The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-11-20
A BARGAIN IN CRABS.
How DR.. Tompkins Found Bait Enough
In Fish for BAss All His Life.

How DR.. Tompkins Found Bait Enough
to Fish for Hasa All His Life
II like to do q little black bas FISH
ing now and then," said DR.. Tompkins,
of Penn Yam, but I'm not one Of those
enthusiastic people who can't get along
without it. The other day, though, q
friend of mine came in with q fine catch
Of bass, and the sight Of them rather put
ME in the humor of going out and getting
q lot myself.
"What did you catch EN- WITH
asked my friend.
Grabs" he said.
I'VE call crawflsh crabs in Penn
Yam had heard before that crabs
were good bait for black bass, and think
ing that l might get some fun out of
them as well as anybody else l went
over to Lake Keuka outlet to bait !
banged around in the creek for three
hours turning up stones and stopping
about in the water knee deep, and sYc-
ceeded in capturing five little crabs
"Well, said to myself, that isn't 3
very big lot Of bait to start on day 8
fishing with, but | guess won't have
any trouble getting two or three nice
bass, anyhow.
II was about leaving the creek when
| met small boy. He was Penn Yam
small boy and he had nerve, and he
| hailed me familiarly and said;
".Hullo, mister. What you aftexS
II told him | was gathering crats for
bait, but that they were powerful soA,ce.
What1l you give me to get you
someY inquired the small boy.
Il thought it would be a nice thing to
have couple of dozen or so of crabs. for
I'd want to be going out after more bass
the next day, and knowing what a tough
and tedious time I'd had getting only
FIVE, thought I'd make it worth the boy g
while spending day Juggling and sweat
ing among the stones, and 30 said I'd
give him five cents apiece for crabs
"'How many Il git you? he asked.
"'Oh, all you can,' replied, feeling
that all he could get would certainly be
few enough.
"All rightr he said, and I went up
the lake 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 a bite. 1t was supper time
when pulled for home.
1.-The next man that says crabs to
me-, said to myself, it won't go well
with
after supper l was sitting in my
office, feeling little sore yet over my
days fishing, when knock came to the
door. opened it, and there stood the
small boy had hired to gather crabs fol
me. had forgotten all about him.
"'Hullo, mister!'' he said. 4 got
some'
Grabs were the very last thing wai
laundering after just then, but of course
bargain was bargain.
"'All right, | said. Fetch EN- in
1.-THE small boy stepped aside and i'm
mediately appeared again, accompanied
by another small boy. Each boy l';gget
in a big tobacco pail. Each pail wa!
filled with crabs.
"'Great heavensr exclaimed. How
many haye you gotT
There's two thousan, mister, sail
the small boy | had bargained with
But we'd a got a lot more if the pail
had been bigger
1.-TWO thousand crabsl II you'll TAX
the trouble to figure on that you'll fin
that at five cents apiece 1000 crabs vii
come to just an even 800, and that wa
the price per crab had bound myself t
pay. While those boys had nerve Pv
an idea that their ideas of financierin
were crude, for after some exceedingl
anxious and apprehensive argument wit
: them induced them to compromise O
, basis of labor by the day, and eve
then they made such good thing out c
me that the next man who mention
crabs to me will stand an excellen
chance of having the price of that day
work taken out of his hide. returne
| those crabs to Keuka outlet- and an
one who wants to may 60 there an
catch them-if they can. '-Louisvill
post