The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-11-21
A eaRcaIa IN CRABS.
How Dr. Tompkins, OF Penn Van, Made y
Good Thing I'm Bass Bait.


Il like TO do little black bass fish,
ing now and them said DIR. Tomp-
kins. of Penn Yam. s.but I'm not one OF
those enthusiastic people who can't
get along without it. The other day.
though. friend of mine came in with
\ fine catch of bass. aud the sight of
them rather put me in the hunlor of
going out aud getting a lot myself
!. What did you catch 'em with?' /
asked my friend.
:. Grabs. he said.
I'VE call crawtish crabs in Penn
Yan. / had heard that crabs were
good bait for black bass. and thinking
that | might get some fun out of them
as well as anybody else, went over TO
Lake Keuka outlet to gather some for
bait l banged around in the creek
for three hours. turning up stones and
stopping about i'm the water knee deep.
and succeeded in capturing five little
crabs.
WELL | said to myself. that isn't
very big lot of bait TO start on q days
fishing with. but | guess | won't have
any trouble getting two or three nice
bass. anyhow
Il was about leaving the creek when
met small boy. He was Penn
Yam small boy, aud had nerve. and he
hailed me familiarlY, aud said:
" .Hnllo. misteri What You after?'
Il told him / was gathering crabs
for bait. but that they were powerful
scarce.
.what'n you give me to get you
some?' inquired the small hoy.
Il thought ii would be nice thing
to have a couple of dozen or so Of
crabs, for I'd want to be going out
after more bass the next day. aud
knowing what a tough and tedious
time I'd bad getting only i've.
thought I'd make il worth the boy s
while spending day tugging and
sweating among the stones. aud so
said I'd give him cents apiece for
crabs.
How many'Il git yon9' he asked
:. oh, all you can.' l replied. feeling
that all he could get would certainly
be few enough.
".All rightt he said. and went mp
the lake a mile or so with my five
crabs to get some bass for my supper.
fished all the rest of the day and
never got as much as bite 1t was
supper time when | pulled for home
1.-The next man that says crabs to
me. said to myself. 1T won't go well
with
After supper l was sitting in my
office. feeling little sore yet over my
lays fishing. when a knock came 10
the door. | opened it. and there stood
the small boy | had hired to gather
crabs for me. had forgotten all
about him.
.Hullo. misterr he said. L got
somel'
Grabs were the very last thing
was hankering after just then, but of
course bargain was bargain.
"'All right / said. Fetch 'em in ;
The small boy stepped aside. and
Immediately appeared again accom-
panied by another small boy Each
boy lugged in "A big tobacco pail. Each
pail was filed with crabs.
. Great heavensr exclaimed How
many have you got?'
/" There's two thousan' mister. said
the small boy / had bargained with.
But we'd "A got lot more if the pals
had been bigger
1.-TWO thousand crabsi If You'll
take the trouble to figure on that you'll
lind that at cents apiece 2.0tD crabs
will come to just an even 800. and
that was the price per crab had bound
myself to pay. While those boys had
nerve I've an idea that their ideas oi
tinanciering were crude. for after some
exceedingly anxious and apprehensive
argument with them l induced them to
compromise on a basis of labor by the
day. and even then they made so good
a thing out of me that the next man
who mentions crab to me will stand an
excellent chance of having the price o.
that days work taken out of his hide.
| returned those crabs to Keuka outlet
and any who wants to may go there
and catch them-if- he CAM y
\ Sam