Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-16
CAPTURE OF 4 STURGEON.
THE STONY CREEK REcLUsE TELLS
BIG FISH STORY.
Desperate Methods Rescrted to in the
Accomplishing of a Lau able OBJ
ject-Ratson's Wisdom.

about much more this week for carbon"
"Ahaw, haw, hawl You won't, Ell? >
What's up now" replied Ratson.
Never mind what's up, Ratson, until
you've fetched those two long, handled
pitchforks in the barn there. Meanwhile
I'll be getting some wire."
Ratson having brought the pitchforks
explained to him that we were about to
have twenty years sport all in one after
noon; that there was an opportunity about
half mile up the creek, the like of which
would probably never present itself within
the next half century; that / had, in fact,
discovered q mammoth sturgeon in a deep
pool at the poin, indicated; and that it
now deyolved upon Us as free born Ameri
| can citizens TO put an end to his career or
die in the fort, Immediately.
Ratson agreeable, we set out without
any further preparations our impleu.e nts
OF war consisting OF two pitchforks. q
vicious looking muzzle-loader, and forty
| feet of small sized copper wire with which
| purposed sharing the eviathan (having
heard that 1t was impossible to draw one
out with hook.)
| After brisk go as Y GU please of about
four minutes, in which we pleased TO go at
| breakneck psce. We arrived at the pool
where the sturgeon had been left prisoner
| by recent fTeshet, there being now shall
low rifle on either side Of it.
| This pool, which averaged about ten feet
in depth, twenty feet in width and forty
feet in length, was perfectly clear, with a
| hard, clean, rocky bottom 50 that the con.
ditions were extremely favorable TO our
| making short work of the monster, which
lay quietly at the bottom near the bank on
the side near which we stood
| Therefore, | cautioned Ratson not TO get
| excited, asking him at the same time if he
had ever seen a horned toad squirt blood
from both eyes at g rattlesnake, and also
requested him to quiet his nerves by hum
ming his favorite song:
| In Boston Bay the frigate Law.
The Chesapeake they called her etc.
| Which he did, while arranged a run
ming loop at one end of the wire.
Now, Ratson," l said, when | had fin
ished the job satisfactorily, las you are the
stronger man OF the two, want YOU to lasso
| that animal and hold on to him. II he
shows up near the surface or in shallow
water | will fire at him. See. here he lies
at the bottom near the bank. Amt he
whale? Now lower your moose slowly
| unul 1t hangs about a foot and half in
| 'front.' OF his nose, pass it back over his
head, suddenly draw up the running loop
and ne IS our fish without any further
ado
He IS, is he?" said Rstson. ANY
| danger OF the lariai breaking p
None whatever" | responded. Wen
have tenderloin of sole with one egg for
| month"
But to tell the truth, was afraid that
the beast would "yank" me of the bank
INTO the water. Therefore ! wanted Rat
son to try his luck first
1t seems that Ratson also SCENTED
| rodent, for he wanted TO know if | didn't
| THINK 1t would be just as well 20 wade
flght In and throw him cut bodily. Bat
| answered that it wouldn't do at all; that
| the water was altogether too deep: and
that, furthermore, l preferred being swal-
lowed by an alligator anyway to taking
| chances with mastodon like that
Lower the RATA, Ratson; if that method
| fslls We'll fork him to death but prefer to
secure him whole, so that 1 can preserve
his skin and stuff it."
80 Raison got down on his knees, leaned
over the bank and slowly lowered the
moose until 1t hung directly in front of the
surgeons nose, distant about two feet,
whence he began gradually drawing it
| backward toward the surgeons head.
Up TO this stage of the proceedings the
sturgeon had remained metionless: but, on
IKE flash OF creased lightning seized the
wire in his mouth and made eff with il,
jerking Ratson, who had taken a half bitch
with bis right hand on the wire head fore
most into the water
Then Tor about ten seconds there was a
panorama IN that pool which simply beg.
CARS description. Around and around flew
the sturgeon with Ratson following under
the water like a thing OF evil until the
l.I.Ir h.,N Il Al
Jaws, and Ratson, rising to the occasion, as
well as the Surface, a madder but much
Weiter man, scrambled ont swearing like
trooper.
You had narrow escape, Ratson,'
yentured.
BY -, I ought to know" bawled
Ratsoa.
"Tbs,'s fact, Ratson, but turn about is
Jar play; let me have the RATA now. OF
course, one has to avoid being upset, but
this one can do by bracing himself bsck-
@erd just before pulling up The loop"
In pursuance of which policy rear
ranged tbs lariat and let down the moose
| both water and sturgeon having become
settled again-passed it successfully over
the beasts head, and suddenly rising to my
feet, ew up the running loop and braced
myself well back ward Just as the sturgeon
awoke tC full realization of the situation
IN which lie found himself and star ed of
~ the ra'e OF mile a minute causing the
"lie 20 fairly squeal through nay HANDS
pnu. il go: tangled about my legs, when
! ,ny feet we're jerked from under me and
INTO the water, whittier very shortly fol-
lowed them.
In this unexpected descent, which was
even more ignominious than that of Rat
son. my head and shoulders struck the
bank With considerable force, and several
tons OF earth were precip:Ia' ed from the
edge, which wo1li have fallen directly
upon me had | remained long enough
underneath out luckily was soon hauled
ont of danger. and tie wire becoming dis
entangled, l was soon free.
On reaching terra tirma I spewed up q
\ large quantity OF water, got my bellows TO
woi king on wind again, and exclaimed
"Ra,son, this monkey performance will
now close. We must both hold on to the
wire
| Accordingly we waited until the water
had settled, and successfully SHARED him 9
! third time. This lime we both lay hack on
the wire, while The urseon tagged away
at the water end with all his might until
the wire broke and we both turned back
-omersaults, when came to the conclusion
that we would have 10 resort 10 the pitch
| forks.
Therefore we seized the pitchfcrks, and
hatson taxing the opposite side, piled them
upon the old foreigner" first with handles
downward, endeavoriDg to stun him by
striking him on the head, afterwards with
tines downward; but though We jabbed at
him for over an hour ne was apparently as
fresh AT the end of that time a. ne was be.
| fore we commenced.
Wonder il it wouldn't be good plan.
Ratson, 10 poke thSt muzzle- loader down
into the water and blow his brains ou;?" /
remarked, somewhat discouraged
"Ahaw haw haw!' laughed Ratson:
''whose brains do you refer top
The surgeons brains, of course. 1t
wouldn't make any difference if all our brains
were blown cut. In fact, it might make
US clearer minded. 1 don't intend, how
ever TO hold the gun myself. will make
il fast 10 one end of that pitchfork, and pull
the trigger by means of q wire attached to
it."
"Ahaw! haw. haw! You will, will
you?'
We'll, l should-hand me that wire,
Ratson: Nothing like being an original
genius"
"Ahaw haw haw! 1 should say not;