were two or three carriages in waiting and
half dozen senatorial looking mothers with
young children pacing the parapet as we
ourselves, one day in the past generation,
basked there in the sunshne-now watching
the pickerel that glided along the lucid edges
of the black pool within, and now looking off
upon the scene of rich and wondrous variety
that spreads along the two broad and beauti
full rivers on each side.
"They may talk of Alpheus and Arethusa,"
murmured an idling sophomore, who had
found his way thither during recitation
hours, but the Croton, in passing over an
arm of the sea at Spuyten Duyvil and burst
ing to sight again in this truncated pyramid,
beats it all hollow. By George, too, the bay
yonder looks as blue as ever the Egean sea to
Byron's eye gazing from the Acropolis. Did
you see that pike break, sirr'
II did not"
His silver fin flashed upon the black
Acheron, like a restless soul that hoped yet
to mount from the pool"
THE place seems suggestive of fancies to
youT we observed in reply to the rattlepate.
1T is, indeed; for | have done up good
deal of anxious thinking within a circle of
few yards where that fish broke just now.
Shall tell you about it7'
PRAY do"
well, you have seen the notice forbidding
any one to fish in the reservoir. Now, when
| read that warning, the spirit of the thing
struck ME at once as ihferring nothing more
than that one should not sully the temperance
potations of our citizens by sleeping bait in
it of any kind; but you probably know the
common way of taking pike with slip moose
of delicate wire. | was determined to have
a touch at the fellows with this tackle.
Il chose moonlight night; and an hour
before the edifice was closed to visitors Sc
GREETED myself within the walls, determined
to pass the mig ht on the top All went as
could wish it. The night proved cloudy.
but it was only variable drift of broken
clouds which obscured the moon. | had a
walking cane rod with me which would reach
to the margin of the water, and several feet
beyond if necessary. To this was attached
the wire, about fifteen inches in length.
II prowled along the parapet for a consid
cradle time but not a single fish could | see
The clouds made Pickering light and shade
that wholly foiled my steadfast gaze. | was
convinced that should they come up thicker
my whole nights adventure would be thrown
away. Why should | not descend the slOp-
ing wall and get nearer on a level with the
fish, for thus alone can | hope to see oney
The question had hardly shaped itself in my
mind before had one leg over the iron rail
ing.
IF you look around you will see now that
there are some half dozen weeds growing
here and there amid the assures of the solid
masonry. In one of the assures from whence
these spring, planted foot and began my
descent. The reservoir was fuller than it is
now, and a few strides would have carried
me to the margin of the water. Holding on
to the cleft above, felt round with one foot
for place to plant it below me.
''In that moment the flap of pound pike
made me look round, and the roots Of the
weed upon which l partially depended gave
way as | was in the act of turning Sir,
ones senses are sharpened in deadly peril; as
| live now, l distinctly heard the bells of
Trinity Ginning midnight, as rose to the
surface the next instant, immersed in the
stone ca!dron, where l must swim for my
IL am capital swimmer; and this natur
ally gave me degree of self possession. Fall
ing as | had l, of course, had pitched out
some distance from the sloping parapet. A
few strokes brought me to the edge | really
was not yet certain but that | could Chamber
up the face of the wall anywhere. | hoped
that could
Il tried the nearest spot The inclination
Of tha NNr,,n fl,or = 4
even rest me to lean against it, | felt with
my hands and with my feet. Surely,
thought there must be some fisSure like those
in which that i'll omened weed had found
place for It's root!
There was none. Ny fingers became sore
in buSyng themselves with the harsh and in
hospitable stones. My feet slipped from the
smooth and Shiny masonry beneath the water
and several times my face came in rude con
tact with the wall, when my foothold gave
way on the instant that | seemed to have
found some diminutive rocky cleat upon
which could stay myself.
Sir, did you ever see a rat drowned in a
half filled hogshead-how he swims round
and round and round, and after vainly try
ing the sides again and again with his paws
fixes his eyes upon the upper rim as if he
would look himself out Of his watery prisoni
Il thought of the miserable vermin thought
of him as | had often watched thus his dying
agonies, wher a cruel urchin of eight or ten.
Boys are horribly cruel, sir; boys, women
and savages. All child like things are cruel
cruel from want of thought, from perverse
ingenuity.
Il thought then, say, of the rat drown
ing in half filed Cask Of water, and lifting